Green Home Design Course is Now Offered

Daniel Allsup
The Paw Print

These days, everyone is trying to do their part to erase their carbon footprint. A great way to diminish your effect on the environment is to go green right where you live–at home. Adams State University is proud to present a new course for students and the public in Green Home Design.

This course will give a better understanding on how to use solar energy. Students will also learn how to retrofit an existing home with green designs, to transform a home into a more energy efficient model. They will also learn about the conservation of energy and water as it pertains to the home. After this course, students will understand how to build an energy efficient house from the ground up.

The green construction industry is growing. The San Francisco 49ers, champions of the National Football Conference, are constructing a new stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. The stadium will be the first to open with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which is the current recognized standard for a building’s sustainability. A few other stadiums use energy efficient practices, but the 49ers new stadium will be the first to receive that recognition, according to their plans.

A reason for the growth of the green construction industry is not only the benefits for the Earth, but also the available government dollars to support green construction. These could be anything from tax breaks to grants. With governmental backing, green construction is an industry that is sure to continue growing and being profitable.

Participating in this cutting edge course will certainly benefit you if you are planning on entering the construction field. The practices taught in the course could be applied to any building that is built to be energy efficient. The course is open to the public, so the Green Home Design course would also be ideal for any locals who would like to have a more energy efficient home.

ASU students can obtain regular credits for the course. The entire course is $275 dollars for community members, or you can pay by the class. Lecture based classes are $35; these will be held in the School of Business building, room 142. For a more hands-on approach, you can also attend the home-tour classes for $60.

The classes are scheduled for every other Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Chuck Reel, the owner of Natural Power, will be teaching the green home design course. Reel’s Natural Power is an energy efficient construction company located in Alamosa.

If you would like more information, please contact Karl Joliff at (719)-587-8209.