Welcome to the 2023 Solar Games!
This landing page will be a living resource for you and your team as we near the competition. Updates and additional information will be posted here as the details continue to be ironed out, so check back often. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email Hannah Schnyder, Solar Games Event Coordinator at hschnyder@divcom.com, or call her at (207) 242-9137.
The 2023 Solar Games will take place on February 14-16 in the Long Beach Convention Center. A total of 8 teams will be competing in a bracketed style competition for the title of Solar Games Champion and $10,000. We will also be awarding 2nd and 3rd place teams, with $3,500 and $2,500 prizes, respectively. The tournament will consist of 7 head-to-head matchups, culminating with the Championship round on Thursday, February 16th.
Our 2023 participating teams are:
- Sol-Up: Las Vegas, NV
- Solar Works Energy: Albuquerque, NM
- Aloha Solar Power: Encinitas, CA
- Option One Solar, Apple Valley, CA
- All Energy Solar, Saint Paul, MN
- Bright Planet Solar, Auburn, CT
- Northwest Electric and Solar, Kenmore, WA
- Grid Alternatives, Oakland, CA
See the tournament bracket below to find out who you will be competing against in the first round.
Booking your Hotel
We will be reimbursing up to $2,000 of expenses for Solar Games competitors. If you have not yet booked your hotel room, please do so through our official partner, OnPeak, here.
Scoring & How to Win
The winners from each matchup in Round 1 will advance to the Semi-Finals. The winners will be determined by a rigorous scoring system that assigns points based on safety, technical accuracy, and speed.
3rd place will be determined by comparing the scores of the 2 semi-final round losing teams.
Stay tuned for the official scorecard, which will be provided in mid-January.
Competition Schedule
All Solar Games competitors are invited to watch any rounds in which they are not competing in if they please. If you have any concerns about the proposed schedule below, please let Hannah Schnyder know ASAP, so the necessary adjustments can be made.
We ask that competing teams check in at the Solar Games Stadium at least 1 hour in advance of their competition.
The Stadium
The Solar Games stadium will consist of 2 roofs, placed side by side, where teams will go head-to-head. The roofs are built with a standard asphalt shingle, and have a 12.6 degree pitch. The back edge of the roof will be 48″ off of the ground.
There is a designated entry point, which will be the only place where equipment and installers are allowed to enter and exit the roof. This is to simulate the ladder that would usually need to be used to access the roof. Mounts will be pre-installed on the roof to avoid the same holes needing to be drilled repeatedly. All Equipment besides the mounts will need to be installed by the team.
ROOF DIAGRAMS:
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Equipment
Our sponsors have provided the equipment you will be using to complete the installation. After the Games, all equipment will be donated to Twende Solar, a nonprofit that provides reliable electricity to communities around the world who need it.
Our 2023 Equipment Sponsors:
- Panels: Jinko Solar, 380-400 Watt Mono Perc Half-Cell Module
- Racking: K2 Systems, Cross Rail System
- Mounts: Roof Tech Inc., RT Mini II
- Batteries: Rolls, AGM VRLA Deep Cycle Battery
- Grid-tied Inverter: Electriq, PowerPod 2
- Off-grid Inverter: Sol-Ark, 15K-2P-N – “Limitless 15K-LV”
- Junction Boxes: SolaDeck, Original Flashed PV Junction Box
- Rapid Shutdown: APsystems, APsystems APsmart RSD
- Small Components: HellermannTyton, Small Components
- Safety: GME Supply, Safety Equipment
- Tools: Milwaukee Tool, Tools
- Other: PVpallet, Inc., Pallets
Any manuals and/or literature about the equipment listed will be provided about 2 weeks before the Solar Games, so keep an eye out for that shortly after the new year! Once those documents are uploaded to this page, an email will be sent notifying you of that addition.
Picking up your Badge
You will be able to pick up your badge during registration hours on the 13th or the morning of the 14th. While not actively competing, you are free to pursue the trade show floor and attend any sessions taking place there. If you’d like to add a conference pass to your registration, you are welcome to do so. Just let Hannah know, and she will make that addition so you can pay from your registration portal.
Tools
Tools will be provided by Milwaukee Tool and competitors will not be allowed to use their own tools. Stay tuned for an exact list to come.
Post-Show Reimbursements
After the Solar Games, we will be distributing up to $2,000 of reimbursements per team. To receive your reimbursement, you will need to email Hannah Schnyder with receipts/confirmations of travel expenses up to $2,000 attached.
You must also make sure that your ACH form is filled out and returned in order to receive your reimbursement.
Quick Links:
Promote Your Participation with these Resources:
Equipment Manuals:
- Electriq Power Pod 2
- Jinko Solar 380-400 Watt Mono Perc Half-Cell Module
- Rolls AGM VRLA Deep Cycle Battery
- SolaDeck Original Flashed PV Junction Box
- Sol-Ark 15K-2P-N – “Limitless 15K-LV”
- RoofTech RT Mini II
- K2 CrossRail System
Electrical Drawings:
THANK YOU TO OUR EQUIPMENT SPONSORS!
