Solar Decathlon Blog - Contests
Below you will find Solar Decathlon news from the Contests archive, sorted by date.
Monday, April 24, 2023
Ball State University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and The Cooper Union Named 2023 Build and Design Challenge Winners
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the winners of the 21st annual Solar Decathlon®, DOE’s longest-running student competition. The annual collegiate contest 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. Ball State University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art won the top honors at this year’s competition and were announced at the Solar Decathlon Competition Event at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado yesterday.
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Tuesday, February 11, 2020
I have a confession to make. My name is Stacy Hunt, and I’m a serial juror for the international editions of Solar Decathlon. It’s okay, the addiction is self-limiting and mostly benign. 🙂
That said, I’m in pretty deep at this point. In 2019, I had the opportunity to be a juror at all three international competitions: July in Budapest, Hungary for Solar Decathlon Europe, September in Marrakech, Morocco, for Solar Decathlon Africa, and most recently in Cali, Colombia for Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean.
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Friday, November 15, 2019
By Stacy Hunt
In late September, I found myself in a futuristic eco-village outside of Ben Guerir, Morocco, six time zones away from home. As a juror for the Communications and Social Awareness Contest in the first-ever Solar Decathlon Africa, I had some tough decisions ahead of me.
This wasn’t my first rodeo. I was a juror for Solar Decathlon Europe in Szentendre, Hungary; I’ve attended several U.S. competitions, and I have worked with the U.S. organizing team since 2013.
But as soon as I stepped onto the site, Solar Decathlon Africa felt different. The energy of the students, and their region-, craft-, and culture-specific solutions were somehow more robust than what I’ve seen on the whole in other Solar Decathlons.
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Tags: Awards, Competition, Contests, Solar Decathlon Africa
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon continues to “push the envelope” on the design of the most high-performance, efficient, affordable, innovative buildings while leveraging opportunities to showcase student innovation and STEM education, as well as to foster workforce development opportunities.
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Tags: Competition, Events, Solar Decathlon 2020
Friday, August 10, 2018
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is excited to release the Solar Decathlon 2019–2020 Competition Guide. This guide provides detailed information on competition rules and how to apply. The competition continues to “push the envelope” on the design of the most high-performance, efficient, affordable, innovative buildings while leveraging opportunities to showcase student innovation and STEM education, as well as to foster workforce development opportunities.
As previously announced, Solar Decathlon 2019–2020 will offer two tracks that build on the strengths of previous DOE student competitions: (1) an annual “Design Challenge” that is the new name for the former Race to Zero Student Design Competition, and (2) a “Build Challenge” that expands on the original Solar Decathlon. Teams in both tracks will present their projects at a single expert-juried event in April 2019. The expert jury will select winners of the Design Challenge and separately approve Build Challenge teams to move on to the construction phase. The Build Challenge teams will then go on to build and showcase their designs at public and industry events in 2020, where final Build Challenge winners will be announced. (more…)
Tags: Competition, Contests, Solar Decathlon 2020
Thursday, October 26, 2017
This article was originally published on the blog of Aurora Solar, a solar design and sales software company.
By Andrew Gong
Two weeks ago, during the Solar Decathlon 2017 competition, we explored the solar powered house designs from participating university teams. The designs showcased many creative and resourceful design strategies—and presented a fun challenge for modeling in Aurora.
With the competition now complete, today’s post takes a closer look at the top three teams to identify some of the solar design lessons from their success.
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Tags: Appliances, Architecture, Awards, Communications, Competition, Contests, Energy, Engineering, Health and Comfort, Home Life, Innovation, Market Potential, Maryland, Swiss Team, UC Berkeley / U of Denver, Water
Monday, October 23, 2017
By Ruby Theresa Nahan
Now that Solar Decathlon 2017 has officially come to a close, and the 11 innovative houses have moved from the competition site at the 61st and Peña Station in Denver to their next destination, I think it’s a perfect time to reflect on the impact the Solar Decathlon might have on the future. Most students who have participated in Solar Decathlon since 2002 might not be familiar with the 1985 film to which my title alludes, but all are very familiar with, quite literally, holding the future in their own hands. Even if they don’t realize it yet.
