2013 Solar Decathlon Arrives In Orange County

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!

Later this year, the U.S. Department of Energy will host its Solar Decathlon, but students representing the 20 collegiate teams competing in this year’s Decathlon have already visited the venue, the Orange County Great Park, in an effort to prepare for the competition which will take place October 3 to 13.

2013 Solar Decathlon Taking Place in Orange County
The 300 block of Decathlete Way illuminates with the houses from Canada, Team China and Illinois, from left to right, at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 in Washington, D.C.
Image Source: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

“The Solar Decathlon is the Great Park’s first-ever international event,” said Jeffrey Lalloway, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation. “We are excited to welcome the students representing the 20 competing teams and their creative energy, innovation and talent as they prepare to build solar houses that will allow the public to see the future of energy, today.”

For the uninitiated, the Solar Decathlon presents teams from various colleges across the U.S. with the challenge of designing, building, and operating solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, cost-efficient, as well as being attractive (because, let’s face it, who wants to live in an ugly house no matter how cost- and energy-efficient it may be?).

Chip in a few dollars a month to help support independent cleantech coverage that helps to accelerate the cleantech revolution!

During the competition, the public are welcome and encouraged to visit the houses in an effort to provide the consumers with ideas that they can use in their own homes, and to learn how energy-saving features can save them money.

“This is the first time the Solar Decathlon will be held outside of Washington, D.C.,” said Richard King, Director of Solar Decathlon for the U.S. Department of Energy. “We are so excited to be in California! The Solar Decathlon 2013 teams are some of the most impressive we have seen to date. We look forward to introducing the students to the Great Park this weekend and to watching their innovations come to life in Irvine this fall.”

The current visit to the Great Park allows the students opportunity to participate in a weekend full of workshops and briefings about the competition provided by officials from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Source: US Department of Energy by way of PR Newswire


Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.

Latest CleanTechnica TV Video


Advertisement
 
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.

Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

Joshua S Hill has 4403 posts and counting. See all posts by Joshua S Hill