Solar Decathlon Blog - Competition

It’s the 20^th anniversary of the Solar Decathlon, and 133 teams from 107 collegiate institutions are off to the races as competition begins for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2022 Design Challenge and 2023 Build Challenge teams in 20 countries and 29 U.S. states.

Over its lifetime, the Solar Decathlon has challenged more than 25,000 students to create high-performance, efficient, and affordable buildings powered by renewables while promoting student innovation, STEM education, and workforce development opportunities in the buildings industry. The Design and Build Challenges are composed of 10 contests. The Design Challenge is a one- to two-semester, design-only competition, while the Build Challenge is a multiyear design-build competition.

“Now in its 20^th year, the Solar Decathlon continues to be at the forefront of building the next generation of student leaders who can address climate change through the built environment,” said Holly Jamesen Carr, Director of Solar Decathlon in the Building Technologies Office. “As these students take on the toughest challenges in the built environment, their bright ideas and creativity will be crucial in the transition to a clean energy economy.”

2023 Build Challenge

The number of teams competing in the 2023 Build Challenge has nearly tripled from the 2020 Build Challenge to 32 teams, and 16 of the 37 participating collegiate institutions will send teams to the Solar Decathlon Build Challenge for the first time. Over the next two years, these teams will design and build energy-efficient, fully functional homes in their communities to demonstrate creative solutions for real-world issues in the building industry.

The 37 collegiate institutions participating in the 2023 Build Challenge are:

• Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (جامعة عبدالمالك السعدي), Tétouan, Morocco
• Arapahoe Community College, Littleton, Colorado
• Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
• Bangkok University (มหาวิทยาลัยกรุงเทพ), Bangkok, Thailand
• Barber-Scotia College, Concord, North Carolina
• Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
• Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington
• Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia
• Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado
• École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne, Saint-Étienne, France
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India
• Kocaeli Üniversitesi, Kocaeli, Turkey
• Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
• Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
• Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
• Navajo Technical University, Crownpoint, New Mexico
• NewSchool of Architecture & Design, San Diego, California
• Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
• San José State University, San José, California
• Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia
• Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
• The Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, Middletown, Pennsylvania
• The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
• The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
• Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Université Moulay Ismaïl (جامعة مولاي إسماعيل‎), Meknès, Morocco
• University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
• University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
• University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
• University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
• University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
• University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
• University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario
• University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
• Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
• Woodbury University, Burbank, California

Build Challenge teams will present their designs at the Solar Decathlon Competition Event, April 24–26, 2022, for approval to move forward to the construction phase. Teams will complete construction by early 2023, exhibiting homes locally in their communities, and winning teams will be chosen in April 2023.

The 2021 Build Challenge team from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas earned third place for their entry “Mojave Bloom,” a design that created a healing space for military veterans. Photo by NREL

2022 Design Challenge

101 teams from 80 collegiate institutions have joined the 2022 Design Challenge. Cross-disciplinary teams will bring their residential or commercial building designs to the Semifinal Competition next February, followed by finalist project presentations at an expert-juried event held April 24–26, 2022.

The 80 collegiate institutions competing in the 2022 Design Challenge are:

• Alexandria University (جامعة الإسكندرية), Alexandria, Egypt
• Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
• Blackburn College, Carlinville, Illinois
• Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California
• Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario
• Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia
• College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California
• College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Missouri
• Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
• Escuela Especializada en Ingeniería ITCA-FEPADE, Santa Tecla, El Salvador
• Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan
• Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
• Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Howard University, Washington, D.C.
• Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois
• Jackson State University , Jackson, Mississippi
• Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
• Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia
• Kern Community College District, Bakersfield, California
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
• Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri
• Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
• Myongji University (명지대학교), Seoul, South Korea
• Navajo Technical University, Crownpoint, New Mexico
• New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
• New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn, New York
• Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
• Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
• Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
• Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport, Pennsylvania
• Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy
• Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas
• Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York
• Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
• Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario
• Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, California
• School of Planning and Architecture Delhi, New Delhi, India
• Shiraz University (انشگاه شیراز), Shiraz, Iran
• Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
• Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• Tehran University of Art (دانشگاه هنر تهران‎) , Tehran, Iran
• Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee
• Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
• The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, New York City, New York
• The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania
• The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York
• The University of Arizona, Tuscon, Arizona
• The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee
• The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas
• The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
• The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
• The University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
• Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
• Université de Carthage (جامعة قرطاج), Tunis, Tunisia
• Université de Monastir (جامعة المنستير), Monastir, Tunisia
• Université Mohammed V de Rabat (جامعة محمد الخامس), Rabat, Morocco
• University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska
• University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska
• University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
• University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
• University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
• University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
• University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
• University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
• University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
• University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
• University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
• University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
• University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
• University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, Vermont
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Alexandria, Virginia
• Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, Massachusetts

