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EPA Awards the University of Tennessee $300K to Help Build Greener Pre-Fab Housing

Release Date: 07/19/2007
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, [email protected]

(ATLANTA – JULY 29, 2007) EPA awarded the University of Tennessee a $295,970 grant to evaluate preferred materials to build environmentally sound modular and prefabricated housing and build a demonstration home. The University of Tennessee’s project was one of 10 selected under a competitive, nationwide application process that drew 141 submissions.

“The University of Tennessee’s innovative research to develop more environmentally sustainable pre-fabricated housing will provide manufacturers and consumers alike with environmental and health benefits for years to come,” said Jimmy Palmer, EPA Region 4 Administrator. “We applaud the University and its partners for undertaking the task.”

In collaboration with architects and national green building experts, the University of Tennessee’s Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies and the Healthy Building Network in Washington, D.C., will develop the environmentally preferred building materials and products list. Materials will be evaluated using a set of environmental and health-based criteria to be developed by a small group of experts.

“We are immensely excited about this research opportunity because it promises to create a life cycle-based palette of materials to be used by architects and decision-makers which will have a positive impact on the environment and human health,” said Catherine Wilt, Director of Policy for the Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies. “We have a great partnership with our colleagues from the Healthy Building Network to make this possible.”

The materials list will be used by at least one manufacturer to develop, manufacture and build one or more demonstration homes. Data will be collected on the types and quantities of materials used in the traditional and “green” modular housing units, as well as all manufacturing and installation processes. An environmental assessment will be conducted comparing the life cycle environmental footprint of the traditional house with that of the newly designed and constructed house made of sustainable and more environmentally friendly building materials. Projected environmental benefits associated with the full- scale production of the green building will be estimated.

The grant was awarded in response to a request for applications through the EPA’s Collaborative Science and Technology Network for Sustainability (CNS), a program that develops new approaches to environmental problems using collaboration between different institutions and agencies.

More information about CNS can be found at: www.epa.gov/ncer/cns

More information about EPA’s sustainability programs can be found at: www.epa.gov/sustainability