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2022 Design Challenge students presenting at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).Join us for the Solar Decathlon Kickoff Webinar!
Know what it takes to create a winning team for the Solar Decathlon 2023 Design Challenge? Have questions before your collegiate team starts designing a zero energy building?
Name: Jeremy Blum
Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2009 Solar Decathlon
University Team: Cornell University Silo House Team
Current Employer: Shaper - https://shapertools.com
Current Role: Senior Vice-President of Engineering and Principal Electrical Engineer
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the winners of the 20th annual Solar Decathlon®, DOE’s longest-tenured student competition that has challenged 40,000 students across the world to use the latest technologies to design and build the most sustainable buildings possible. Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Arizona won this year’s Design Challenge for residential and commercial building grand prizes, respectively.
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.
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.”
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.”
A lot of hard work goes into putting up a large commercial building, as Heather Greene has learned! In this edition of #SDLivingtheDream, we hear about Heather's path from the 2015 Solar Decathlon to a rewarding career as a project engineer.
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Name: Heather Greene
Year participated: 2015
University team: Casa Del Sol (Orange County)
Current organization/employer: Hensel Phelps
Current role: Project Engineer
In this edition of our #SDLivingtheDream series, we introduce you to David Gavin, a Team UMD Solar Decathlon alumnus who focuses on sustainable design in his everyday work. Read on to find out how David is using his building-design skills to help domestic violence victims.
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Name: David Gavin
Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2011
University team: University of Maryland
Current organization/employer: Quinn Evans Architects
Current role: Architect / Associate / Sustainability Leadership Team
For the latest in our #SDLivingTheDream series, you'll meet a 2011 Build Challenge team member whose career has explored several angles of energy-efficient building: lighting retrofits, energy codes, and technical building standards for city government. And if you've ever done a search for Solar Decathlon content on social media, you've probably seen Farah's posts -- she is one of our biggest cheerleaders!
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Name: Farah Naz Ahmad
Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2011
University team: The City College of New York (Team New York)
Current organization / employer: New York City School Construction Authority
Current role: Architect, Sustainable Design
In this installment of our special series, #SDLivingTheDream, we hear from a self-described jack of all trades who evolved into a true leader with the help of experiences in the Solar Decathlon.
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Name: Kyle Macht
Years participated in Solar Decathlon:
2007: core team member
2009: team leader
2011: rules inspector
University team: Penn State
Current organization / employer: Macht Architecture
Current role: Principal
