The Michigan Energy Office (MEO) today announced it will provide financial support to qualified Michigan college teams competing in the 2019 U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Design Challenge, formerly known as the Race to Zero Student Design Challenge.
Teams competing in the Solar Decathlon Design Challenge create residential or commercial building designs over one or two semesters. Designs are evaluated on how well they meet the nation’s rapidly evolving demand for buildings that are innovative, cost effective, quick to build, high quality, resilient, grid-interactive, efficient and locally responsive.
In the Design Challenge, teams compete in one of six divisions:
- Elementary Schools
- Office Buildings
- Mixed-Use Multifamily
- Attached Housing
- Suburban Single-Family
- Urban Single-Family
Up to 48 finalist teams, eight in each of the six divisions, are selected to compete further at the Design Challenge Weekend, held annually in April at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo.
The Michigan Energy Office is seeking to sponsor Michigan teams in the competition. Teams may be eligible to be reimbursed up to $5,000 for registration fees, materials, and other documented costs as well as travel to NREL, if the team is selected. Limited funding is available, and funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The final award amount will be determined by the MEO and may be adjusted based on program criteria and the amount of remaining program funds.
All teams must complete their team application by 5 p.m. on November 6 to participate. For more information on the competition rules and guidelines visit the website.
