It’s kind of ironic that an event with 20 homes is homeless, but that’s still the official word for the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Solar Decathlon, which will be held later this year.

In the past few days, rumors abounded that the international event, traditionally held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., would be held at the National Harbor, nearby in Maryland. But as of yet, there’s no official home for it.

On Wednesday (February 9), The Washington City Paper reported, “Students desperately trying to keep the Decathlon on the National Mall say they've found out that the Department of Energy has chosen National Harbor—In Maryland—as the new site for the competition.”

While the National Harbor would give the event some prominence, it’s nowhere near as visible or as accessible as the National Mall where senators and representatives, Supreme Court justices, heck, even President Barack Obama can easily walk to.

The City Paper also points out that transportation options to the National Harbor are significantly limited when compared to the National Mall. Basically, the Metro has a subway station that opens directly on the mall. While getting to the National Harbor requires a vehicle or a Metro ride and a subsequent bus ride.

Still, the National Harbor is just one potential location for the event. Another proposed location, according to the paper, was RFK stadium, formerly home to the Washington Redskins and the Washington Nationals—the respective NFL and MLB teams of the nation’s capital.

David Rockwood with the University of Hawaii’s team said he’s also heard of other locations right after the DOE made the announcement.

“They did throw out other Washington, D.C., locations, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles,” he said.

Rockwood said he heard the rumors about the National Harbor, but nothing had been announced officially. He thinks that they are trying to keep it in DC because of the climate and latitude.

There’s been an intense outcry from students and colleges involved in the Decathlon to keep the event on the National Mall, however. And earlier this week, Senators and Representatives sent letters to the heads of the Department of the Interior, which manages the National Mall and the Department of Energy, which hosts the event.

In the letter, they argued that restoration of the park isn’t slated to begin until after the Solar Decathlon is over and that holding the event at the iconic park shows how important solar energy is in the U.S.

If the event is moved elsewhere, it could hamper the performance of competitors’ homes, like the Monocoque House—the University of Hawaii’s entrant in the competition.

“We tailored it to the Washington, D.C., location and climate,” Rockwood said.

DOE spokesperson Tom Welch said that no announcements have been made at this point, and that he wouldn’t speculate on potential locations.

“We hope to have something very soon,” he said. “We’ve been saying for a couple of weeks that we’ll have a decision by the end of the month.”

to read more about the Solar Decathlon teams, check our our coverage of Team New Jersey's solar home.

Pictured: Team Hawaii's Monocoque House's design, courtesy of the University of Hawaii.