Solar District Cup 2022

We are excited to announce that 65 teams from 64 collegiate institutions are participating in the Solar District Cup Class of 2021-2022! This is the largest cohort of teams and schools the program has had since it began in 2019. The class of competitors includes students and faculty advisors from across the country.

“As we work to achieve aggressive climate goals over the next few years, the need for creative energy solutions and a dedicated, passionate workforce is greater than ever,” said Garrett Nilsen, acting director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office. “The work these students are doing through the Solar District Cup is so valuable in preparing them for careers in the energy industry and beyond. I’m excited to see the designs that come out of this cohort of participants.”

Please join us in welcoming the following collegiate institutions as participants in the Solar District Cup Class of 2021-2022: 

• Alfred University
• Ana G. Méndez University, Gurabo Campus
• Appalachian State University
• Arizona State University
• Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
• Bergen Community College
• Boise State University
• California State University, Los Angeles
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Clark Atlanta University
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Creighton University
• Drexel University
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• Grambling State University
• Illinois State University
• Miami University
• Michigan State University
• Morehouse College
• NC State University
• New York University
• Northeast Lakeview College
• Norwich University
• Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College
• Ohio Northern University
• Oregon State University-Cascades
• Pittsburg State University
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
• San Antonio College
• San Jacinto College South
• Santa Clara University
• Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Spelman College
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Stony Brook University
• Tennessee State University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Southern University
• Texas Tech University
• The George Washington University
• The Ohio State University
• The University of Alabama
• The University of Arizona
• The University of Memphis
• The University of Minnesota Duluth
• The University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• The University of Texas at Austin
• The University of Texas at San Antonio
• Triton College
• Tuskegee University
• University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Denver
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts, Lowell
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Portland
• University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus
• University of South Florida
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University

Read the full announcement here for more details on the Class of 2021-2022.

Additionally, we are pleased to announce the three district use cases for the 2021-2022 program. Students will design and model optimized distributed energy systems for one of the following district use cases:

• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• The Ohio State University.

We are thrilled to have so many teams competing from a wide variety of schools and disciplines in the Class of 2021-2022.

 Stay tuned to find out which teams advance as finalists in December!

Just a few hours until the 5 p.m. ET deadline to submit a register entry for your team to compete in the Solar District Cup Class of 2021-2022! 

If someone on your team has not yet submitted a “register” entry and you plan to participate in this year’s competition, you have until 5 p.m. ET today, Sept. 27, to be counted amongst our participating teams. There is no cost to register, and travel will not be required for this cycle. 

Note: creating a “team” on HeroX is only part of the process, someone needs to complete the “entry” including answering questions like “name of your collegiate institution.” As a reminder, here’s how you can do this: 

1. Visit https://herox.com/solardistrictcup and choose “Solve Challenge”, logging in (or creating an account) and accepting terms if prompted. Verify your account as prompted.
2. One team member should click on the “Begin Entry” button at the top of the HeroX page.
3. Fill out the “Create Submission” form with all the required details.
4. Click the “Save & Preview” button at the top of the form.
5. Click the “Submit Final Entry” button to complete your team registration.

Confused? Watch this screen recording of the process.

Note—you have not registered your team to compete until you fill out the “BEGIN ENTRY” form. Creating a HeroX account or following the competition does not qualify as team registration.  

Once completed, you’ll receive an official welcome email from the competition organizers titled “Welcoming [name of collegiate institution] to the Solar District Cup Class of 2021-2022. If you are unsure of your team’s registration status, please reach out to .

All teams should plan to attend the virtual Warm-up Workshop occurring from 2–4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 30. In this workshop, we’ll share important information about the competition, provide tips for success, and enable you to introduce yourselves to others who have registered to participate. A workshop webinar recording will also be made available to registered teams.

Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with industry professionals and develop solutions to real-world solar system designs. Complete your team registration by 5 p.m. ET today, Sept. 27! We look forward to having you compete! 

There’s still time to submit a register entry indicating your school’s commitment to compete in the Solar District Cup! The registration deadline for the Class of 2021-2022 is Monday, Sept. 27, at 5 p.m. ET. The competition is entirely free and registration takes less than 5 minutes. You can add student team members at any time, even after the registration deadline. 

