A special one day open house is planned for Saturday, October 23 from 10 am to 4 pm to tour. The tour will include homes in Madison, Fitchburg, Verona, and Mt. Vernon and include fourteen homes. The showcase includes new homes and older homes that have been remodeled to reduce energy consumption.
Many of the homes are Wisconsin Energy Stat and Green Built Certified. At 1709 Ben Franklin Street in Mt. Vernon you will find The Resource House, it is the first home in this area to be a true net-zero energy home because it uses no fossil fuels.
Some of the energy efficient features of the homes include: solar electric (photovoltaic) panels; geothermal heating; tall Low-E glass windows; recessed compact fluorescent lighting; loc VOC accent paint colors; high density site selection; radiant and passive solar heating; rainwater harvesting systems; and permeable pavers for driveway.
To demonstrate that older homes can be successfully updated the tour includes the 165 year old home at 922 Jenifer Street in Madison. Recycled building materials were used to both reduce the cost of the project and improved aesthetics.
Especially noteworthy the tour includes Capitol Heights in Fitchburg which is the first Green Certified Community Development in the Midwest. The development currently includes 35 single- family homes.
Tickets for the tour are $10 per person in advance. Part of the ticket proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. There will be a party following the tour at the Habitat Restore at 208 Cottage Grove Road in Madison at 4 pm.
