DOE EERE: 2017 Solar Decathlon College Team Competition

The Competition Announcement supports the Obama administration’s commitment to improving the nation’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education efforts, and to building a more knowledge-intensive workforce. The DOE and EERE are eager to create and support education and workforce development programs that are specific to applied energy, and are essential to carrying out DOE’s mission and advancing energy technologies for the future.

The Solar Decathlon is a high-profile DOE-branded education and workforce development program for university-level students. The two-year program culminates in a competition among 20 solar-powered, high efficiency houses designed and built by multidisciplinary collegiate teams. The competition also serves as a public demonstration of EERE technologies. It promotes energy efficiency and increases awareness about residential energy use, fostering greater adoption of clean energy technologies. The competition demonstrates that an aesthetically beautiful and well-designed house can generate enough thermal and electrical energy to meet the needs of a single-family household. Held bi-annually since 2002—first in Washington, D.C. and then in Irvine, California – 65,000-100,000 people visit the Solar Decathlon to tour the houses and see student teams’ use of EERE technologies in action. More information about past Solar Decathlons is available at http://www.solardecathlon.gov/.

DOE intends to select 20 new collegiate teams to enter the 2017 Solar Decathlon and compete for up to $2,000,000 in prizes.

The Competition Announcement includes the following Area of Interest:

Solar Decathlon Team Selection –
The Competition Announcement seeks up to 20 collegiate teams to compete in the 2017 Solar Decathlon College Team Competition. The challenge to the teams competing in the Solar Decathlon is, in less than 24 months, to safely and effectively design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. There is no financial assistance provided for selected applicants. Prizes will be awarded to the Teams completing the competition as described below.

DOE is inviting collegiate teams of creative designers and innovators to enter the competition. For the first time in a Solar Decathlon competition, DOE intends to offer monetary prizes. For the Solar Decathlon 2017, DOE will award up to $2,000,000 in prizes to teams that are selected to participate via the Competition Announcement, and that bring an eligible house to the Solar Decathlon competition. The prizes will be awarded to the same 20 lead organizational entities that submit applications to DOE and are selected by DOE to compete.

The competition is open to all collegiate teams in the United States and around the world, but the focus is on design solutions for the United States. For more information about the competition, please visit http://www.solardecathlon.gov/.

EERE anticipates selecting 20 teams to participate in the Solar Decathlon, and to compete for its prize money. There will be no financial assistance to teams. The estimated period of performance for the 2017 Solar Decathlon College Teams Competition will be approximately two years.

EERE issued the competition Announcement DE-FOA-0001398 via the EERE Exchange website (https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/). If Applicants wish to receive official notifications and information from EERE regarding this planned Competition, they should register in EERE Exchange. Applications will be accepted only through EERE Exchange. Applications will not be accepted through Grants.gov.

Organizations interested in applying to the Solar Decathlon Program Administrator Funding Opportunity Announcement should refer to DE-FOA-0001371 in EERE Exchange.