Solar Decathlon

United States Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 is held in Washington, D.C.

Schneider Electric donated the products and engineering services required to implement the microgrid solution during the event. The microgrid enables a safe and reliable electrical connection between the solar village and the utility service for the duration of the event. By utilizing the microgrid, teams competing in the event can power their homes, and excess energy is delivered to the electrical grid to be used by the greater Washington, D.C.

In addition, Schneider Electric has supplied an EV charging station to the US Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Exhibit. The station offers a green and economical transportation fuel option while helping to decrease energy waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

> See participating teams
> Solar village energy balance

The 20 teams that have been selected to compete in Solar Decathlon Europe 2012  come from 15 countries on four continents, making the event the most international competition to date.

The event will for the first time include a team from Africa and electrical vehicles will be presented in most of the competing houses.

In addition, the competition will showcase a complete smartgrid granting visitors visibility of real time electricity usage.

> See participating teams 

In Spring 2013, Solar Decathlon will for the first time take place in Beijing, China following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States Department of Energy, China National Energy Administration, Peking University, and Applied Materials.

The MoU, which was signed in the presence of Schneider Electric representatives, has been recognized by President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao as an important step in an effort to enhance cooperation between the US and China on climate change and clean energy.

As with other Solar Decathlon competitions, Schneider Electric will offer product and technical support to the event in China.