In some ways, Hagerstown Community College's new "energy house" in New Jersey will be the epitome of green living, complete with roof-mounted solar panels, a retractable wind turbine and a geothermal heat pump, according to the Herald Mail.
But it will also feature some decidedly ungreen features: areas with low-efficiency windows, incandescent lights and poor insulation.
The result will be a training lab where students in the college's alternative energy technology program can learn not only about cutting-edge alternative energy systems, but also how to measure and improve the energy efficiency of typical, ordinary homes, alternative energy technology program coordinator Anthony R. Valente said.
"A lot of energy houses are really showpieces," Valente said. "They're almost off the grid, if not off the grid totally. You take a tour, you take pictures, and you're done. Our energy house has to be a working laboratory environment."
For more information, see our Building a Green Home research center.