Grand Winners of the 2021 Design Challenge in the Residential Division from Northwestern University. Photo by NREL

About EERE

The mission of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and solutions to equitably transition America to net zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050, and ensure the clean energy economy benefits all Americans, creating good paying jobs for the American people—especially workers and communities impacted by the energy transition and those historically underserved by the energy system and overburdened by pollution.

Name: Andrea Lin

Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2021

University team: Northwestern University

Current organization / employer: Kipnis Architecture + Planning

Current role: Architectural Intern

How did participation in the Solar Decathlon affect the trajectory of your career?

My experience in Solar Decathlon brought me the confidence in changing my career path towards one that interests me. In my third year of university, I was exploring architecture classes and began learning about the design process and high-performance buildings. However, most of the work for these classes was done as individuals so the scope of work was focused mostly on the architectural function and aesthetic. Solar Decathlon exposed me to the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of sustainable design, which has helped me adapt my experiences to my interests.

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Compete in the next U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® and join more than 25,000 students from 35 countries who have experienced the impact of this unique, life-changing competition!

New and returning collegiate institutions are encouraged to register and participate in this competition that prepares the next generation of building professionals to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables.

(more…)

Compete in the next U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® and join more than 25,000 students from 35 countries who have experienced the impact of this unique, life-changing competition!

New and returning collegiate institutions are encouraged to register and participate in this competition that prepares the next generation of building professionals to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables.

(more…)

Compete in the next U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® and join more than 25,000 students from 35 countries who have experienced the impact of this unique, life-changing competition!

New and returning collegiate institutions are encouraged to register and participate in this competition that prepares the next generation of building professionals to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables.

(more…)

Name: Nupoor Kansara

Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2020

University team: Illinois Institute of Technology

Current organization / employer: Baumann Consulting

Current role: Energy and commissioning engineer (more…)

Passionate about sustainable buildings? Ready to test the skills you’ve learned in the classroom on a real-life project? The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® is ready for your innovative ideas and creativity! Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition that prepares the next generation of building professionals to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables.

The Solar Decathlon Competition Guide, 2022 Design Challenge Rules, and 2023 Build Challenge Rules are now available to the public. All collegiate institutions are encouraged to apply to participate in the next edition of Solar Decathlon by October 26, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Team Applications can be submitted for both the Design Challenge and the Build Challenge.

Read more

She learned a lot in the 2017 Design Challenge, and now she helps design condos in Brazil. Hear more about Louisy Spak’s experience in our continuing series.

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Name: Louisy Spak

Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2017 Design Challenge (formerly Race to Zero)

University team: Sobrado Solar – Universidade Federal do Paraná

Current organization / employer: Multipla Arquitetura, Nova Arquitetura

Current role: Architect, owner and BIM specialist

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Competitors Represent the Next Generation of Energy-Savvy Architects and Engineers Who Will Build Our Clean Energy Future

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm yesterday joined college students from around the world to announce the winners of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon—a collegiate competition that challenges the next generation of building professionals to design and construct high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewable energy. The 72 competing teams representing 12 countries designed resilient and energy-efficient, homes, schools, offices, and retail spaces; nine of which were constructed and presented in the first-ever Solar Decathlon Virtual Village on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Watch Sunday’s awards ceremony and Secretary Granholm’s remarks HERE.

“Our fight against the climate crisis is a lot like a decathlon, with all kinds of individual contests we need to get through—and we can’t win unless we do well in them all,” said Secretary Granholm. “Today’s decathletes are tomorrow’s architects and engineers who are going to help us achieve President Biden’s ambitious and achievable clean energy goals and build our net-zero future. I can’t wait to see their big ideas come to life in neighborhoods across the country and around the world.”

