The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2025 Design Challenge is open for registration!

Registration is now open for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2025 Design Challenge! In this challenge, interdisciplinary collegiate teams will create efficient, resilient, and sustainable buildings that meet community needs as part of DOE’s longest-running student competition.

Forty teams from 37 collegiate institutions are advancing to the final stage of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon® 2024 Design Challenge based on their cutting-edge, zero energy building designs.

Only three days remain to nominate an outstanding U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® alumni or faculty lead for the Solar Decathlon Awards!

The Design Challenge is an annual collegiate competition challenging interdisciplinary teams to create zero energy building designs that address real-world issues such as resilience, existing building retrofits, and community impact. 

Join the 2024 Design Challenge by October 18, 2023, to compete in, mentor, or judge the international zero energy building design competition.

Are you a student or professor interested in transforming buildings to tackle the climate crisis?

One month remains for collegiate teams to register for the next U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® cycle!

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?

Fifty-five teams representing 38 universities are advancing as finalists in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon^® 2022 Design Challenge.

Finalist teams were chosen based on presentations and design submissions at the semifinal competition event, held virtually February 25–26, 2022. During this event, teams pitched their unique building designs, impressing industry expert jurors with their creativity and ability to tackle the most difficult issues in the built environment.