Global warming and drought are hot topics across the nation and in North Carolina. Now a group of Duke students are hoping to do to their part to help the environment.
DURHAM -- Global warming and drought are hot topics across the nation and in North Carolina. Now a group of Duke students are hoping to do to their part to help the environment with a newly-constructed, eco-friendly dorm.
"For me, I'm really interested in sustainable development and concepts of energy efficiency,” said Lee Pearson, a Duke student. “It's really fun to study that in theory but actually living in a place where that's going to play out, I think we need to figure if it's possible in practice."
Pearson and nine other Duke University students have been chosen to live in what's been coined the “Smart Home” to try and practice a theory. That theory involves wisely conserving energy and water. The five-bedroom dorm, which is also a test lab, has several key features: solar-powered electricity, high-end fluorescent lighting, and recycled house water from vegetation and rain water.
With the drought that's plagued the state, a lot of people may think the Smart Home might not have that much water to go around, but in fact architects thought about the solution to that problem before construction even began.
"This house is made to use much less water than normal homes, so that helps us to not get in some of those drought conditions to begin with,” explained Duke student Jeffrey Schwane, a Smart Home resident.
If you'd like to start getting your home more solar efficient, actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr says it's fairly easy. He was on hand Monday for the Smart Home at Duke’s grand opening.
"One step at a time,” Begley said, “energy-efficient light bulb, energy-saving thermostat, good insulation… things like that. You start small and build."
To build an eco-friendly home, prices can range from moderate to mind-boggling, but environmentalists say the price tag isn't too much when it comes to healthy breathing.
Only juniors and seniors can live in the Smart Home and for only one year. The first 10 will move into the dorm in January.