Portland, Maine – A regional high school carpentry program hopes to grow by including energy-efficient practices in its curriculum. Kehough’s students are building what he hopes will be the school’s first LEED-certified house, using materials and techniques that meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“This project is a great opportunity because the LEED rating system is a great teachable guide to green building,” said Jay Waterman, a consultant for Fore Solutions, which has experts in green building and LEED certification.

Waterman said interest in green building is skyrocketing. Representatives from his company attended an international conference on green building in Phoenix last week that drew 28,000 people and had Al Gore as the keynote speaker.

“Builders are realizing, if they’re not using green building techniques, they’re missing a growing market out there,” Waterman said, including many public projects that require green materials and practices. (Portland Press Herald, November 17, 2009)

Learn more about LEED for Homes.