Solar Decathlon

{{Short description|American collegiate competition centered on renewable energy}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2015}}

File:Solar Decathlon 09 aerial view.jpg at the Solar Decathlon 2009.]]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon is a collegiate competition, comprising 10 contests, that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. The winners are selected based for the best blending of design architectural and engineering excellence with innovation, market potential, building efficiency, and smart energy production. In the summer of 2018, DOE merged its two student building design competitions into one Solar Decathlon competition.

The combined competition features two tracks, the Design Challenge and the Build Challenge. The Solar Decathlon provides a hands-on experience and unique training that prepares the competing students to enter the clean energy workforce. This international competition has been a driving force in raising awareness about clean energy since its inception in 2002. Technologies and solutions used in Solar Decathlon homes have advanced the residential building industry both in the United States and abroad.

After the first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002, the competition occurred biennially in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past.html|title=History|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=March 26, 2015}} The Solar Decathlon 2017 was located in Denver, Colorado, adjacent to the 61st & Peña station on the University of Colorado A line commuter train connecting Denver International Airport to downtown Union Station. In addition to the competition, Solar Decathlon 2017 also featured a sustainability expo, professional development and consumer workshops, and middle-school education events.{{cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/visit.html|title=Plan Your Visit|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=August 28, 2017}}

Open to the public and free of charge, the Solar Decathlon allows visitors to tour energy- and water-efficient houses, and gather ideas to save energy and conserve water in their own homes.

The Solar Decathlon 2017 competition was presented by DOE and administered by Energetics, Incorporated, a subsidiary of VSE Corporation. Previous competitions were administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Since the first competition in 2002, the Solar Decathlon has expanded internationally to include competitions in Europe, China, Latin America and Caribbean, the Middle East, and Africa.{{cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/international.html|title=International|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=August 28, 2017}} Solar Decathlon Europe was established under a 2007 memorandum of understanding between the United States and Spain, which hosted competitions in 2010 and 2012. France hosted in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/international-europe.html|title=Solar Decathlon Europe|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=March 26, 2015}} The Solar Decathlon Europe 2019 was hosted by Hungary{{cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/2019/design/challenge-results.html|title=SDE Europe 2019 Challenge results|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=March 2, 2021}} in Szentendre.{{cite web|url=http://sde2019.hu/index_en.html|title=SDE Europe 2019. The art of smart building.|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon Europe|accessdate=March 2, 2021}} The next Solar Decathlon Europe was planned for 2021, in Wuppertal, Germany and postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://sde21.eu|title=Solar Decathlon Europe ...goes urban|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon Europe|accessdate=March 2, 2021}}

The Solar Decathlon China was established with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between DOE, China’s National Energy Administration, Peking University and Applied Materials on January 20, 2011. The first Solar Decathlon China took place in August 2013 in the city of Datong. The next Solar Decathlon China will take place in 2018 and was formed through a memorandum of understanding among the United States Department of Energy, the People’s Republic of China, and the China Overseas Development Corporation.{{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/international-china.html|title=Solar Decathlon China|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=August 28, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://sdchina.org.cn/english|title=TEAM UOW'S ILAWARRA FLAME HOUSE - WINNER OF THE SOLAR DECATHLON CHINA 2013|last=|first=|date=September 25, 2013|website=|publisher=University of Wollongong|accessdate=March 26, 2015}}

Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean was established under a memorandum of understanding between the United States Department of Energy and the government of Colombia in 2014. The first competition was held in Cali in December 2015, and another competition is planned for 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/international-latin-america.html|title=Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=August 28, 2017}}

Solar Decathlon Middle East, to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2018, was formed by a memorandum of understanding between DOE and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority in 2015. An additional Solar Decathlon Middle East is also expected to take place in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/international-middle-east.html|title=Solar Decathlon Middle East|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=August 28, 2017}}

On November 15, 2016, the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water, and the Environment (MEMEE); the Moroccan Research Institute in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN); and DOE signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on the development of Solar Decathlon Africa. The competition is planned for 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/international-middle-east.html|title=Solar Decathlon Africa |publisher=US Department of Energy|accessdate=August 28, 2017}} {{PD-notice}}

History

The inaugural Solar Decathlon was open to the public between September 19 and October 6, 2002. Fourteen teams from across the United States, including Puerto Rico, presented their projects on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The University of Colorado was awarded first place.

