[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 158 (Wednesday, October 28, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY AND CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE 
                       ARTS SOLAR DECATHLON TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 28, 2009

  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Team California, a 
partnership between Santa Clara University and California College of 
the Arts, for placing third in the Department of Energy's 2009 
International Solar Decathlon. I congratulate the students, faculty, 
administration, and sponsors for their tremendous accomplishments.
  The Solar Decathlon competition challenged university teams from 
around the globe to design, build, and operate a solar energy powered 
home that incorporates energy efficiency, architectural creativity, and 
an applicable living style in order to illustrate the benefits and 
practical application of green living.
  The team of Santa Clara University and the California College of the 
Arts was one of only 20 teams from around the world selected to compete 
in the 2009 Solar Decathlon, the only schools from California and from 
the entire West Coast involved in the competition. SCU and CCA were 
among the smallest schools in the Decathlon, but they excelled in the 
competition and received top scores for their remarkable ``Refract 
House.''
  En route to placing 3rd overall, Team California placed first in the 
Architecture and Communications contests and earned second place for 
Appliances, Home Entertainment, and Engineering in the design and 
structure of their home. Their efforts and outstanding achievements at 
the 2009 Solar Decathlon are to be highly commended, and their work 
will contribute significantly to the future designs of solar powered 
homes.
  The ``Refract House'' offered a wide array of eco-friendly features, 
including aesthetically-pleasing solar photovoltaic arrays, radiant 
heating and cooling, double-paned windows and doors and top-of-the line 
energy-efficient appliances. Moreover, the house was largely composed 
from recycled waste, illustrated by their walls composed of used 
billboards and salvaged redwood.
  Through their work in the Solar Decathlon, Santa Clara University and 
the California College of the Arts have shown that it is within our 
grasp to reduce carbon emissions and live off renewable energy. Santa 
Clara University is demonstrating this even beyond the Solar Decathlon 
as well, recently earning recognition from the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership as one of the Nation's Top 
20 Colleges and Universities using green power and qualifying for EPA's 
Green Power Leadership Club.
  During the Decathlon competition, I had the pleasure of hosting a 
briefing in the U.S. Capitol during which the Team California members 
talked about their solar house, the technologies they used, and policy 
issues surrounding renewable energy. I was honored to have my 
California colleagues Representative Zoe Lofgren and Sam Farr attend 
the briefing, and was proud of the work the students, faculty, and 
administrators did to educate Members of Congress and the public about 
the promise of renewable energy, which does not produce greenhouse 
gases and can reduce global warming.
  Global warming threatens our economy, our coastal cities, and 
possibly the very existence of humanity. Expanding the use of renewable 
energy is a key development for improving American livelihoods and the 
livelihoods of individuals all over the world, who will gain greater 
control over their own lives as they gain control over the means of 
generating their energy, and the work of Team California will help to 
make that a reality.
  The ``Refract House'' highlights the strengths and technological 
innovation of Silicon Valley, and I once again extend my 
congratulations and my thanks to Santa Clara University and the 
California College of the Arts for their strong representation of 
California and outstanding performance in the 2009 Solar Decathlon.

                          ____________________