The NAHB Research Center and the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center kicked-off construction this week on one of the first homes rated under the new NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines.

Each year, students enrolled in the school's Building and Construction program build a home as an applied learning project, and complete 90 percent of the trade work.

This year, sustainable advanced building products and processes will be introduced to the curriculum for the first time, resulting in this effort to build a green home that sets a higher performance standard for Lancaster County.

The Research Center began the first phase of the project in March 2006, working with LCCTC staff and members of the local home building industry to develop the home's green and energy-efficient design. A base home design submitted by a local builder was selected which already had some energy- efficient features, such as sealed ductwork and ENERGY STAR appliances.

Then, working groups examined each of the home's systems for ways to make them greener and ramp up the efficiency. During this process, each section of the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines was considered, including: lot design; preparation and development; resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; operation, management, and homeowner education; and environmental impact.

While the home's basic design and layout were not altered, several green and performance enhancing modifications were added such as rainwater harvesting; optimum value engineering; xeriscaping; whole-house ventilation; recycled metal roofing; home-run PEX plumbing system; fiber cement siding; geothermal heat pump; passive solar; low-flow faucets and fixtures; and stormwater management using low impact development techniques, to name a few.

Working groups also considered factors like green benefits, first and life-cycle costs, and ease of installation when evaluating technologies for the home to ensure the processes could be easily adopted by other builders.

With these modifications in place, the design's score under the Model Guidelines changed from one that did not warrant a Bronze rating (161 points) to one that easily achieved a Gold rating (400 total points).

The modified home design also achieved a higher score in each individual category of the Model Guidelines. To ensure the completed home would meet a wider range of green building criteria, the Research Center team also scored it against two other green home building programs where it rated extremely well.

As construction of the project's first of four homes progresses, Research Center experts will provide ongoing technical support and training on advanced products and practices for faculty and students.

Local builders, trade contractors, suppliers, and architects will also be invited to participate in training sessions with the goal of generating local advocates of sustainable building. Scheduled for completion within the next year, the home will be opened for tours during the local Parade of Homes next spring and will also be used as a laboratory to study the science of energy and alternative energy sources by other area students from middle through high school.

Participating in the groundbreaking ceremony this week were Dr. Michael Curley, LCCTC Executive Director; Dan Desmond, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection Office of Energy and Technology Deployment; Mike Garman, President of the Lancaster Building Industry Association; and Shawn Martin, Director of Applied Technology and PATH project manager for the NAHB Research Center.

For more information, visit the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines webpage, including advanced building and technology information, visit the NAHB Research Center's ToolBase Services website at www.ToolBase.org .

· Video: Souderton High School Students Build Green Home

10/7/2006