The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) is in search of the best photos of solar energy with the American-Made Solar Photo Competition: Hit Me with Your Sun Shot. Solar energy plays an important role in powering the country’s future and achieving a zero-carbon energy supply. This photo competition brings attention to and documents solar energy’s importance in the clean energy transition. Winners of the competition can earn up to $2,500 for a photo in one of the eight categories.
Photo Categories and Prizes to Win
The Solar Photo Competition is seeking photos in the following categories:
Solar and Weather – Capturing the interplay between solar technologies and various weather conditions.
Solar Workforce and Installation – Showcasing members of the solar workforce and individuals and teams behind solar installations.
Concentrating Solar-thermal Power (CSP) – Showing CSP systems, their mechanisms, and the innovations of this solar sector.
Research Processes, Solar Technologies in Detail, and Manufacturing – Highlighting the research, development, and manufacturing processes behind cutting-edge solar technologies.
Utility-Scale, Commercial Solar, and Grid Integration – Showcasing large-scale solar installations, including those visibly integrated into utility grids.
Community Solar/Multifamily Housing – Capturing the role solar plays in community sustainability through shared solar initiatives and solar-integrated multifamily housing.
Residential Solar – Capturing solar installations of residential properties.
Agriculture and Solar, Solar in Nature, Solar and Wildlife – Showcasing the coexistence of agriculture and solar power and/or how solar projects interact with local wildlife.
All photos must be submitted as zip files and use this file naming convention: PhotoTitle_LastName_CategoryAbbreviation
Please use the abbreviated category names outlined in the Resources tab.
Submission Guidelines
Submissions will be judged based on emotional appeal and impact, composition, content, technical quality, and originality. Each category will have two awards: one winner and one runner-up. There will also be two overall grand prize winners and SETO will recognize up to 200 honorable mentions. The following amounts will be awarded to each winner:
Grand Prize: $2,500
Category Winners: $1,000
Category Runners-Up: $500
All professional and amateur photographers are encouraged to submit up to 10 total photos across all eight categories. Photos must be taken within the United States or U.S. territories and submitted through the HeroX website.
All photos must be submitted through the HeroX website as zip files using this file naming convention:
Title of Photo_Last Name_Category Abbreviation
(Example: PVandWildflowers_Smith_Nature)
For zip files too large for the HeroX platform, photographers can upload submissions using the external upload site, Box. If uploading images through Box, please complete all required fields in the HeroX application and indicate “Upload Images on Box” before submitting. For more about submission requirements, please email .
The submission deadline is May 23 at 5 p.m. ET. Please see the official timeline in HeroX for the most current dates and deadlines. All dates are subject to change, including deadlines and announcements.
Are you ready to share your creativity while bringing attention to solar’s role in the clean energy transition? Join the challenge by following the Solar Photo Competition on HeroX, the official prize platform. Then, prepare to enter your photo(s) by May 23.
Please review the official rules for the complete application process and instructions for competing.
If you want to receive updates on the prize or have any questions, please subscribe by using the follow feature on the HeroX platform or message us directly at .
How are you interacting with your solar customers? Engaging communities directly, utilizing a variety of mediums, and telling stories that highlight real customers are all effective, inclusive communication strategies that can help expand solar adoption and solar careers in underserved communities.
Join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) for a unique opportunity to learn best practices for inclusive solar outreach next Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 1 p.m. ET. During this one-hour webinar, the SETO Strategy and Engagement team will share valuable insights from past winners of the Inclusive Solar Outreach Awards and examine impactful tactics that any organization can implement across their communication initiatives.
Due to a data processing error on the prize administrator’s side, a mistake was made in attributing one of the grand-prize-winning photos. The winning photo below was taken by Jeff West and submitted by Sarah Glover. We apologize for the mix-up.
Congratulations, again, to all Solar Photo Competition winners!
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) today announced the 18 winners of the American-Made Solar Photo Competition: Hit Me with Your Sun Shot. Professional and amateur photographers submitted awe-inspiring photos showcasing solar energy technologies, research and development activities, and infrastructure.
DOE received more than 450 submissions from 113 competitors. Judges from SETO and other DOE offices evaluated submissions based on their emotional appeal and impact, composition and content, technical quality, and originality. Based on judging scores, SETO selected two grand prize winners, earning $2,500 each, in addition to one winner ($1,000 each) and one runner-up ($500 each) for each of the eight photo categories.
The winners are featured in a DOE Flickr album, and other eligible submissions will be posted soon. These photos are available to the public. If you intend to use the photos, please give credit to the photographer in your caption.
Grand Prize Winners
Jeff West, submitted by Sarah Glover; A few years into the establishment of native prairie vegetation amongst the solar panels, these projects are already full of life.
Brianna Bruce; A jackrabbit stands at attention just outside the cover of a solar array near Hayward, California.
Solar and Weather Category Winner
Winner: Dylan Sontag; Demonstrating snow shedding by adjusting trackers to a steeper angle, enabling faster site production recovery in Colorado.
Runner-up: David Penalva; Life in the Desert
Solar Workforce and Installation Category Winner
Winner: Saman Kouretchian; Recent solar installation in Palm Desert, CA.
Runner-up: Craig Fritz; Teamwork
Concentrating Solar-thermal Power Category Winner
Winner: Craig Fritz; The National Solar Thermal Test Facility arranged their heliostat field for the groundbreaking of the Gen 3 Particle Pilot Plant, with the original solar tower reflected in one of the facets at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, NM.
Runner-up: Osdilieva Hinojosa; Supply Chain
Research Processes, Solar Technologies in Detail, and Manufacturing Category Winner
Winner: Craig Fritz; Dr. Angelique Montgomery places a perovskite module in a solar simulator of LED lights to simulate the sun with a flash of light at Sandia National Laboratories Photovoltaic System Evaluation Laboratory (PSEL) in Albuquerque, NM.
Runner-up: John Freidah; High Throughput
Utility Scale, Commercial Solar, and Grid Integration Category Winner
Winner: Michael Slider; Located in Riverside, CA and using American-made equipment, Intersect Power’s Oberon Facility generates 500 MWac, powers more than 200,000 homes, and includes 250 MW of storage.
Runner-up: Yung Chen; Solar Farm Nestled in East Bay Hills at Sunset
Community Solar and Multifamily Housing Category Winner
Winner: Rachel Gentile; A series of solar arrays on an affordable multifamily housing development in Allston, MA.
Runner-up: Rachel Gentile; Discovery Museum Solar and School Buses
Residential Solar Category Winner
Winner: Quincy Biddle; PV panels on the rooftops of Massachusetts homes against a backdrop of dark cumulus clouds looming before a thunderstorm.
Runner-up: Jacob Gross; Lux Array
Agriculture and Solar, Solar in Nature, Solar and Wildlife Category Winner
Winner: Chad Alkire; Bee pollinating native pollinators used for vegetation management at E.W. Solar Farm in Kentucky.
The Solar Photo Competition: Hit Me with Your Sun Shot winner announcement has been delayed to mid-August. We apologize for the additional time added to our review process and appreciate your continued patience as our judging panel thoroughly reviews each submission.
The Solar Photo Competition: Hit Me with Your Sun Shot winner announcement has been pushed to July. We apologize for this delay and appreciate your patience as we wrap up the review process. We encourage you to regularly check HeroX for any additional updates on this announcement.
