The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon captures the attention of millions of people worldwide. As partners of the event, Solar Decathlon sponsors share this spotlight and gain outstanding exposure—onsite, online, in print, and over the air.

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon sponsors know a good thing when they see it. After all, the Solar Decathlon is more than an award-winning competition and highly popular public exhibit. It’s also a proven workforce development program that prepares collegiate students for careers in clean energy. The Solar Decathlon uses blended methods (including classroom instruction and real-world application) to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for building systems design and operation.

Not consuming energy is better than buying or producing it—even when that energy is generated by clean, renewable solar. That’s the message the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 is sending to decathletes through the Energy Balance Contest, which measures the energy each team house produces and consumes over the course of the competition.

What do the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015 teams have up their sleeves? Our new 2015 team pages will give you an idea of what’s in store. The teams have submitted their first house designs to competition organizers, and we’re giving you a glimpse of what’s planned.

To the new teams, welcome and thank you for accepting our challenge to design and build an energy-efficient, solar-powered house to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015. And congratulations on being selected!

Fans of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, take note: Solar Decathlon 2015 will be held Oct. 8–18, 2015, at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Director Richard King today announced that two teams selected to compete in Solar Decathlon 2015 have decided not to move forward in the competition.

Today, the Energy Department announced the 20 collegiate teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015. It also announced that the competition will take place at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.

In support of President Obama’s commitment to a clean energy future, the Energy Department today began the process to select collegiate teams to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2015. Colleges, universities, and other post-secondary educational institutions are welcome to submit proposals. Up to 20 teams will be selected to begin two-year projects to build solar-powered, highly energy-efficient houses that combine affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence.