Solar Decathlon Virtual Village Solicitation

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® (DOE/SD) is a collegiate competition, comprising 10 contests, that challenges student teams to design and build highly efficient and innovative buildings powered by renewable energy. The winners will be those teams that best blend architectural and engineering excellence with innovation, market potential, building efficiency, and smart energy production. Solar Decathlon is comprised of two Challenges – Design Challenge (annual, in April of each year at NREL in Golden, Colo.) and Build Challenge (biennial, held next in April 2023 at NREL in Golden, Colo.). The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provides competition management for Solar Decathlon. DOE Solar Decathlon program has historically had a public outreach component. Creation of a Solar Decathlon Global Virtual Village will support public outreach by creating a broader communications campaign and platform, not confined to a “one-and-done event,” in a virtual environment. It will also be helpful in presenting the impact of Solar Decathlon during its 20-year history. The objective of this work effort is for selection of a subcontractor to propose, develop, and create the platform for the DOE’s Solar Decathlon Global Virtual Village. The Virtual Village will be created by the Subcontractor, and maintained by DOE/NREL, with the potential for continued support from the Subcontractor. The objective is to communicate Solar Decathlon’s impact to a broader audience and increasing awareness of Solar Decathlon’s impact, teams, and their innovative projects in mitigating climate change through high-performance, low-carbon buildings.