Montana Wind House is LEEDer in Green Home Technologies
New West Technologies, LLC (NWT) is in the final construction phases on an energy-efficient, wind-powered, and fully interactive home built for educational and demonstration purposes near the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes in Fort Peck, Montana.
The project provides readily available green building and renewable energy information through technology guides, live energy data, streaming video feeds, and online educational workshops.
"We are very proud of the fact that the Montana Wind House has met or surpassed LEED achievements in both 'Energy and Atmosphere' and exceptional optimization of energy performance among others. By showcasing green building technologies, our return on investment is both financial and environmental. More importantly, we hope to educate on how to build and maintain homes to benefit the future," said Jim Williamson, CEO.
An emphasis on state-of-the-art products and technology will highlight construction techniques that can reduce building time and maximize energy efficiency. The house contains only Energy Star® appliances, making it at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC).
Site selection for the Wind House ensures the highest possible wind speeds, passive solar heating and accessibility to community residents, while also ensuring minimal environmental impact.
The location of the Wind House has proved ideal for the turbine which is now running at the maximum allowed capacity, 24 hours a day. An incredible peak of up to 54kWh generated each day.
New West staff provided site assessment and selection, design engineering, construction supervision, and efficiency auditing for the home, which is powered by its own wind turbine.
"Education is a primary goal of the Montana Wind House. Many people living in rural areas are not exposed to the new advances in energy efficiency technology. We wanted to bring all these technologies to their doorstep," Jim Williamson said.