Sustainability Decathlon

The 2023 Orange County Sustainability Decathlon (OCSD23) was structured as a comprehensive competition with a primary focus on sustainability, particularly in the realm of housing. The competition consisted of 10 contests, each independently scored, making up a total of 1000 points. Teams competed in various categories and were evaluated based on jury evaluations, performance-based ratings, and performance-based verifications. The contests included:

1. Architecture & Interior Design

2. Sustainability & Resilience

3. Communications & Marketing

4. Engineering & Construction

5. Lighting & Appliances

6. Water Use & Conservation

7. Health & Comfort

8. Energy Efficiency

9. Market Potential

10. Innovation

Each contest held its unique set of criteria and judging metrics:

Juried Evaluations:

• Teams were evaluated by a jury of subject-matter experts who reviewed and rated team deliverables and the model homes. These evaluations were conducted for areas such as Sustainability & Resilience, Architecture & Interior Design, Engineering & Construction, Communications & Marketing, Market Potential, and Innovation.

Performance Ratings:

• Certain contests required the design and construction of a model home that met specific performance standards. For example, in Energy Efficiency, the homes were to have no greater than a 40 HERS Index, and in Water Use & Conservation, the homes were to have no greater than a 40 HERSH2O Index.

Performance Verifications:

• Teams had to demonstrate that various systems and components in the home, like whole house systems, bathroom facilities, plumbing, lighting, appliances, and security systems, functioned as intended and were installed and configured according to the construction documentation.