2013 was chock-full of great stories about how energy affects our everyday lives.

Below, check out the Energy Department’s best videos from the past year — from Secretary Moniz’s first day on the job to a showcase of standout student work at the Solar Decathlon. In 2013, we also visited a fourth grade class that installed solar panels on their school roof and checked out a plane that flies on solar power. These clean energy innovations show that renewables are not a faraway goal, but that a clean energy future is here now.

You can also view these and other videos in our Best of 2013 video playlist.

SOLAR IMPULSE’S SOLAR-POWERED PLANE

 

Learn more about Solar Impulse, a solar-powered plane that flies day and night stops in Washington, D.C., on its cross-country journey.

EDISON VS. TESLA

 

Who was the better inventor, Thomas Edison or Nikola Tesla, and why? We explore this famous rivalry and shed light on how Edison’s and Tesla’s inventions led to the innovations in lighting and energy we have today.

VETERANS ADVANCING CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE

 

 

As part of its Champions of Change series, the White House honored 12 veterans and leaders who are using the skills they learned in the armed services to advance the clean energy economy.

LAKIYA’S HOUSE

 

Lakiya Culley wanted to be a homeowner, but with D.C.’s high cost of living, she wasn’t sure that was possible. Earlier this year, that dream became a reality thanks to the Empowerhouse team, winner of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 affordability contest.

SOLAR POWERED CLASSROOM

 

 

The students in Aaron Sebens’s fourth grade class installed solar panels on their classroom roof for a project that goes above and beyond a normal day in school. Their accomplishments go beyond the classroom and stress the importance of getting people of all ages involved in renewable energy.