According to DOE analysis, today buildings account for approximately 74% of electricity use, 39% of total energy use, and 35% of carbon emissions in the United States. There are more than 125 million buildings in the nation that need to be retrofitted in order to achieve the Administration’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050—which President Biden’s American Jobs Plan proposes to address. The Solar Decathlon supports a key strategy to bring that vision to life, by building a pipeline of energy-savvy workers who are prepared for millions of future jobs in design, construction, retrofitting, weatherization, and more.

The full list of the winners of the 2020 Build Challenge and 2021 Design Challenge is below:

2020 Build Challenge Overall Winners

• 1^st Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
• 2^nd Place, University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario)
• 3^rd Place, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)

2021 Design Challenge Grand Winners

• Commercial Divisions, University of Oregon (Eugene, Oregon)
• Residential Divisions, Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois)

2020 Build Challenge Contest Winners

Energy Performance

• 1^st Place, Weber State University (Ogden, Utah)
• 2^nd Place (tie)
  • University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
  • University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• 3^rd Place, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (Champaign County, Illinois)

Engineering

• 1^st Place, Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands)
• 2^nd Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
• 3^rd Place, Weber State University (Ogden, Utah)

Financial Feasibility & Affordability

• 1^st Place, University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario)
• 2^nd Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
• 3^rd Place, Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)

Resilience

• 1^st Place, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (Valparaíso, Chile)
• 2^nd Place, University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario)
• 3^rd Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)

Architecture

• 1^st Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
• 2^nd Place, Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands)
• 3^rd Place, Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)

Operations

• 1^st Place, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• 2^nd Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
• 3^rd Place, Hogeschool Utrecht University of Applied Sciences Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands)

Market Potential

• 1^st Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
• 2^nd Place, Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas)
• 3^rd Place, University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario)

Comfort & Environmental Quality

• 1^st Place, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana (Champaign County, Illinois)
• 2^nd Place, University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario)
• 3^rd Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)

Innovation

• 1^st Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)
• 2^nd Place, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• 3^rd Place (tie)
  • University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario)
  • Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (Valparaíso, Chile)

Presentation

• 1^st Place, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• 2^nd Place, Weber State University (Ogden, Utah)
• 3^rd Place, University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado)

2021 Design Challenge Division Winners

Suburban Single-Family Housing Division

• 1^st place, Ferris State University (Big Rapids, Michigan)
• 2^nd place, Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, Missouri)
• 3^rd place, Appalachian State University (Boone, North Carolina)

Urban Single-Family Housing Division

• 1^st place, Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois)
• 2^nd place, The University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona)
• 3^rd place, Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana)

Attached Housing Division

• 1^st place, Marywood University (Scranton, Pennsylvania)
• 2^nd place, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (Mumbai, India)
• 3^rd place, Monash University (Melbourne, Australia)

Mixed-Use Multifamily Building Division

• 1^st place, The University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada)
• 2^nd place, The University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona)
• 3^rd place, University of Missouri-Columbia (Columbia, Missouri)

Elementary School Division

• 1^st place, University of Oregon (Eugene, Oregon)
• 2^nd place, Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada)
• 3^rd place, Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana)

Office Building Division

• 1^st place, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, Virginia)
• 2^nd place, Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada)
• 3^rd place, Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

Retail Building Division

• 1^st place, Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, Illinois)
• 2^nd place, Thomas Jefferson University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• 3^rd place, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology (India)

About the Solar Decathlon

The Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition that challenges the next generation of building professionals to design and construct high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewable energy, while promoting student innovation, STEM education, and workforce development opportunities in the buildings industry. Since 2002, more than 20,000 students have participated in the Solar Decathlon, many of whom have gone on to become architects, engineers, and researchers. This year’s competition marks the 19th anniversary of the Solar Decathlon.

The Design Challenge is a one- to two-semester, design-only competition, while the Build Challenge is a two-year design-build competition.

Applications for the Solar Decathlon 2022 Design Challenge and 2023 Build Challenge will open this summer. Additional details are available on the Solar Decathlon website.

Today, Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman officially kicked off the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® Competition Event during the Solar Decathlon Opening Celebration.

Students from 72 teams, representing 66 collegiate institutions and 12 countries, are competing for top prizes in the 2020 Build Challenge and 2021 Design Challenge during the Competition Event.

