In fall 2013, Team Middlebury will travel to Irvine, California to participate in the sixth Biennial Solar Decathlon competition.

The Concept:

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is a biennial international competition for which colleges and universities design and construct solar-powered homes. Students aim to build homes that are affordable, energy-efficient, and aesthetically appealing. Each home is judged in ten categories: Architecture, Market Appeal, Engineering, Communications, Affordability, Comfort Zone, Hot Water, Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Energy Balance. The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected twenty designs for its 2013 competition, which will take place in the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.

The Decathlon:

The first Solar Decathlon was held in 2002; the competition has since occurred biennially in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011. The next event will take place Oct. 3-13, 2013 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. The competition houses will be open to visitors on eight days over two weekends. Public hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily:

Thursday, Oct. 3-Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013

Thursday, Oct. 10-Sunday, Oct. 13, 2013

More Information:

To learn more about the 2013 competition and teams, visit the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Website.

To learn about Middlebury’s history in the competition, visit our 2011 home Self-Reliance.