Solar Decathlon Blog - Las Vegas
Below you will find Solar Decathlon news from the Las Vegas archive, sorted by date.
Thursday, March 4, 2021
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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Tuesday, December 22, 2020
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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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
Friday, October 6, 2017
By Casey Kreiter
Albert Einstein once said, “That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes.” This advice to his son, encouraging him to practice piano and carpentry, still holds true 102 years later. I’ve certainly found myself surprised by the clock after teaching an anatomy lesson at Iowa City Regina or during a football practice with my fellow Denver Broncos. I agree with Einstein—passion is the key.
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Tags: Competition, Events, Las Vegas, Missouri S&T, Northwestern, Team Alabama, Team Daytona Beach
Thursday, September 28, 2017
By Ruby Nahan
One week from today, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 officially opens to the public and the teams start earning points! In addition to forecasted sunnier weather, we’re looking forward to seeing all the smiling sunny faces of the people who come to our Opening Ceremony next Thursday, October 5, starting at 9:30 a.m. Be sure to check out our Visit information so you can join us at the 61st and Peña Station on the University of Colorado A line commuter rail, just one stop from Denver International Airport.
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Tags: Las Vegas, Maryland, Missouri S&T, Netherlands, Northwestern, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon 2017, Swiss Team, Team Alabama, Team Daytona Beach, UC Berkeley / U of Denver, UC Davis, Wash U - St. Louis
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
By Mike Mueller
Editor’s Note: This entry has been cross-posted from EERE’s Energy blog.
One month from now, a solar-powered village will suddenly appear in Denver, Colorado, showcasing the latest innovation in building science and design. From modular construction to water conservation and re-use strategies, this year’s crop of Solar Decathlon houses has it all when it comes to technology, design and creativity.
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Tags: Las Vegas, Maryland, Missouri S&T, Netherlands, Northwestern, Swiss Team, Team Alabama, Team Daytona Beach, UC Berkeley / U of Denver, UC Davis, Wash U - St. Louis, Washington State
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
By Linda Silverman
Compelling. That’s what the stories behind the Solar Decathlon represent to me. Normally, I am focused on the current competition – working with the university teams and our partners to host the Energy Department’s largest public event showcasing student-built solar houses. But lately, I’ve had the chance to learn more about where the 2013 and 2015 competition houses ended up as part of a major website update. That’s why I’m proud to say our Where are the Houses Now historical archive now covers the fate of all past U.S. Solar Decathlon competition houses from 2002 to 2015.
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Tags: Competition, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon 2013, Solar Decathlon 2015
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
By Irene Ying
Temperature control, whether heating water for a bath in winter or cooling a bedroom on a blazing summer day, is essential to a comfortable home.
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Tags: Las Vegas, North Carolina, Santa Clara, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon 2013, Technology Spotlights
Thursday, September 4, 2014
By Carol Laurie
On Aug. 28, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid visited DesertSol—the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) house that won second place overall in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013. Now located permanently at the Springs Preserve in central Las Vegas, Nevada, DesertSol has been one of the Preserve’s most popular attractions since it opened to the public in March 2014.
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Tags: Las Vegas, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon 2013
Thursday, August 14, 2014
By Carol Laurie
A house is just a building until people live in it. Then it becomes a home.
Although U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon houses are not lived in during competition, Solar Decathlon visitors may ask themselves whether they could be comfortable homes when stepping through their thresholds.
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Tags: Contests, Home Life, Las Vegas, Solar Decathlon
Saturday, October 12, 2013
By Solar Decathlon
Team Austria from the Vienna University of Technology has won the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013.
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Tags: Competition, Contests, Czech Republic, Engineering, Las Vegas, North Carolina, Solar Decathlon, Solar Decathlon 2013, Team Austria, Team Ontario, Teams