The Orange County (California) Great Park Corporation Board has approved an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that provides a $1 million grant to host the Solar Decathlon 2013 at the Great Park.
The agreement establishes a two-phase planning and implementation process that also includes the staging of the multi-day exposition, which is set for Oct.3-13, 2013, and is dubbed the XPO: Clean+Renewable+Efficient Energy Exposition.
Under the first phase of the agreement, the Great Park accepted $375,000 from the DOE for the planning and development process. This planning phase includes event programming and sponsorship planning, as well as a finalized site plan that shows the location of the Solar Decathlon Village, where 20 collegiate teams will showcase their solar-powered houses.
The Solar Decathlon challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. The winning house best embodies affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence while also providing optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.
The XPO, featuring the DOE Solar Decathlon 2013, will showcase the technology, products, arts, education and business opportunities that arise from clean and renewable energy generation and efficient energy use.
