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Cal Poly has been selected for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015!

  • Cal Poly Solar Decathlon group picture
  • Cal Poly Solar Decathlon group picture in hard hats
  • Cal Poly Solar Decathlon team installing solar panels
  • Cal Poly Solar Decathlon group picture cheering, raising hard hats

What is it?

The Solar Decathlon is a U.S. Department of Energy sponsored international design/build competition in which 18 teams of faculty and students design, build, and operate a solar powered residence, culminating in a competition period at the Great Park in Irvine, CA in September 2015.

Who is involved?

Solar CalPoly has an exceptional, dynamic interdisciplinary team, the core of which includes architecture; architectural, electrical, and mechanical engineering; landscape architecture; graphic communication; marketing; and business. We will need all of this combined expertise in order to compete in the Decathlon, which includes ten contests that range from design to performance, from communications to affordability. The team that competes well in all categories will prove themselves during the competition period.

Why do it?

Having competed in the Solar Decathlon in 2005 with an award winning project, we know that this is a transformative experience for students. For the students on the 2005 team, it was a defining moment in their academic careers. We anticipate a similar life-changing undertaking for those participating in the 2015 project.

What do we need?

You can help build it! Engaging in this competition represents a challenge in more ways than simply design and construction. In order to realize the project, we need to raise the $650,000 that the project requires. We are actively seeking donations and sponsors to support our 2015 solar project. We will need materials, in-kind donations, and cash donations in order to achieve our goals of creating a not only an award winning project but also a compelling contemporary example of solar architecture that only a 21st century polytechnic can produce. This is the essence of Solar CalPoly. Please help us build it! Visit the Cal Poly Giving page to donate.

NREL logo U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Logo Department of Solar Energy logo