SOLAR DECATHLON 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Since 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® has empowered more than 25,000 collegiate students from around the world to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy, and even more students have joined one of the six international competitions. Explore 20th anniversary materials below!
20th Anniversary Interactive Infographic
Explore the 20th Anniversary Interactive Infographic to learn how the Solar Decathlon has been building impact for 20 years!
- Look for your alma mater on the map of all 308 participating collegiate institutions.
- Interact with a timeline that shows how the competition has grown.
- Hear from Solar Decathlon alumni about how the competition jumpstarted their careers.
- Learn how Solar Decathlon continues to build for the future.
20th Anniversary People's Choice Award!
Solar Decathlon fans cast their votes in the 20th Anniversary People's Choice Award, selecting their favorite two teams among past competition and People's Choice winners from the Design and Build Challenges. Congratulations to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from the 2009 Build Challenge and Virginia Polytechnic Institute from the 2019 Design Challenge for receiving the most votes and becoming the first-ever 20th Anniversary People's Choice Winners!
Alumni Anecdotes
We know the Solar Decathlon experience creates lasting friendships, but did you know there are Solar Decathlon couples… and families? Learn more below!
20th Anniversary Video
Get Social
If you have a favorite memory, a throwback photo, or just want to stroll down the memory lane, join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn by tagging your posts with #Happy20thSolarDecathlon.
Download and share our Faces of Solar Decathlon gif or look for your smile in the YouTube version.
In The News
EERE News Release—Solar Decathlon Turns 20!
pv magazine—Solar Decathlon celebrates 20 years of training tomorrow's clean energy workforce