Bosch photovoltaics, appliances and tools are in 12 of the 19 homes at the Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., making the company one of the leading suppliers to teams in the Solar Decathlon this year.

The event gives the company, which is also a sponsor of the event, a chance to showcase its energy efficient products and how they can help homeowners reduce their energy use with off-the-shelf products today.

“We are thrilled to work with these university teams,” said Bosch spokesperson Chandra Lewis. “It’s a win for us to work with these schools.”

Most of the products being used by the teams are commercially available today, she said.

“It’s a combination of products from power tools, to appliances, to thermal technology, as well as some solar,” Lewis said.

In addition to supporting the teams with direct donations, the company also is a supporting sponsor of the event and hosted the opening reception, according to Lewis.

The company’s Thermotechnology products used in houses include heat pump water heaters and tankless water heaters, according to Bosch.

“In addition, Bosch is the only U.S. manufacturer with entire product lines of ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers, washers and refrigerators. Products such as Bosch’s Induction Cooktop with SteelTouch Control and AutoChef 800 Series heats food more than 50 percent faster than conventional cooktops and reduces energy consumption by up to 60 percent as compared to gas cooktops,” the company said in press release.

The contest also is a chance for Bosch to align its business strategy in terms of renewables and energy efficiency.

“Bosch has for several decades been very committed to sustainability and clean energy and energy efficient projects,” Lewis said.

For instance, the German company spent a total of roughly $5 billion in U.S. dollars on research and development in 2010. Forty-five percent, almost half of that was to support renewable energy and energy-efficiency oriented technology, according to Lewis.

“This has been the pattern for the company for time,” Lewis said.

Photo: Chris Meehan / Clean Energy Authority.