Projects

"Teams competing in the Solar Decathlon Build Challenge work during a two-year period to design and build their houses, culminating with the Solar Decathlon Build Challenge Event in Washington, D.C., in summer 2020. Participants design and build complete, functional houses to demonstrate creative solutions for real-world issues in the building industry. Teams will compete and exhibit their solutions before panels of industry expert jurors in Washington, D.C., as part of the 2020 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Select top-performing teams will also be invited to exhibit at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builder’s Show in 2021."

- U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

"The Design Challenge encourages student participation during one or two academic semesters. Participants prepare creative solutions that address real-world issues in the building industry. Teams complete a design project and finalists present their designs to a panel of industry expert jurors. Students compare their projects to those of other teams, learn from presentations by national thought leaders and collegiate peers, experience zero energy ready building design inperson by touring the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) facilities, and engage with a variety of organizations about careers related to high-performance buildings."

- U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon