Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century project (ihome21)
With support from the Walmart Foundation, the Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century project (ihome21) educates students about technologies and approaches that substantially reduce the
environmental "footprint" of residences in modern America while maintaining the modern
conveniences we value. The project employs interactive, relevant applications of science
to engage students in introductory courses with interdisciplinary content from environmental
science, physics, biology, chemistry, and geology.
For primers on sustainable approaches for conserving water and energy in modern American
homes, please see the curricular resources section. For active learning exercises
on topics relating to sustainable homes, visit the activities section.
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Curricular Resources
Saving Water @ Home
Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:
- The Case for Conserving Water (PDF)
- Indoor Water Use (PDF)
- Outdoor Water Use (PDF)
- Earth's Aquatic Systems (PDF)
- Water - Science Review (PDF)
Saving Energy @ Home
Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:
Solar Power
Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:
- Solar Power: A History (PDF)
- Solar Cells: Sunlight to Electricity (PDF)
- Solar Cells - Applications (PDF)
- Solar Power's Growth (PDF)
Solar Water Heating
Select topic primers by clicking on the links below:
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Activities
Class activities
Select activities by clicking on the links below:
- Solar Cells: Electromagnetic Induction (PDF)
- Solar Thermal Water Heating: ESA21 (PDF)
- Saving Water - Water Use Calculator: ESA21 (PDF)
- