Bendheim Architectural Glass at Award-Winning Solar Decathlon Project
Team California’s Solar-Powered House Awarded Third Place in Prestigious Competition Hosted by U.S. Department of Energy
This year, Bendheim was part of the exciting international competition that challenged 20 teams of college students to build the most technologically savvy solar-powered house at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C.
Bendheim supported the efforts of Team California, a team of 100 undergraduates from Santa Clara University and California College of Arts, through the donation of Color Coated glass for the team’s Refract House. The team was awarded third place in the competition which took place on October 8-16, 2009.
Team California completed Refract House after two years of hard work, then dismantled and transported it across the country to reassemble the structure upon arrival at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Team members moved into their house for the duration of the competition, proving it could produce enough electricity and hot water from solar panels to run a modern home with all essential conveniences.
Team California’s goal to create a house as beautiful as it was energy-efficient brought them to Bendheim’s “White” and “Blue Stream” Color Coated low-iron glasses for kitchen and bathroom backsplashes. These 100 percent VOC-free, hygienic, maintenance-friendly products also provided the desired contemporary aesthetic.
The large Bendheim glass panels were manufactured using environmentally friendly water-based, fade-resistant color coatings. Bendheim’s precision cutting, polishing, tempering, and back-painting processes met the fast-track requirements of the project.
This year’s Solar Decathlon competition was the fourth since the event premiered in 2002 with subsequent competitions in 2005 and 2007. On average, each Solar Decathlon has drawn more than 100,000 visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
To learn more about Team California’s Refract House, visit www.refracthouse.com. To learn more about the Solar Decathlon, visit www.solardecathlon.org.
About Bendheim
Bendheim is one of the world’s foremost resources for specialty architectural glass. Founded in New York City in 1927, the fourth-generation, family-owned company offers a virtually unlimited range of in-stock and custom architectural glass varieties. Bendheim develops, fabricates, and distributes its products worldwide. The company maintains production facilities in New Jersey and an extensive showroom in New York City
