Häfele ''Beams'' Proud on the 2007 Solar Decathlon

(11-12-2007) Hafele was proud to be a sponsor of the third Solar Decathlon. This year, 20 colleges from around the globe sent their teams (consisting of students with majors in design, engineering, marketing, technology, etc.) to assemble houses on the Washington, DC National Mall from Oct. 12-20. 

Houses had to be powered solely by the sun and were judged on:

• Architecture
• Engineering
• Market viability
• Energy balance
• Comfort

By using the most technologically advanced products available, teams’ houses utilized energy from the sun to heat and optimized shade and breezes to cool. The results were  eco-friendly homes which double as sleek, comfortable living spaces. 

Hafele contributed over $23,000 of their newest hardware to 11 schools. From lcd monitor arms, cabinet hinges, fold down beds and closet hardware, to organizational hardware and accessories, these houses are sure to be the most ecologically aware and effective homes of tomorrow. 

Congratulations to Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany), University of Maryland and Santa Clara University who took home 1st, 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

The Solar Decathlon is a competition between collegiate students to design, develop, build and test a “green” solar powered/efficient house.  The houses were open to the public to view during the event.

About Hafele

Hafele is an international leader in furniture hardware, cabinet hardware, architectural builders hardware and electronic locking systems.  Products include decorative hardware, ornaments, corbels, mouldings, connectors, hinges, sliding and roller shutters for furniture, architectural sliding systems for wood and glass, drawer slides, upholstery hardware, lighting and access control/locking identification systems.  Also available are organizational products for the kitchen, bath, closet, office and home entertainment.  The full range of Häfele products can be found in The Complete Häfele Furniture/Cabinetry and Architectural//Builders catalogs and on the web at: http://www.hafele.com/us.