The Alberta Solar Decathlon team is comprised of Calgary’s four leading post-secondary schools: the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, Mount Royal College and the Alberta College of Art + Design. We work closely with industry, government and other partners in the broader community. Our team is the first-ever all western Canadian team to compete in the Solar Decathlon, in 2009. We will leverage our success, knowledge and insights from the Solar Decathlon to become champions for advancing solar technologies and innovative housing solutions in Alberta and beyond.

The Solar Decathlon is a high-profile, international competition in which 20 selected teams of university and college students from around the globe compete to design, build and operate the most attractive, practical and energy-efficient solar-powered home.

The event is primarily sponsored by the US Department of Energy and includes a decathlon of 10 individual contests for the students and their homes. It takes place biannually in October on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The teams’ houses and the sponsors’ educational exhibits form a solar ‘village.’ The public, media, industry representatives and invited dignitaries tour the homes and exhibits and learn about the powerful combination of solar energy, energy efficiency and the best in home design.