After five successful Solar Decathlons in Washington, D.C., the competition is moving to California.
On January 26, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Solar Decathlon 2013 will be held at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.
He also announced the twenty collegiate teams selected to compete in the Solar Decathlon. Coming from the Czech Republic, Canada, Austria and around the U.S., the teams will build solar-powered houses that are not only energy-efficient, but also cost-effective and aesthetically appealing.
“The Solar Decathlon will unleash the ingenuity, creativity, and drive from these talented students to demonstrate new ideas for how families and businesses can reduce energy use and save money with clean energy products and efficient building design,” said Secretary Chu.
The Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. Photo Credit: DOE
The new location is the site of a former Marine Corps Air Station which is being turned into recreational parkland.
According to the Department of Energy, the Orange Country Great Park location was chosed because organizers wanted to “extend the competition’s reach beyond Washington and showcase energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to a new group of visitors and sponsors.”
“The Orange County Great Park has tremendous potential to make Solar Decathlon 2013 bigger and better than ever. Add 20 collegiate teams brimming with new design innovations and a strong competitive spirit, and we are sure to have a spectacular event,” wrote Richard King, director of the Solar Decathlon, in a blog post.
Read about last year’s winning designs here.