“I was deeply inspired by the ingenuity and perseverance of our Solar Decathlon teams, who have designed and constructed buildings that embody the spirit of innovation we need for a clean energy future,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Speakes-Backman. “These homes are a testament to the incredible skill and resolve of the next generation of building professionals, who share a sense of urgency in tackling the climate crisis and building more sustainable communities.” (more…)

A 100% clean energy economy capable of battling climate change will include a strong foundation of zero energy homes—a house that can produce as much energy as it uses. Such homes don’t have to be bare-bones and uncomfortable. Quite the opposite, in fact. Student-led teams competing in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® Build Challenge are proving they can blend architectural design and engineering excellence with innovation, market potential, building efficiency, and smart energy production, all with the “comforts of home.”

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Save the Date for the Solar Decathlon Competition Event; Virtual Format Opens Participation to Broader Audience

Mark your calendars! The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® will host its rescheduled 2020 Build Challenge and 2021 Design Challenge competition events virtually, from Thursday, April 15 to Sunday, April 18, 2021. This virtual event will feature dynamic team presentations, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities for all collegiate teams in the United States and around the world.

The Build Challenge competition event was previously scheduled to be on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in summer of 2020. The annual Design Challenge competition event is traditionally hosted by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in Golden, Colorado.

“While we will miss celebrating the excitement and passion in person, we want to ensure the teams are still given an opportunity to complete this unparalleled and valuable experience,” said Holly Jamesen Carr, director of Solar Decathlon for the Building Technologies Office. “We have seen how this competition has positively impacted the trajectory of many careers and elevated the importance of building efficiency.”

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Architects are really good at a lot of things, but one quality in particular stands out to Eric Weber, an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). He believes that once architects understand the nature of a challenge, they excel at developing thoughtful responses to it. Maybe that is why Weber’s Design + Build students chose to create a home that supports veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for their U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2020 Build Challenge entry, Mojave Bloom.

Team Las Vegas includes four veterans, one service member’s spouse, and Weber himself who is a Desert Storm­ veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Furthermore, Las Vegas is home to many former service members due to its proximity to Nellis Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center. The mission of finding solutions for the challenges that returning soldiers face not only hit close to home, but really resonated with the team.

The UNLV students on Team Las Vegas developed the Mojave Bloom concept as a
sustainable salute to military veterans.

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For this edition of #SDLivingtheDream we learn about Zach Berzolla, a 2018 Middlebury College team alumnus. He shares with us the work he is doing at MIT, along with key concepts that he has learned for successful building design, from Solar Decathlon. How about that for a doer designer!

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Name: Zach Berzolla

Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2018 Design Challenge

University team: Middlebury College

 Current organization / employer: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sustainable Design Lab

Current role: Research Assistant/ SMBT Student

How did participation in the Solar Decathlon affect the trajectory of your career?

I knew I was interested in zero energy buildings, but the Solar Decathlon cemented for me that I wanted to make this field my career. Furthermore,  as I started working with the multidisciplinary team I assembled for the Race to Zero, I realized the importance of an integrated design process. This was one of the reasons I ended up at the MIT Sustainable Design Lab for my master’s; the lab is multi-disciplinary and focused on tools and analyses that architects, engineers, and policy-makers can all understand.

 Describe a work outcome, building project or other achievement you are most proud of and how (if) it relates to your experience with Solar Decathlon.

At MIT, I have been working with other members of my lab to make urban building energy modeling tools accessible to every city so that they can make physics-backed decisions on how to meet their emissions reduction goals. Through Solar Decathlon trainings and collaborations, I learned the applied building physics that underlie every building upgrade strategy we propose to meet these emissions reduction goals.

Zach at VERMOD Homes, a project that he sought out, which was inspired by his Solar Decathlon work. He documented improvements to the factory process for their zero-energy manufactured homes.

This month in our #SDLivingtheDream series, you’ll meet Brett Horin, who competed with Illinois Tech in the 2018 Design Challenge and who has gone on to work in energy modeling in the architecture industry, fueled by his experience in the Solar Decathlon.

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Name: Brett Horin

Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2018

University team: Illinois Institute of Technology

Current organization / employer: Lamar Johnson Collaborative/Clayco

Current role: Energy Modeler

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