Hit Me with Your SunShot

The Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative is hosting a photography competition seeking the best solar energy technology photos from across the United States. The competition will award solar photographers with $2,500 in cash prizes, including a $500 grand prize. Winning photographs will be featured on the Department of Energy's webpage and in promotional materials.

Photos are accepted in eight categories: Solar Installers and Installation, Utility-Scale Projects, Solar + Storage, Solar Hardware and Power Electronics, Concentrating Solar Power, Community Solar, University Research, and Solar and Weather. All professional and amateur photographers are encouraged to submit. If the artist is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must accept the online terms and conditions. Current federal employees and support service contractors working on a federal site may submit photos but are unable to receive cash prizes.

Submissions must include the artist's name, contact information, and a brief description of each photo including names of any people in the photo, the state where the photo was taken, and a short description of the activity. If people are present in the photo, a model release form must be completed and submitted. Submissions will be judged by Simon Edelman, Chief Creative Officer for the Department of Energy, and Dennis Schroeder, photographer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, for creativity, quality, and relevance. One winner will be selected from each of the eight categories, each receiving $250, in addition to the $500 grand prize. Winners will be announced by August 31, 2017. Submissions must be made via the Call for Entry (CaFE) website.