Students Vie for Trip to Solar Decathlon Europe

ISLAND PARK, NY -- EmPower Solar Student Competition participants have submitted their multi-faceted solar projects, but now it's time to engage their networks. The 36 Long Island and New York City teams are encouraged to reach out to families, friends, and classmates to "like" their YouTube video, helping them win a trip to the Solar Decathlon Europe in Versailles, France.

This year, EmPower Solar, a leading Long Island-based solar energy company, encouraged high school students to discover and communicate the benefits of solar. Teams of two to four students evaluated the energy consumption and solar potential of a house or building, and produced a YouTube video on why guest judges should pick them as the first-place winner. Now, they need your help.

In addition to an all-expense-paid trip to the Solar Decathlon Europe, students are also competing for scholarships that will be awarded to the first, second, and third-place teams.

"We are thrilled to launch the 2014 Solar Student competition together with our incredible partners. The entire EmPower team looks forward to this event each year and some of us are particularly excited to treat the student winners to some tasty crepes at the Solar Decathlon venue in Versailles," said David G. Schieren, CEO.

Numerous partners and guest judges will play a pivotal role in making the 2014 competition a success. Partners and judges include Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Cradle of Aviation Museum, ImagineLB, LIMSAT, Operation Splash, Suffolk County Representative to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Renewable Energy Long Island, Solar One, Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, Sustainable Long Island, Town of Hempstead, and Vision Long Island.

The deadline to vote for your favorite team is Monday, May 12, 2014. The winners will be announced during an awards ceremony held at the Cradle of Aviation in Garden City on Wednesday, May 14, 2014.

The EmPower Solar Student Competition was first held in 2011, and in 2013, EmPower sent its winning team to the U.S. Solar Decathlon in California.

You can watch all of the entries and vote for your favorites on the EmPower Solar Student Competition 2014 YouTube playlist (http://bit.ly/QnlXIB), or visit http://www.empower-solar.com/overview/empower-solar-student-competition for more information.

About EmPower Solar
EmPower Solar is a leading solar engineering and installation company serving residential and commercial markets in New York. Since 2003, EmPower has installed over 700 residential, commercial and non-profit solar power systems in New York.  The company was founded while working on a U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon project and continues to stay involved and encourage students in our region to pursue higher studies and careers in renewable energy. 

About Solar Decathlon Europe
On Oct. 18, 2007, the Spanish and U.S. governments signed a memorandum of understanding to create Solar Decathlon Europe, a complementary competition to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. Spain hosted the first two of these competitions in 2010 and 2012. In 2014, Solar Decathlon Europe will move north to France. http://www.solardecathlon.gov/sd_europe.html