On August 2, after the opening ceremony, all the VIPs in attendance, and the media, had the first opportunity to see the competition houses and talk to the decathletes and faculty. Peking University (PKU) Chair of Council Shanlu Zhu visited part of the solar houses and talked with the decathletes, accompanied by Dean of Graduate School Shiyi Chen and Dean of College of Engineering Dongxiao Zhang.

They first visited the house “Etho”, collaboratively designed and built by 160 students from PKU and University of Illinois. Etho is a 97-square-meter single solar house with two bedrooms and one bathroom. The energy supply of Etho comes from sole solar energy the house collects by itself, which will sustain the energy consumption of daily family use, as well as maintain an appropriate environment of temperature and humidity. Besides that, Etho features a home automation system that allows occupants to control a number of features through a tablet, phone or computer. Zhu expressed high recognition for the collaboration between the two universities, “International cooperation and exchange of this type is very beneficial for the students, and I look forward to further cooperation between the two schools,” he said.

Subsequently, the delegation visited Team THU-FIU (Tsinghua University and the Florida International University), Team SEU (Southeast University), and team Israel (Tel Aviv University, Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, College of Management Academic Studies, Neri Bloomfield School of Design and Education). Team heads explained details of the respective "solar house" design concept and the effective use of solar energy resources. Team THU-FIU selects the most efficient photovoltaic solar panels to collect energy as much as possible, and also uses intelligent control system to make indoor life more comfortable. Team SEU concentrates on the efficient use of solar and wind energy and renewable resources such as rain water to provide a green living model. Team Israel transforms traditional Israel courtyard with modern methods, integrating traditional passive solar systems with Israel's most advanced clean-energy technology.

During the visits, the delegates had exchange and discussion about the use of new technology and new energy with the decathletes.