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ORNL
To Work With Habitat On
Energy Efficient Houses
OAK
RIDGE, Tenn., June 17, 2002
-- An effort to construct up to 20 local Habitat for Humanity houses
with state-of-the-art energy efficient building technologies was
announced today  during
a ceremony at Lenoir City's Harmony Heights subdivision.
The
technologies will be tested through the Buildings Technology Center
at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
With
four Habitat homes utilizing ORNL-tested technology already constructed
in the subdivision, the new houses -- which will showcase different
technologies -- will provide living laboratories for developing
integrated building systems that lead toward net-zero energy houses
of all types by 2010.
Jeff
Christian, director of the laboratory's Buildings Technology Center,
said ORNL staff and the area Habitat group are looking forward to
opening a new era of construction in the Loudon County neighborhood.
 "We
have overwhelming support for this program," he said.
Christian
also explained that the effort is part of DOE's Building America
program, which has resulted in more than 14,000 homes around the
country with energy efficient and affordable features, leading to
zero net energy houses.
"Building
America designs for this area can save from 50 to 70 percent on
energy requirements and at little or no extra cost to the builder
over his previous construction methods," Christian said. "The majority
of the new houses in this development will be prototypes of zero
net energy designs. The zero net energy houses will ultimately be
equipped to export more energy produced on site than imported from
off-site on an annual basis. Enabling production technologies include
solar photovoltaics, biomass-microturbines, fuel cells and thermal
and electric storage."
The
first net-zero-energy home in the Harmony Heights Subdivision now
under construction will use structural insulated panels, a raised
metal-seamed roof, a biomass-fired microturbine, two kW of PV solar
panels and a hydronic heating system.
Christian
said the Habitat houses will integrate extensive energy saving technologies
and systems now available and under development at DOE and around
the country. Additional plans call for the Tennessee Valley Authority
to test advanced technologies in some of the houses.
"These
houses will show builders, utilities and home owners the 'leapfrog'
integrated technologies available today, as well as those on the
near horizon that will be marketable by 2010," Christian said.
"We
hope to encourage local contractors to become DOE's Building America
partners and provide them an opportunity to learn the cutting edge
of energy efficient construction," Christian said. "The bottom line
is an opportunity to construct more energy efficient homes and take
advantage of the national exposure offered by DOE's Building America
program."
ORNL
is a multiprogram science and technology laboratory managed by UT-Battelle
for the Department of Energy.
MEDIA
CONTACT:
Fred Strohl
Communications & Community Outreach
(865) 574-4165
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