The United States Department of Energy hosts an international competition every other year in which teams of college students research, design, and build a house entirely run on solar energy. This bi-annual competition, known as the Solar Decathlon, as there are ten competitions each house competes in during the weeklong event, has become very popular and allows students to showcase their design and building skills and for companies to display their newest sustainable technologies. Ball State University, the University of Louisville, and the University of Kentucky joined together to participate in the 2013 Solar Decathlon in Irvine, California. Together, the team designed and built the Phoenix House, which just like the mythical bird, rises from the ashes to bring new life; in this case, from the ashes of tornados and other natural disasters to provide shelter for victims. Initial inspiration came from the tornado that struck Henryville, Indiana and destroyed much of the town.

One of the ten competitions that each team competes in is communications. The communications competition covers several different areas, including a team website, social media websites, information displayed on the team's competition site explaining the details of the house, scale models, and other forms of media that help communicate the team's message and design. This is a key aspect of the competition, as it generates interest in the team's entry and the competition as a whole, informs the public of about the design of the house, and allows the public to interact with the team and to ask questions.