April 2009
This study re-examines a house that was constructed over the past two years and planned as a Gold-level green home in the Model Green Home Guidelines (Guidelines), a precursor to the National Green Building Standard (NGBS). The subject plan was initially specified to perform as an ENERGY STAR® qualified house (about 15% more energy efficient than a code minimum house) in Lancaster County PA, then upgraded to also merit the highest rating, Gold, in the Model Green Home Guidelines program.
The home was built by the students of the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC), the area’s vocational and technical high school. The sustainable construction of the house supplemented the school’s Building Green Community Education Project curriculum. The goal of the project was to design and build a highly-rated green home with new technologies and techniques that would provide the students with practical hands-on construction experience with the new media, as well as, inform public stakeholders of the school and the green message.
This report rates the as-built house against the NGBS criteria then presents incremental costs associated with each area of point award. Costs
have been developed from bids and invoices rendered during the construction of the house (2006-2009). In some cases, estimates have been generated from other sources, such as cost analysis projects that the NAHB Research Center completed within the last year and R.S. Means. Since the students provided much of the labor without compensation, the cost of labor was estimated where applicable.
Prepared by:
NAHB Research Center
Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
21 pages