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20th Anniversary Alum Spotlight: Kathleen Robertson, 2002 Solar Decathlete
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The first Solar Decathlon collegiate competition was held 20 years ago in the fall of 2002. Back then, teams had to convince the public that solar panels could even power a home. Today, the Solar Decathlon has grown to include more than 25,000 alumni, hundreds of zero energy buildings, and high-performance, low-carbon designs that go far beyond solar.  screenshot from the 20th Anniversary Alum Spotlight: Kathleen Robertson, 2002 Solar Decathlete

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, we talked with Kathleen Robertson, director of policy, government affairs, and markets at Sol Systems, about her experience on the University of Virginia team during the inaugural competition.

#SDLivingTheDream, Alumni

Andrea Lin is #SDLivingTheDream: Learning the Collaborative Nature of Sustainable Design
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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.

Solar Decathlon 2021, #SDLivingTheDream, Alumni, Design Challenge, Profiles

Heather Greene is #SDLivingtheDream: A Project Engineer Who is Hands-On, Too
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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

#SDLivingTheDream, Alumni, Build Challenge, Team Orange County, Profiles

Zach Berzolla is #SDLivingtheDream:Using a Multidisciplinary Approach for Effective Building Design
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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

2018 Design Challenge, #SDLivingTheDream, Alumni, Profiles, Middlebury College

Brett Horin is #SDLivingtheDream:Seeing the Impacts in the Real World
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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

2018 Design Challenge, #SDLivingTheDream, Alumni, Profiles, Illinois

David Gavin is #SDLivingtheDream:Designing for a Cause!
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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

Alumni, Build Challenge, University of Maryland, Profiles

Sol Haroon is #SDLivingtheDream:Leading the Future Through Building-Design Efficiency and Renewable Energy Education!
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Sol completed his BASc (Applied Science) at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and his MS at the Georgia Institute of Technology; he is currently pursuing (part-time) his MBA at the Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech.

In the latest edition of our #SDLivingtheDream series, we introduce Sol Haroon. An alumnus of the 2018 Design Challenge, Sol pushes boundaries in the renewable energy and building design projects he leads, or contributes to as an engineer. Read on to find out more about Sol’s role in creating the largest Living Building in the Southeast!

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Name: Sol Haroon

Year participated in Solar Decathlon: 2018 Design Challenge

University team: Georgia Institute of Technology

Current organization / employer: United Renewables, also pursuing an MBA at Georgia Institute of Technology

Current role: Lead Engineer/Consulting Instructor

2018 Design Challenge, Alumni, Design Challenge, Georgia Tech, Profiles
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