Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed donate wide range of building materials and products to help students build ultra-efficient home of the future VALLEY FORGE, Pa., Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building materials company, announces its support of the 2011 Solar Decathlon team from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and University of Massachusetts Lowell. Known as Team Massachusetts, the students will compete for the first time in The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a biennial event that challenges collegiate teams from around the world to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. As a lead sponsor, Saint-Gobain has donated a robust mix of more than 30 building products, largely from its key subsidiary CertainTeed Corporation, North America's leading manufacturer of exterior and interior building products, as well as from its other businesses: Saint-Gobain Abrasives, Saint-Gobain ADFORS, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, and Norandex. In addition to product support, the company offered building science expertise to assist Team Massachusetts in constructing a house that adjusts to a homeowner's shifting needs, environment, and economic state. As Team Massachusetts set out to build an ultra-efficient house that could effectively compete against some of the best student teams from across the globe, the team recognized Saint-Gobain and its family of companies could help enhance its efficiency goals. Team Massachusetts and 18 other collegiate teams will display their homes on the National Mall's West Potomac Park in Washington, DC, Sept. 23–Oct. 2, 2011. Open to the public free of charge, visitors can tour the houses, gather ideas to use in their own homes, and learn how energy-saving features can help them save money today.