Still haven’t decided if you’re going to compete this year? The Solar District Cup offers students and faculty the unique opportunity to connect training, industry, and real-world challenges in a competition format. As a competitor in the Solar District Cup, students will:

• Have access to energy tools, training, mentorship, and guest speakers
• Play the role of a solar developer by designing real-world solar-plus-storage solutions
• Build relationships and network with industry insiders
• Participate in a unique team-based experience that will shape your future.

Best of all, you’ll gain a career advantage that will help you land a good job in the renewable energy industry. Alumni of the competition now hold titles such as: distribution engineer, environmental compliance coordinator, electrical engineer, energy analyst, financial analyst, implementation consultant, mechanical design engineer, PV engineer, renewable energy project developer, solar foreman, solar PV designer, sustainability analyst, and sustainable finance intern.

As you launch your careers, talking with potential employers about your multidisciplinary design, financial modeling, and presentation work will show how you understand the business, policy, and engineering behind solar energy. You’ll have the real-world experience that employers are looking for! 

It’s not too late to register your team for the Class of 2021-2022. Register to compete by visiting https://herox.com/solardistrictcup, choosing “Solve Challenge” and then complete a full “Register Entry” submission. You can add team members at any time, even after Sept. 27.

If you have not already received a welcome email from SolarDistrictCup@nrel.gov, your team registration is not complete. To ensure your team is fully registered, please follow the steps listed in the Sept. 15 HeroX Update.

We look forward to your participation! 

The registration deadline for the Solar District Cup Class of 2021-2022 has been extended to Monday, Sept. 27. Read the full update below for details. 

To allow for the greatest number of students to benefit from participating in the Class of 2021-2022, the competition organizers have decided to extend the registration deadline from Sept. 16 to Sept. 27. If you have not already received a welcome email from , your team registration is not complete. Teams that register by 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 16 will still receive district use case assignments by Sept. 23 so that they can begin work as planned. The Warm-up Workshop will still occur on Sept. 30. 

To ensure your team is fully registered, please follow these steps: 

1. Visit https://herox.com/solardistrictcup and choose “Solve Challenge”, logging in (or creating an account) and accepting terms if prompted.
2. One team member should click on the “Begin Entry” button at the top of the HeroX page.
3. Fill out the “Create Submission” form with all the required details.
4. Click the “Save & Preview” button at the top of the form.
5. Click the “Submit Final Entry” button to complete your team registration.

Once your team captain has registered your team in HeroX, you’ll receive an official welcome email from the competition organizers. If you are unsure of your team’s registration status, please reach out to .

Teams that register between Sept. 16-23 will receive their district use case assignments by Sept. 29, when the full list of participating teams will be announced. 

As soon as you register your team, please mark your calendars for the all-team Warm-up Workshop on Sept. 30. More details to follow.

We hope this registration deadline extension allows more teams to participate in the Solar District Cup’s exciting Class of 2021-2022 program. Register your team by Monday, Sept. 27, at 5 p.m. ET!

Only one week left until the Sept. 16 @ 5 p.m. ET deadline to submit a register entry for your team to compete in the Solar District Cup Class of 2021-2022! As a reminder, at least one person on your team needs to submit a “register” entry on HeroX by 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 16. Additional team members can be added later. There is no cost to register, and travel will not be required for this cycle.

To complete team registration:

1. Click the “SOLVE CHALLENGE” button at the top of the page
2. Read and “Accept” the Competitor Agreement
3. Identify how you will be competing—creating a team, joining a pre-registered team, or competing by yourself for now – remember, your team makeup can change after Sept. 16!
4. Click “BEGIN ENTRY” under the “Register” and fill out the submission form.

Note—you have not registered your team to compete until you fill out the “BEGIN ENTRY” form. Creating a HeroX account or following the competition does not qualify as team registration. 

We highly recommend completing team registration as soon as possible. Following team registration, you will receive a welcome email from  with instructions, access to the extensive free training videos, and next steps. All teams should plan to attend the virtual Warmup Workshop on Sept. 30.

Questions? We encourage you to view the Informational Webinar recording, check out the presentation slides, read the Rules or reach out to us directly at .  

Don’t forget to complete your team registration by 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 16! We look forward to having you compete!