Schedule of Events

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2009 is held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Oct. 9-13 and 15-18, 2009. Learn more about this year's event highlights and daily schedule.

Highlights

Special features of Solar Decathlon 2009 include:

• The Opening Ceremony

  The Solar Decathlon 2009 Opening Ceremony is Thursday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m.

• The Awards Ceremony

  The winner of Solar Decathlon 2009 is announced Friday, Oct. 16 at 8 a.m. (tentative).

• Team Houses

  The Solar Decathlon team houses are open for public visits Oct. 9–13 and 15–18. They are open 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday–Friday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Please note that all houses are closed Wed., Oct. 14 and may be closed for 1-2 hours on other days for competition judging and measurement purposes.

• Consumer Workshops

  The U.S. Department of Energy and event sponsors offer solar energy and energy-efficiency workshops for consumers and industry professionals. Consumer workshops are not offered Oct. 13, 14, or 15 (Building Industry Day). See the schedule below for daily workshop offerings.

• Educational Exhibits

  Two educational exhibits are open Oct. 9-18 during daylight hours:

  Anatomy of a House

  Located near the Metro Welcome Tent, this exhibit provides tips on saving energy for homeowners and includes fun, interactive features. The exhibit includes demonstrations of several building technologies used in the competition houses as well as a representation of a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system that shows how a PV system is set up for a typical home. This is similar to how the Solar Decathlon 2009 competition houses are connected to the utility grid.

  Get Smart: Take Charge of Your Energy!

  Complementing Anatomy of a House, this exhibit demonstrates how smart choices can deliver us into a smart energy future.

Daily Schedule

The daily schedule of Solar Decathlon 2009 is listed below.

• Thursday, Oct. 8

  Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Houses closed
  1 p.m.: Opening Ceremony

• Friday, Oct. 9

  Architecture, Market Viability, and Communications juries visit the team houses. Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Houses open

  Consumer Workshops

  • 10 a.m.: How Can We Make the Most of Our Energy?, Schneider Electric
  • 11:30 a.m.: Solar for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 1 p.m.: Green Jobs, American Institute of Architects
  • 2:30 p.m.: Energy Efficiency for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  
  

• Saturday, Oct. 10

  Architecture, Market Viability, and Communications juries visit the team houses. Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Houses open

  Consumer Workshops

  • 10 a.m.: When the Stars Align, D&R International
  • 11:30 a.m.: Solar for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 1 p.m.: How Solar Works for Residential Customers, BP
  • 2:30 p.m.: Making Smart Choices To Manage Your Electric Bill, Pepco
  • 4 p.m.: Energy-Efficient Lighting Solutions for the Home, Schneider Electric
  
  

• Sunday, Oct. 11

  Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Houses open

  Consumer Workshops

  • 10 a.m.: Energy Efficiency for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 11:30 a.m.: Solar for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 1 p.m.: Solar Panels and the Smart Grid, Pepco
  • 2:30 p.m.: Solar Home Basics and Incentive Programs, BP
  • 4 p.m.: Energy Efficiency for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  
  

• Monday, Oct. 12

  Engineering and Lighting Design juries visit the team houses. Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  10 a.m.: Winner of the Architecture contest announced
  10 a.m.: Winner of the Market Viability contest announced
  11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Houses open

  Consumer Workshops

  • 10 a.m.: Green Jobs, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 11:30 a.m.: Solar for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 1 p.m.: Building for the Future: Sustainable Home Design, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
  • 2:30 p.m.: High-Tech Consumer Products, Texas Instruments
  
  

• Tuesday, Oct. 13

  Engineering and Lighting Design juries visit the team houses. Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  10 a.m.: Winner of the Communications contest announced
  11 .am.-3 p.m.: Houses open

• Wednesday, Oct. 14

  Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  Houses closed for competition purposes

• Thursday, Oct. 15 — Building Industry Day

  Measurements for the Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Net Metering contests are taken.

  Building Industry Day is devoted to building industry professionals.

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  10 a.m.: Winner of Lighting Design contest announced
  11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Houses open

  Building Industry Day Workshops

  • 9 a.m.: Top 10 Green Project Awards, American Institute of Architects
  • 10 a.m.: Investing in a Sustainable Future, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
  • 11 a.m.: Solar Converter Integration Into Microgrid, Schneider Electric
  • 12 p.m.: LEED for Homes: Green From the Ground Up, U.S. Green Building Council
  • 1 p.m.: Incorporating Solar Into Residential New Construction, BP
  • 2 p.m.: Benefits of the Smart Grid, Pepco
  • 3 p.m.: Solar at Night — Solar LED Applications, Meteor Solar LED Lighting
  • 4 p.m.: Building High-Performance Homes, Honeywell
  • 5 p.m.: Electronics — The Other Silicon in Solar, Texas Instruments
  
  

• Friday, Oct. 16

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  8 a.m.: Winner of the Engineering contest announced
  8 a.m. (tentative): Awards Ceremony — Winner of Solar Decathlon 2009 announced
  11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Houses open

  Consumer Workshops

  • 11:30 a.m.: Panel: The Leadership of Today, Popular Mechanics
  • 1 p.m.: LEED for Homes and ReGreen: Solutions From Remodel to Gut-Rehab, U.S. Green Building Council
  • 2:30 p.m.: Panel: Toward a Clean Energy Future — Technology Solutions for Near-Zero Energy Buildings in a Low-Carbon Economy, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers/American Institute of Architects/U.S. Green Building Council
  • 4 p.m.: Green Jobs, U.S. Department of Energy
  
  

• Saturday, Oct. 17

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Houses open

  Consumer Workshops

  • 10 a.m.: Panel: The Architects of Tomorrow, Popular Mechanics
  • 11:30 a.m.: Solar for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 1 p.m.: Energy Efficiency for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 2:30 p.m.: Green Building Standards and Guidelines, National Association of Home Builders
  • 4 p.m.: Green Jobs, U.S. Department of Energy
  
  

• Sunday, Oct. 18

  Educational exhibits open during daylight hours
  10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Houses open

  Consumer Workshops

  • 10 a.m.: Spray Foam — The Answer to the Energy Challenge, Demilec USA
  • 11:30 a.m.: Solar for the Homeowner, U.S. Department of Energy
  • 1 p.m.: Insulation's Role in a Home's Energy Performance: The Case for High-Performance Insulation, Honeywell
  • 2:30 p.m.: Green Building Standards and Guidelines, National Association of Home Builders
  • 4 p.m.: Green Jobs, U.S. Department of Energy