2021 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge Highlights Creative, High-Performance Building Solutions

Design
Published

The 2021 Solar Decathlon Design Challenge — a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) collegiate competition that tasks students with designing low-carbon, high-performance buildings powered by renewable energy — marked the competition's 19th year, with the first ever Virtual Village on the National Mall featuring nine builds with 3D renderings, diagrams and videos for each university's project.

Of the 72 competing teams, representing 12 countries, the University of Oregon was named the grand winner of the Commercial Divisions, and Northwestern University was named the grand winner for the Residential Divisions. Northwestern University's NuHome is a delicately balanced design that accounts for site challenges such as harsh winters and humid summers in Chicago, and a narrow footprint shaded by three-story buildings on both sides (making solar access more difficult for residential solar photovoltaics).

Despite these constraints, the student team was able to incorporate high-performance features such as a tight thermal envelope, highly efficient HVAC system, natural lighting and graywater reuse system. The design strategically reduces thermal bridging and effectively manages moisture (preventing mold and improving indoor air quality), and achieves a remarkable EUI rating of 12 and a HERS score of -22.

"The Solar Decathlon experience has no equal in terms of acquiring knowledge, and I absorbed so many fantastic design ideas from the student teams who presented throughout the weekend," noted Ray Tonjes, a seasoned juror and NAHB Sustainability and Green Building subcommittee past chairman. "It's an extremely worthwhile endeavor to have the opportunity to participate purely for the knowledge and interactions with like-minded participants."

As a proud sponsor of the Solar Decathlon, NAHB congratulates all the student teams and faculty for their hard work, innovative solutions, outstanding projects and, most of all, for leading the charge in the next generation of housing.

See DOE's press release for a full list of winners from this year's competition. To stay current on the high-performance residential building sector, with tips on water efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and other building science strategies, follow NAHB’s Sustainability and Green Building efforts on Twitter.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Trends

Oct 29, 2025

Do Consumers Want Two-Story Foyers?

Nearly a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer in 2024 — a number that has been trending downward over the past eight years. Though the national decline continued, regional patterns were mixed. See where this feature is hot — and where it's not.

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) | Education

Oct 29, 2025

How to Market to and Design for the Aging-in-Place Client

NAHB will host three webinars (open to members and non-members) in November to teach the technical, business management, and customer service skills necessary to complete modifications for aging-in-place.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Oct 29, 2025

The Fed Cuts amid Partly Cloudy Conditions

With the government shutdown limiting the quantity of economic data available to markets and policymakers, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) enacted a widely anticipated 25 basis point cut for the short-term federal funds rate.

Economics

Oct 28, 2025

Home Price Growth Slows

Home prices in August grew at the lowest annual rate in over two years, according to the recent release of the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Home Price Index (seasonally adjusted – SA).

Economics

Oct 27, 2025

Two-Story Foyer Trend Stabilizes in 2024

In 2024, nearly a quarter of new homes were built with a two-story foyer, virtually unchanged from 2023, according to data obtained from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC) and tabulated by NAHB.