Join the Solar District Cup Class of 2026

🌞 Join the U.S. Department of Energy Solar District Cup Collegiate Competition as it gears up for the Class of 2026! Ready to innovate for a sustainable future? You can be part of it! This condensed one-semester track starts in January: registration closes January 15, 2026! Register your team for the competition or learn more below.  About the Competition: This is a one-semester (spring) activity that could serve as a capstone or extracurricular project or club activity,  and provides training to students and faculty to learn how to design solar energy systems, including a real-world client. Who this Competition is for: If you know students seeking an ABET-aligned capstone project, a resume-builder, a club activity, or a class project, this is a ready-made solution (Read how an ASEE faculty did so here.) There are both two-year and four-year schools, as well as graduate students participating in the competition. Any team enrolled in a U.S. college or university is welcome!  How You Can Participate:On herox.com/SolarDistrictCup, students or faculty click “solve this challenge,” create an account, then complete an entry indicating your school’s name and contact information by Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, by 5 p.m. ET. Learn More about the Competition: View a recording of last year’s “Informational webinar” (please note the dates will be different).  Hear from our Alumni: Watch a series of short videos of Solar District Cup alumni offering advice to those considering the competition and talking about what they learned that helped them enter the clean energy industry.   📩 Questions? Let’s chat! Reach out anytime at solardistrictcup@nrel.gov to chat or set up a meeting with competition organizers.