The Race to Zero is an annual competition, open to students and faculty from any interested collegiate institution. The competition is based on a real-world scenario where a builder needs to update an existing product line (house plan) to a high-performance house design or is developing a new high-performance home product line. Teams are presented a specific design problem and are asked to either redesign an existing floor plan or create a new house design that satisfies the project requirements. The mandatory performance target is the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home specification.
Competition Requirements
Each team must be sponsored by a collegiate institution, comprise at least three students and a faculty advisor, and have a designated team lead. Student teams are encouraged to be multidisciplinary and have industry advisors, such as local home builders, to help inform their decision-making process.
Details on the 2017 competition requirements are published in the 2017 Student Design Competition Guide. Teams can also view the 2016 Results page, 2015 Results page, or 2014 Results page to see previous project profiles.
Building Science Curriculum Resources
In addition to the DOE Building Science Training webinars available upon completion of the team application, the following resources are provided to participants:
- Kick Start Your 2017 Race to Zero Competition!, Sept. 19, 2016
- Guidelines for Building Science Education
- Building America Solution Center
- Excellence in Building Science Education
- EEBA Houses That Work Online Education.
Contact Us
For questions about the Race to Zero Student Design Competition, contact racetozero@ee.doe.gov.