Volkswagen will spend about $30 million to build a 9.5 MW solar power facility next to its Chattanooga plant. 

Related articles

• VW eyeing largest solar park in state (Times Free Press)

Education around East Tennessee is getting a little greener on both the inside -- through student programs -- and on the outside -- including upgrades to campus buildings and equipment.

University of Tennessee students and faculty from multiple departments and disciplines have worked since 2008 to design and build a model home to showcase cutting edge sustainable building practices.

Now, thanks to their work -- along with multiple grants from local, state and federal partners -- and partnership with Clayton Homes, the test home is complete. The project was estimated to cost $300,000 to $400,000, said Matt Lyle, a former research assistant on the project, although future homes would cost less than the prototype.

The home's first occupants, Mary Leverance, a UT graduate student, and her husband, Ken McCown, chair of the landscape architecture department, moved into the 750-square-foot house in July, reports Megan Boehnke in the Knoxville News Sentinel. A team of students will monitor their energy and water use to evaluate the effectiveness of green technology used in the home. Tours of the home will be available next month.

Features include:
floors made of sustainable materials,
efficient appliances,
solar panels to heat water
a rain water collection system

The team is also seeking LEED Platinum status on the home.

Once the project is complete, the home will be sold and funds from the sale will go to fund other similar projects.

For more information about the project as well as a blog from the residents, visit A New Norris House.

Related articles

• Norris home a test bed for sustainability (knoxnews.com)
• UT students win green award for Norris model home design
  

Whirlpool is aiming for a first with its $120 million new plant in Cleveland, Tenn.

The plant's construction is on track to receive LEED Gold certification -- the second-highest rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's rating system. It would be the first Whirlpool manufacturing plant in the country to be LEED certified, writes Mike Pare of the Chattanooga daily Times Free Press.

Dicky Walters, plant leader for Whirlpool's Cleveland division, said in the article building plans include using natural lighting significantly, roofing material reflecting solar energy rather than absorbing it, and water-efficient fixtures.

Read the full story "Whirlpool plant going up" at the Times Free Press

The National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the Department of Energy, is sharing its commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency by setting up a Green Week website, reports News Sentinel writer Frank Munger on his Atomic City Underground blog.

"Investing in sustainability and energy efficiency are critical ... Earth Day is a day we can reflect on what we are doing to improve our work and environment," said Don Cook, deputy administrator of the NNSA.

Cook said personal efforts include recycling, using mass transit and taking advantage of modern facilities and equipment and best practices.

NNSA labs are are working on national environmental challenges in climate change and energy infrastructure. The organization has given out more than $150 million in energy savings performance contracts and pursued LEED certification at several facilities.

Each day, the NNSA Green Week website will focus on a different story that highlights the connection between NNSA's commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency and NNSA's efforts to invest in the future of the nuclear security enterprise, implementing President Obama's nuclear security agenda, and improving the way the enterprise does business.

The Department of Energy also operates Energy.gov and the accompanying Energy Blog year round to promote energy saving projects and investments. For consumers, it offers the Energy Savers Blog, detailing ways individuals can reduce energy consumption.

In addition to our winning Green Achiever stories, GoGreenET also highlighted several other environmentally friendly companies and practices in the April Greater Knoxville Business Journal.

Bus riders in Knoxville can't find much cleaner rides.

KAT's converted nearly 100 percent of its fleet to hybrid electric vehicles and the remainder run on clean fuels such as propane and biodiesel.

Passengers can park and ride from the new $27 million Knoxville Station, which is seeking to become certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program. Green amenities include a geothermal heating and air conditioning system and a green roof planted with drought-resistent, sun-loving plants.

The City of Knoxville will take part in the national "Green Buildings for Cool Cities" campaign this Saturday with tours of two local "green" buildings.

Knox Heritage's Victorian "Green House" and the city's new LEED-certified transit center will showcase the energy-efficient building practices that make them unique

There will be an open house at the Victorian Green House from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and guided tours at the John J. Duncan Jr. Knoxville Station Transit Center at 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., on March 26.

Scripps Networks Interactive is now the owner of one of only a handful of LEED Gold certified new construction projects in Tennessee, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

The company recently received LEED Gold certification on its new 150,000-square-foot headquarters on Sherrill Boulevard.

The new building, opened last March, was designed from the beginning to be sustainable. The company also plans to completely remodel the original building, now used as the technology center, to use materials comparable to the new headquarters.