ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – Jan. 7, 2013 – Members of the media will have an opportunity to meet representatives from all 20 collegiate teams competing in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 as well as interview Richard King, Director and founder of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon.

This will be the student teams' first visit to the Orange County Great Park as they arrive for a weekend workshop to prepare for the Solar Decathlon 2013 competition. The Great Park will host the award-winning competition October 3-13, 2013, the first time the event has ever been held outside of Washington D.C.

The Solar Decathlon challenges collegiate teams to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The winner of the competition is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal, and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency.

The Solar Decathlon 2013 will be the centerpiece of the XPO, a world's fair of clean, renewable, and efficient energy.

A group photo with representatives of the student teams will be taken in front of the iconic Great Park Balloon.  The teams will stand behind a Solar Decathlon 2013 banner, wearing their team colors and university sweatshirts.

Renderings of each collegiate team's solar house designs will also be available to media.

Solar Decathlon 2013 team members will be available for interviews:

Richard King, Director, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Tim Shaw, Manager of External Affairs, Orange County Great Park

When:

Friday, January 11, 2013, Noon-2 p.m.

12:15: Photo shoot with student teams in front of Great Park Balloon

12:45: Additional photo shoots with student teams and Irvine City Council

1:00: Media briefing with Richard King, Director, U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon and Tim Shaw, Manager of External Affairs, Orange County Great Park

1:30: One-on-one interview opportunities with Solar Decathlon team members and spokespeople

Where:

Orange County Great Park

Inside Historic Hangar 244

Off the 5 Freeway at Sand Canyon and Marine Way

Irvine, California

Solar Decathlon 2013 Teams:

The university-led teams that design, build, and operate the competition's solar-powered houses are the heart of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. The following teams will compete in Solar Decathlon 2013:

Arizona State University and The University of New Mexico, Czech Republic: Czech Technical University, Kentucky/Indiana: University of Louisville, Ball State University and University of Kentucky, Middlebury College, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Norwich University, Santa Clara University, Southern California Institute of Architecture and California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Team Alberta: University of Calgary, Team Austria: Vienna University of Technology, Team Capitol DC: The Catholic University of America, George Washington University, and American University, Team Ontario: Queen's University, Carleton University, and Algonquin College, Team Texas: The University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College, Tidewater Virginia: Hampton University and Old Dominion University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, The University of North Carolina at CharlotteUniversity of Southern California, West Virginia University.

About the 2013 Solar Decathlon:

Solar Decathlon 2013 will take place from October 3 through October 13, 2013, at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, CA. The competition houses will be open to visitors on eight days over two weekends. Public hours will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily:

Thursday, October 3 – Sunday, October 6, 2013

Thursday, October 10 – Sunday, October 13, 2013

The XPO:

Orange County's reputation as a center for high-tech, bio-tech, clean-tech and green-tech makes it the perfect home for the Solar Decathlon 2013 and XPO. The XPOwill bring together innovators and visionaries with the public to inspire great thinking, and more importantly, real action in support of a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future. At the XPO, visitors will experience the past, present and future of energy in every facet of their lives, including home design, transportation, consumer products, food production, entertainment, education and the arts. Visit www.the-xpo.org for more information.

Media Contacts:

Marcus Ginnaty

Onsite Contact – Orange County Great Park

949-724-6574

Jason Lutterman

Onsite Contact – U.S. Department of Energy

202-779-3295

Public Affairs

U.S. Department of Energy

202-586-4940