Sandbox Solar sent four of our top competitors to San Diego, California, to battle through three grueling rounds of the most demanding national solar installation tournament in the world!
What is the Solar Games?
The Solar Games is the first of its kind—a bracket-style tournament that challenges teams to build residential solar and storage systems live at the Intersolar & Energy Storage North America expo hall. These talented teams are judged on installation quality, safety, speed, and their ability to overcome additional obstacles as they advance through the tournament. The top team is crowned the Solar Games Champion and takes home the grand prize of $10,000!
2025 Solar Games Contestants:
Cape Fear Solar Systems, LLC: Wilmington, NC
Castaways Energy, LLC: Orlando, FL
Huston Solar: Lafayette, IN
Michigan Solar: Commerce, MI
Option One Solar: Apple Valley, CA
Power Northwest Incorporated: Portland, OR
Sandbox Solar: Fort Collins, CO
Solstema: Kyle, TX
Our very own Dan Frey (ME & Electrical Manager) led our crew of our installers in a course that consists of two roofs, placed side by side, where teams will go head-to-head. The roofs are built with standard asphalt shingles and have a 12.6-degree pitch. The back edge of the roof will be 48 inches off the ground.
There is a designated entry point, which will be the only place where equipment and installers are allowed to enter and exit the roof. This simulates the ladder that would typically be used to access the roof. To prevent repeated drilling, mounts will be pre-installed on the roof. We will be judged on quality, speed, safety, and more as we advance through the tournament.
Round 1
In a game of speed, precision, quality, and teamwork, our team displayed great composure on day one against Cape Fear Solar Systems in a round that came down to the very last second. Our demonstration of superior quality gave us the nod to advance to the semifinals.
With even greater stakes ahead, our team took the rest of the evening to regroup and prepare for the next challenge.
Semi Finals
On day two, the Sandbox Solar crew went toe-to-toe with Power Northwest in the semifinal round. With endurance being key, our crew demonstrated great teamwork by properly delegating the workload to stay on track. Both teams showed tremendous heart, but in the end, Sandbox Solar emerged victorious!
The Battle For Gold
The championship was within our grasp! This is a true underdog story in the making—newcomer Sandbox Solar went head-to-head with Huston Solar, a team competing for the third consecutive year for the Solar Games title. Both teams faced the tournament’s toughest course, where every mistake was costly. With $10,000 and the championship on the line, both teams started off fast and aggressive, leaving no ounce of effort behind. In the end, Huston Solar’s tournament experience and preparation were enough to secure their victory. Sandbox Solar finished in 2nd place, earning a $3,500 prize and a strong desire to compete again! We are proud to have earned the highest score of any one round in the tournament.
Post Game Interview
Chris Tullos: “My experience turned out awesome. However, I had a lot of nervous energy leading up to it because I had only been doing solar for four months. When Allysa posted that there was one more spot open for the San Diego trip but no takers, I threw my hat in, expecting a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ since I was only about a month and a half into doing solar. I absolutely would have held no resentment if they felt I wasn’t ready and probably would have even felt a degree of relief.
In the time between getting the thumbs-up and the competition, I learned a lot and developed a fair amount of confidence in my ability to install. That being said, I still had thoughts of letting everyone down, being the weak link of the team, etc., but I also knew I’d ultimately do alright.
I wanted to make the company—and especially Ian—proud. Thankfully, we did to some extent. I’ll take second place, but next year, I want first.
The competitions were kind of a tunnel-vision experience; I didn’t focus on the crowd or the other teams, with whom we had great rapport before and after. The expo itself was really cool—seeing all the different companies and the ideas/products they were showcasing. The housing accommodations were excellent, as were the food and beverage outings that Ian and the Unirac reps generously offered. I also have to give props to the other three guys on the team, who did a great job during the competition and were a blast to hang out with.”
Shout-out to our Sandbox Solar teammates who competed: Dan Frey, Ryan Turnbull, Dave Appleton, and Chris Tullos.
