Green Home Showcase on Applied Technology Campus

Students enrolled in the construction-related curriculums at Alfred State College have begun building a 2,260 sq. ft. Green Home showcase on the Applied Technology campus in Wellsville, using the skills they have learned in architectural technology; building trades (including building construction, masonry, heavy equipment operations, and air conditioning and heating technology); and electrical construction and maintenance electrician programs.

Jointly funded by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the architectural plans purchased for the Green Home were modified by Alfred State architecture students to implement green technology and design a model home to meet Energy Star and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) green building standards. The home will also be certified as a Green Home through the NAHB Green Building Rating System. The design incorporates passive systems, active systems, energy star building systems, alternative energy systems, electrical controls and monitoring systems.

Because the issues of high energy costs, climate change, and sustainability are global concerns, Alfred State College has assumed a leadership role in the instruction of green building techniques and technology which are being integrated into this new home. 

One focus of the project is to allow homeowners the opportunity to see how green building technology can be used to show average citizens how they might incorporate some of these techniques into their own homes to alleviate energy costs.

Some of the design and building considerations for the Green Home include resource efficiency to reduce materials and waste, enhance durability and reduce maintenance, reuse materials, use recycled content, recycle waste materials during construction, use renewable materials, and use resource-efficient materials; energy efficiency to implement an integrated and comprehensive approach to energy-efficient design of the building site, the building envelope, and the mechanical space conditioning systems; renewable energy (heating/cooling) through geothermal, photovoltaic (solar electric), solar thermal, and small wind methods; water efficiency in indoor/outdoor water use; indoor environmental quality to minimize potential sources of pollutants, manage potential pollutants generated in the home, and manage moisture (vapor, rainwater, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning); operation, maintenance, and homeowner education manuals on the use and care of the home.

The project is being built as one of the “live homes” constructed annually by the students on the Wellsville Applied Technology campus. This project, as well as all other student-constructed homes, is underwritten primarily by the Educational Foundation of Alfred, Inc., a private foundation representing faculty, staff, and friends of Alfred State College dedicated to improving the ASC community through support of its educational programs.  The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) also provided grant funding of $150,000 for construction.

The Green Home is the first of 50 student-built homes that will not be put on the market for sale.  It will be used, not only as a showcase for featuring the latest in energy-efficient home construction open to business, industry, and homeowners, it will also be used as an advanced course work laboratory for students, built in such a way that the unique building components can be seen visually and monitored for energy usage. This one-story, ranch-style home will also serve as the executive offices of the campus, housing the executive director of the Wellsville campus/dean, School of Applied Technology, and his secretary; it will include a conference room, three bedrooms, and four full baths, allowing guests to stay on campus.

The Ed Foundation, which owns the Wellsville campus, supports the construction of the student-built houses through the purchase of land and materials, allowing the students to experience "on-the-job" laboratory experiences in residential construction.  The houses are then sold, most recently, for upwards of $200,000.

The success of Alfred State’s construction-related programs is due to the confluence of several factors:  the support of the Ed Foundation, the dedicated faculty, the growing skills of the students, the support of the community and industry, and, ultimately, the quality of the houses.

Alfred State College has been a leader in technical education since the 1940s and vocational (trades) education for more than 40 years. The College is known for the hands‐on educational experience where students learn on “live” projects conducted on job sites and on campus. The Applied Technology Campus currently offers the only college‐level carpentry, masonry, electrician, and HVAC training facility in the Southern Tier of New York State. The College is also one of the only colleges in the region to have architectural technology and construction management programs.

Alfred State is the largest and broadest human resource provider at the college level in New York State for the construction industry. It holds a unique obligation to lead the college‐level training and education in energy conservation, alternative energy use, and sustainability of the built environment using green building technologies, making it well positioned to conduct this educational experience from design through implementation.