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Tags: Competition, Contests, Solar Decathlon 2002, Solar Decathlon 2005, Solar Decathlon 2009, Solar Decathlon 2011, Solar Decathlon 2013, Solar Decathlon 2015, Solar Decathlon 2017, Technologies
Saturday, October 14, 2017
By Alexis Powers
Time flies when you’re having fun. It also warps when you are working hard. Here in the Solar Decathlon village, it’s been an absolute whirlwind of both ever since assembly began three weeks ago.
Today’s Solar Decathlon Minute packs one of the competition’s most exciting days into just 110 seconds. If that feels too fast to you, then check out the other 10 Minutes we’ve posted on our YouTube channel during the 2017 event. You’ll see highlights from each house, updates on each day’s activities, and even a dancing toilet.
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Tags: Events, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon 2017
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Prestigious Energy Competition Open for Final Weekend
DENVER, CO – Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Daniel Simmons today announced the winning team of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The Swiss Team took first place overall by designing, building, and operating the house that best blended smart energy production with innovation, market potential, and energy and water efficiency. The University of Maryland took second place followed by the University of California, Berkeley and University of Denver team in third place.
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Tags: Awards, Competition, Contests, Engineering, Las Vegas, Market Potential, Maryland, Netherlands, Northwestern, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon 2017, Swiss Team, Team Daytona Beach, UC Berkeley / U of Denver
Friday, October 13, 2017
Tags: Communications, Competition, Contests, Innovation, Las Vegas, Maryland, Missouri S&T, Netherlands, Northwestern, Swiss Team, UC Davis
Friday, October 13, 2017
Solar Decathlon Open to the Public Today through Sunday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
DENVER, CO – Before a crowd of student competitors near the 61st and Peña Station in Denver, Colorado, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas took first place in the Innovation Contest, and Northwestern University won the Communications Contest of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2017. For the Innovation Contest, the collegiate competitors were judged on how well they demonstrated a thoughtful approach to innovation, rather than being limited solely to off-the-shelf solutions, in the design and construction of houses that integrate renewable energy systems and energy-efficient technologies. The Communications Contest rated each team’s effectiveness in communicating the features of their house and their experiences during this project to jurors and the public through a variety of media including websites, audiovisual presentations, displays and tours. For the first time in Solar Decathlon history, teams are taking home prize money. First place in the overall competition (to be announced tomorrow) will win $300,000, second place wins $225,000, third place wins $150,000, fourth place wins $125,000, and fifth through eleventh place will win $100,000 each.
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Tags: Communications, Competition, Contests, Innovation, Las Vegas, Maryland, Missouri S&T, Netherlands, Northwestern, Swiss Team, UC Davis
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Tags: Architecture, Competition, Contests, Las Vegas, Missouri S&T, Swiss Team, UC Davis, Wash U - St. Louis, Water
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Solar Decathlon Open to the Public Today through Sunday, October 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
DENVER, CO – Before an enthusiastic crowd near the 61st and Peña Station in Denver, Colorado, the Swiss team took first place with a perfect score of 100 points in the highly competitive Architecture Contest, and also clinched top honors in the Water Contest at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2017. For the Architecture Contest, the students were judged on the design and construction of attractive, high-performance houses that integrate renewable energy systems and energy-saving technologies. In the new Water Contest, teams were evaluated on how well their houses conserve water, enable reclamation and reuse, and integrate low-water landscaping. The 10 contests that make up the Solar Decathlon encourage teams to design and build comfortable, solar-powered, innovative houses that combine highly energy- and water-efficient construction designs, appliances and renewable energy systems.
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Tags: Architecture, Competition, Contests, Las Vegas, Missouri S&T, Netherlands, Solar Decathlon 2017, Swiss Team, UC Davis, Wash U - St. Louis, Water
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
By Daniel Rubin and Alexis Powers
At the writing of this post, only two-tenths of a point separate first and second place in Solar Decathlon 2017. We are six days into the competition, and there are three days left.
What’s on the line?
Cash prizes up to $300,000 for the winner. And bragging rights of course (priceless).
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Tags: Contests, Energy Contest, Missouri S&T, Netherlands, Solar Decathlon 2017, Swiss Team, UC Davis, Wash U - St. Louis
Thursday, May 25, 2017
By Alexis Powers
The Solar Decathlon has inspired many design competitions over the past 15 years, among them the Energy Department’s Collegiate Wind Competition, Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Tiny House Competition, the Alliance for Green Heat’s Wood Stove Design Challenge, and EmPower’s Solar Student Competition. But we’ve never seen anything quite like this before.
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Tags: Competition, Contests, Events, Solar Decathlon 2017