At the second Solar Decathlon, likewise held on the National Mall on October 6–16, 2005, 18 teams from the United States, Canada, and Spain participated; the University of Colorado successfully defended its championship.

The third Solar Decathlon took place on the National Mall on October 12–20, 2007. Twenty teams from the United States, Canada, Spain, and Germany competed, and Technische Universität Darmstadt (Team Germany) was named the overall champion.

The fourth Solar Decathlon was held on the National Mall on October 8–18, 2009, and included teams from the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain; Team Germany was named the winner for a second time.

The fifth Solar Decathlon took place between September 23 and October 2, 2011, with nineteen participating teams representing the United States, China, New Zealand, Belgium, and Canada. The event was held in Washington D.C.'s West Potomac Park, near the Potomac River, the Tidal Basin and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, along a road between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.{{Cite web| title=Solar Decathlon 2011 | publisher=United States Department of Energy | url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2011/pdfs/2011_brochure.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816184633/http://www.solardecathlon.gov:80/past/2011/pdfs/2011_brochure.pdf | archive-date=2012-08-16}} The University of Maryland was the overall competition winner.{{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/blog/archives/1906|title=University of Maryland Wins Solar Decathlon 2011!|publisher=Solar Decathlon|date=October 1, 2011|accessdate=October 5, 2011}}

The sixth Solar Decathlon took place on October 3–13, 2013, in Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California – it was the first Solar Decathlon to take place outside Washington D.C., and was won by Vienna University of Technology (Team Austria).{{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/about.html|title=About Solar Decathlon|last=|first=|date=|publisher=National Renewable Energy Laboratory|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130119100456/http://www.solardecathlon.gov/about.html|archive-date=January 19, 2013|work=U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon|access-date=January 27, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/|title=Highlights from Solar Decathlon 2013|publisher=Solar Decathlon|date=February 4, 2014|accessdate=March 26, 2015}}

The seventh Solar Decathlon was held October 8 – 18, 2015, also at the Orange County Great Park. Stevens Institute of Technology was the overall winner. This was their third Solar Decathlon competition.

The eighth Solar Decathlon in the U.S. was held October 5–15, 2017, in Denver, Colorado, at the 61st & Peña Station on the University of Colorado A line commuter rail connecting Denver International Airport to downtown Union Station. Eleven teams competed to design, build, and operate the most cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive solar-powered house. The Swiss Team won the overall competition with their entry, NeighborHub. It was the first entry for this combined team of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Engineering and Architecture Fribourg, Geneva University of Art and Design, and the University of Fribourg.

=Awards=

In 2010, the National Building Museum awarded the Solar Decathlon an Honor Award for its emphasis on "renewable energy, energy-efficient, and environmentally responsible systems" and its role in "educating a new generation of built-environment professionals".{{cite web|url=http://www.nbm.org/support-us/awards_honors/honor-award/2010-honor-award.html|title=2010 Honor Award: A Salute to Civic Innovators|year=2010|publisher=National Building Museum|access-date=March 26, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329052704/http://www.nbm.org/support-us/awards_honors/honor-award/2010-honor-award.html|archive-date=March 29, 2015|df=mdy-all}}

Scope of contests

Like the Olympic decathlon, the DOE Solar Decathlon consists of 10 contests. The contests evaluate cost-effective design; innovation balanced with market potential; water and energy efficiency; energy production and time-of-use energy; and communications strategies. Each Solar Decathlon contest is worth a maximum of 100 points, for a potential competition total of 1,000 points. Teams earn points through task completion, performance monitoring, and jury evaluation. The contests may change after each competition in response to participant feedback, market dynamics, and DOE goals.

The contests for the 2019-2020 event:

  • Energy Performance
  • Engineering
  • Financial Feasibility and Affordability
  • Resilience
  • Architecture
  • Operations
  • Market Potential
  • Comfort and Environmental Quality
  • Innovation
  • Presentation

Competitors

= 2017 =

The project NeighborHub by the Swiss team won the overall competition.{{Cite web|title=Solar Decathlon: Highlights from Solar Decathlon 2017|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/|access-date=2020-08-25|website=www.solardecathlon.gov}}{{Cite web|title=- NeighborHub|url=https://www.smartlivinglab.ch/en/infrastructures/neighborhub/|access-date=2020-08-25|website=www.smartlivinglab.ch|language=en-US}}

