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Lancaster County Home Tests Green System Performance
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Lancaster County, Pa., vocational high school students are getting hands-on training in green home construction by building green homes and monitoring their performance. | In bucolic Lancaster County, Pa., a vocational high school — the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) — is training a new crop of contractors in green home construction. It has recently completed its first green home and is planning the second in a four-lot subdivision.
“We all learned a lot during the construction of this first home,” says building project supervisor Mike Dodson. “It wasn’t always easy and it took a lot longer than our previous homes, but we are very happy with the results and will be using green building techniques in future homes. The students came away knowing what it takes to keep a wall dry and where air sealing is critical. They’ll take this knowledge to job sites when they graduate.”
LCCTC’s construction technology program typically builds one home each year using a combination of student labor, instructors at the school and subcontractors. At the urging of LCCTC special projects coordinator Kim Patrick, the school made the decision to go green in 2006.
“It was the right thing to do at the right time,” according to Patrick. “NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines were just being developed, so we had guidance on what is necessary for building a green home. As educators, we knew this could be an excellent learning tool for the entire community. Plus, we developed a key partnership with the NAHB Research Center that gave us access to technical expertise we would not otherwise have had.”
As a community education project, the program’s lessons have extended well beyond the classroom. In addition to extensive media coverage, the home was recently visited by more than 1,300 people during the 2009 Central Pennsylvania Parade of Homes.
Currently on the market, the home features:
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An LCCTC student seals a rigid duct with butyl rubber-backed aluminum tape. | Moisture mitigation measures such as large overhangs, window sill pan flashing, a drainable weather barrier and covered entries
- An energy efficiency package — including exterior foam insulation, spray cellulose wall insulation, raised-heel roof trusses, meticulous air sealing, geothermal heating and cooling and a hybrid water heating system with solar preheating and two tankless auxiliary units for quick and efficient delivery of hot water at faucets
- Indoor air quality features such as an energy recovery ventilation system, a detached garage, tight air sealing, no-VOC paints and low-VOC sealants
- Resource-efficient and recycled finishes — including cabinetry from reclaimed gym bleachers; concrete kitchen countertops; and bamboo, recycled rubber and natural linoleum flooring
- Water-saving measures like rainwater harvesting, dual-flush toilets and native plant landscaping
- A small-town location within walking distance of commuter rail access to Philadelphia and Harrisburg
The NAHB Research Center, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Energy (DOE) are also benefitting from the partnership with LCCTC. The LCCTC Green Home is a field laboratory in DOE’s Building America Program that will test the performance of its three major systems:
- The ground-source heat pump system will be monitored for both the energy supplied from the ground loop and the supply of electrical energy. The heating and cooling energy delivered to the home will be estimated to evaluate the overall heating and cooling system performance.
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The tank will store solar-heated water and water temperature will be boosted, if needed, by one of two tankless water heaters. Monitoring equipment will help researchers track home performance. | The hybrid hot water system is being monitored as well to evaluate the energy supplied by the solar pre-heating system and by the electric back-up demand heaters. Piping losses to the farthest bathroom fixtures will also be evaluated. The extensive rainwater storage system is being monitored to determine the offset of potable water to the outlets.
- The whole-house energy use will be monitored and compared with simulated total energy use estimates.
The monitoring is expected to continue during the first year of the home’s occupancy if the home owner agrees to it.
The home was unable to achieve National Green Building Certification because its construction was beyond the drywall stage prior to the inception of NAHBGreen. However, LCCTC plans to seek Gold certification under the National Green Building Standard for its next three homes.
Affordable green is the theme for the next house.
A builder’s journal and other project information at www.toolbase.org/lcctc include a case study, “The Added Cost of Greening a New Home.” Monitoring results will be added later this year as they become available.
Builders interested in participating with the NAHB Research Center in the DOE Building America Program will find contact information at: www.nahbrc.com/contact/index.aspx.
 ‘National Green Building Standard’ Available at BuilderBooks.com
“The National Green Building Standard,” available through BuilderBooks.com, provides “green” practices that can be incorporated into multifamily and single-family new home construction, home remodeling and additions and site development.
The standard covers lot design, resource, energy and water efficiency; indoor environment quality; and owner education.
Currently the first and only ANSI-approved green building rating system, the National Green Building Standard is the benchmark for green homes.
To view or purchase this publication online, click here.
 The Future of Residential Construction Is Green
The Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation teaches builders, remodelers and other industry professionals techniques for incorporating green building principles into homes using cost-effective and affordable options.
Earning the CGP demonstrates to clients and peers your commitment to the best and latest in green building practices and techniques. About 3,800 people have earned the CGPdesignation to date.
For more information, visit www.nahb.org/CGPinfo.
 ‘Build Green and Save’ Available at BuilderBooks.com
“Build Green and Save: Protecting the Earth and Your Bottom Line,” available through BuilderBooks.com, is a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference that shows builders how to identify and select green building materials; implement green construction techniques; explain the benefits of green housing and offer affordable green building solutions to consumers; and use resources wisely and reduce water and energy consumption.
To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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