University of Nevada takes first place in innovation, Northwestern first in communications at solar decathlon

University of Nevada, Las Vegas earned first place in the Innovation Contest and Northwestern University took the top spot in Communications Contest this week at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2017 in Denver, Colorado.

At the event, teams of college students from around the world design and build full-size, solar-powered houses, which are judged as a part of 10 contests that evaluate architecture, market potential, engineering, communications, innovation, water, health and comfort, appliances, home life, and the level of energy produced versus energy consumed. Each contest is worth 100 points for a possible total of 1,000 points.

“The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon gives these dedicated students the hands-on experience they need to land jobs in the energy workforce,” Linda Silverman, director of the Solar Decathlon for the Energy Department, said. “The Solar Decathlon and its Innovation and Communications contests prepare hundreds of students with the interdisciplinary skills they need to research, develop and communicate — and help educate others about —innovative building technologies that address global energy challenges such as reliability, resilience, and security.”

For the first time in Solar Decathlon history, teams will take home prize money. First place in the overall competition will win $300,000, second place wins $225,000, third place wins $150,000, fourth place wins $125,000, and fifth through eleventh place will win $100,000 each.