Teams selected for the Solar Decathlon 2017 competition held in Denver, Colorado:

  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-georgia.html Georgia Tech]: Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA) The Georgia Tech team withdrew from the competition on November 22, 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/blog/archives/4333|title=DOE Solar Decathlon: News Blog » Blog Archive » Georgia Institute of Technology Withdraws From Solar Decathlon 2017|website=www.solardecathlon.gov|date=November 22, 2016|access-date=2017-10-11}}
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-las-vegas.html Las Vegas]: University of Nevada, Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-maryland.html Maryland]: University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-missouri-st.html Missouri S&T]: Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-netherlands.html Netherlands]: HU University of Applied Science Utrecht (Utrecht, Netherlands)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-northwestern.html Northwestern]: Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-switzerland.html Swiss Team]: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Engineering and Architecture Fribourg, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Geneva, and the University of Fribourg (Lausanne, Switzerland and Fribourg, Switzerland)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-alabama.html Team Alabama]: University of Alabama at Birmingham; University of Alabama, Huntsville; and Calhoun Community College (Birmingham, AL, Huntsville, AL and Tanner, AL)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-daytona-beach.html Team Daytona Beach]: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Daytona State College (Daytona Beach, FL)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-uc-berkeley.html UC Berkeley]: University of California at Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-uc-davis.html UC Davis]: University of California, Davis (Davis, CA)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-washington-university.html WashU]: Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-washington-state.html Washington State]: Washington State University (Pullman, WA) The Washington State team withdrew from the competition in September 2017, just before the time to transport the house to the competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-washington-state.html|title=Solar Decathlon: Washington State: Washington State University|website=www.solardecathlon.gov|access-date=2017-10-11}}
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2017/competition-team-west-virginia.html West Virginia]: West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV) The West Virginia University team withdrew from Solar Decathlon 2017 in April 2017, after completing many rigorous competition deliverables, including construction drawings.{{cite web|url=https://www.solardecathlon.gov/blog/archives/4802#more-4802|title=West Virginia University Withdraws from Solar Decathlon 2017|last=|first=|date=May 4, 2017|website=www.solardecathlon.gov|publisher=Solar Decathlon|accessdate=August 28, 2017}}

= 2015 =

Teams selected for the Solar Decathlon 2015 competition held at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California:

  • [http://www.calpolysolardecathlon.org/ California Polytechnic State University] (San Luis Obispo, CA)

File:Missouri S&T house.jpg

  • {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141028101609/http://www.solarnest.org/ California State University]}}, Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2015/competition-team-clemson.html Clemson University] (Clemson, SC)
  • [http://shelter.drury.edu/ Crowder College (Neosho, MO) and Drury University] (Springfield, MO)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2015/competition-team-missouri-st.html Missouri University of Science and Technology] (Rolla, MO)
  • [http://durahome.org/ New York City College of Technology] (New York, NY)
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2015/competition-team-ny-alfred.html State University of New York at Alfred College of Technology and Alfred University] (Alfred, NY)
  • [http://surehouse.org/ Stevens Institute of Technology] (Hoboken, NJ) winner 2015
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2015/competition-team-florida-singapore.html University of Florida, National University of Singapore, and Santa Fe College]
  • [http://www.nexushaus.com/ The University of Texas at Austin and Technische Universitaet Muenchen]
  • [http://grow.buffalo.edu/ University at Buffalo], The State University of New York
  • [http://solardecathlon2015.ucdavis.edu/ University of California], Davis
  • [http://teamoc2015.com/ University of California, Irvine; Chapman University; Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College]
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2015/competition-team-tennessee.html Vanderbilt University and Middle Tennessee State University]
  • [http://solar.wvu.edu/ West Virginia University and University of Roma Tor Vergata]
  • [http://www.solardecathlon.gov/2015/competition-team-mass-central-america.html Western New England University, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, and Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana]

= 2013 =

File:AIR House CTU 01.jpg team. in 2014 rebuilt in Prague as the Information Centre of the CTU]]

Teams selected for the Solar Decathlon 2013 competition in Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California, the first one to be held outside of Washington, DC,:{{cite web|url=http://energy.gov/articles/solar-decathlon-2013-new-teams-new-location|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy|work=press release|date=2012-01-26|title=Solar Decathlon 2013: New Teams! New Location!}}{{cite web |title=DOE Announces Solar Decathlon 2013 Teams and Location |date=January 26, 2012|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/blog/archives/1978}}

