10 Contests

As in the Olympic decathlon, the teams of the Solar Decathlon Europe will compete in ten contests. The team which achieves the highest combined score will win. The main focus of the ten contests is determined by the venue and specific emphasis of the current year’s competition. For the Solar Decathlon Europe 21 (SDE21), the main emphasis lies on sustainable urban building and living.

Five of the ten contests therefore address urban challenges. The remaining five contests represent the core challenges of the SDE – Architecture, Communication, Comfort, Sustainability, and Energy Performance.

1 ● Architecture

2 ● Engineering & Construction

3 ● Energy Performance

4 ● Affordability & Viability

5 ● Communication, Education & Social Awareness

6 ● Sustainability

7 ● Comfort

8 ● House Functioning

9 ● Urban Mobility

10 ● Innovation

Teams will be scored on a Design Challenge, evaluating the overall concept of the building, as well as on a Building Challenge, evaluating the House Demonstration Units (HDU) that will be constructed on the Solar Campus in Wuppertal. Depending on the contest, scoring will either be made up of measurements or scores from a jury composed of international experts.

Over the course of the competition, teams will make seven submissions. These will document the progress of their project as well as their implementation of the tasks defined in the SDE21 Rules. All submissions will count towards the overall score. ●

● The winners of each discipline will be awarded during a public ceremony in June 2022. The overall winner of the competition will be announced during the Final Awards Ceremony on 24 June 2022. ●

Contest 1 ● Architecture

Sub-Contests

Site Integration, Building Design, Interiour & Lighting Design, Solar System Integration

Objective

The contest Architecture focuses on the design and functionality of the building designs and the referring House Demonstration Units (HDU). The aim is to show innovative designs in a real urban context and to include solutions for the neighbourhood and the quarter. For the HDU great emphasis on the aesthetics of the spaces and materials is made. Innovative and sustainable constructions designed for the buildings of the future will be awarded. The teams are encouraged to develop intelligent solutions for the integration of solar energy systems into the building shell.

Assessment

Design & Building Challenge ● Jury

Contest 2 ● Engineering & Construction

Sub-Contests

Energy Concept, Performance Analysis, Life Cycle Carbon Footprint

Objective

The planning and implementation of technical and structural concepts are in the focus of the contest. The level of architectural integration and the appropriateness of the concepts in terms of climate-neutral building operation are evaluated.

Assessment

Design & Building Challenge ● Jury

Contest 3 ● Energy Performance

Sub-Contests

Energy Consumption, Energy Balance, Self-Consumption, PV System Performance, Grid Interaction Systems

Objective

This contest deals with the energy consumption and solar energy supply of the House Demonstration Units in realistic operation mode. The data obtained during the competition phase will be scientifically processed and published afterwards.

Assessment

Building Challenge ● Monitoring

Contest 4 ● Affordability & Viability

Sub-Contests

Affordability, Viability

Objective

The degree of the feasibility of the project is evaluated concerning the economic and socio-economic context. The contest focusses on how the project can be implemented financially by investors and residents. Furthermore, the contribution to the solution of urban challenges with regard to residents and at a neighbourhood level is considered.

Assessment

Design & Building Challenge ● Jury

Contest 5 ● Communication, Education & Social Awareness

Sub-Contests

Communication, Education & Social Awareness

Objective

This contest deals with the communication, education and empowerment strategies developed and implemented by the teams. By addressing and integrating different target groups at an early stage, the aim is to inform as many people as possible and to get them enthusiastic about the urban energy transition.

Assessment

Design & Building Challenge ● Jury

Contest 6 ● Sustainability

Sub-Contests

Circularity & Sufficiency, Flexibility & Environmental Performance

Objective

The contest evaluates the measures for an optimized recycling economy and a sustainable building concept. It includes the saving of resources and the avoidance of demolition waste by means of a building that is suitable for dismantling and recycling. Material recycling potentials are identified and demonstrated. The buildings react to current challenges with future-oriented concepts. Solutions are sought to issues such as demographic transition, changes in social coexistence, dwindling biodiversity and the urban microclimate.

Assessment

Design & Building Challenge ● Jury

Contest 7 ● Comfort

Sub-Contests

Temperature, Humidity, Air Quality (CO₂), Lighting, Sound Insulation, Airtightness, Performance Gap

Objective

The interior comfort of the House Demonstration Units without the use of active heating or cooling under the current climatic conditions of the SDE21 competition site is measured in this contest. For this purpose, temperature, humidity, sound insulation, lighting and indoor air quality are checked.

Assessment

Building Challenge ● Monitoring

Contest 8 ● House Functioning

Sub-Contests

Appliances, Refrigeration, Freezing, Washing, Drying, Dishwashing, Oven, Cooking, Home Electronics, Water, Hot Water, Water Balance, Dinner, User-Friendliness

Objective

In this contest, the operation of a modern apartment is to be simulated. It is about the functionality and efficiency of the selected household appliances for maximum efficiency while considering today’s demands. The teams are to develop innovative solutions for the performance of all necessary household appliances. The operation of the appliances determines the main energy load of the House Demonstration Units during the competition phase. It is of great importance for the total energy consumption of the respective project.

Assessment

Building Challenge ● Monitoring

Contest 9 ● Urban Mobility

Sub-Contests

Mobility Concept, Mobility Tasks

Objective

The aim of this contest is to develop an adequate and needs-based mobility concept for the district in which the project is located. The concept should help to reduce car traffic and at the same time, meet the mobility needs of the neighbourhood residents.

Assessment

Design & Building Challenge ● Jury

Contest 10 ● Innovation

Sub-Contests

None

Objective

This contest is closely linked to the other disciplines. It is about the degree of innovation of the designs and House Demonstration Units, which is evaluated by the jury members of the Contests Architecture, Engineering & Construction, Sustainability, Affordability & Viability and Urban Mobility.

Assessment

Design & Building Challenge ● Jury