  • Arizona State University and The University of New Mexico (Tempe, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_asu_unm.html|title=AZ State/New Mexico|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • Czech Technical University (Prague, Czech Republic){{cite web|title=AIR House |url=http://www.airhouse.cz/}}
  • Hampton University and Old Dominion University (Hampton and Norfolk, Virginia){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_tidewater_virginia.html|title=Tidewater Virginia|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • Middlebury College (Middlebury, Vermont){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_middlebury.html|title=Middlebury College|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, Missouri){{cite web |title=Solar House Team, Missouri S&T |url=http://solarhouse.mst.edu/}}
  • Norwich University (Northfield, Vermont){{cite web |title=Norwich forges its own path at Solar Decathlon |url=http://www.nusd2013.org/}}
  • Queen's University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College (Kingston and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_ontario.html|title=Team Ontario|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, California){{cite web |title=Radiant House |url=http://sd13.scu.edu/ |access-date=November 6, 2013 |archive-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604145109/http://sd13.scu.edu/ |url-status=dead }}
  • Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology (Los Angeles, California){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_sci_arc_caltech.html|title=SCICal2013.com Home|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • Stanford University (Palo Alto, California){{cite web|url=http://news.stanford.edu/features/2014/starthome/|title=Team Stanford|last=|first=|date=January 23, 2023|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, New Jersey){{cite web |title=EcoHabit, Stevens Solar Decathlon 2013 |url=http://www.stevens.edu/sd2013/ |access-date=November 6, 2013 |archive-date=February 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211223146/http://www.stevens.edu/sd2013/ |url-status=dead }}
  • The Catholic University of America, George Washington University, and American University (Washington, DC){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_capitol_dc.html|title=Harvest - Team Capitol DC|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina){{cite web |title=Urban Eden |url=http://www.solardecathlon.uncc.edu/}}
  • The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College (El Paso, Texas){{cite web |title=UTEP / College of Engineering |url=http://www.engineering.utep.edu/solardecathlon/ |access-date=November 6, 2013 |archive-date=May 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503100558/http://engineering.utep.edu/solardecathlon/ |url-status=dead }}
  • University of Calgary (Calgary, Alberta, Canada){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_alberta.html|title=Team Alberta|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • University of Louisville, Ball State University and University of Kentucky (Louisville, Kentucky; Muncie, Indiana; and Lexington, Kentucky){{cite web |title=The Phoenix House |url=http://sd2013.teamkentuckiana.org/}}
  • University of Nevada Las Vegas (Las Vegas, Nevada){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_lasvegas.html|title=University of Nevada Las Vegas|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California){{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2013/team_southern_california.html|title=fluxHome|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}
  • Vienna University of Technology (Vienna, Austria){{cite web |title=LISI {{!}} HOUSE OF THE SOLAR DECATHLON TEAM AUSTRIA |url=http://www.solardecathlon.at/}} winner 2013
  • West Virginia University (Morgantown, West Virginia){{cite web |title=West Virginia University Solar Decathlon Team |url=http://solar.wvu.edu/}}

=2011=

Teams selected for the Solar Decathlon 2011 competition:

=2009=

The competing teams in Solar Decathlon 2009:{{cite web|url=https://www.energy.gov/news/5888.htm|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy|work=press release|date=2008-01-24|title=Energy Department Selects Student Teams to Compete in 2009 Solar Decathlon}}{{cite web|url=http://www.solardecathlon.upm.es/en/solar-decathlon.php|title=2009 Solar Decathlon contact list|access-date=September 13, 2008|archive-date=December 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228144744/http://www.solardecathlon.upm.es/en/solar-decathlon.php|url-status=dead}}

=2007=

Image:Georgia Tech Solar Decathlon 2007.jpg

File:Maison solaire écoologique, île Sainte-Hélène 02.JPG, Université de Montréal, and McGill University]]

File:Universidad de Puerto Rico Solar Decathlon 2007 (2).jpg

The 20 competing teams in Solar Decathlon 2007:

=2005=

File:Solar decathlon building at Carnegie Mellon University.jpg.]]

The 18 competing universities in Solar Decathlon 2005:

=2002=

The 14 competing teams in Solar Decathlon 2002:

See also

References

{{USGovernment}}

{{Reflist|30em}}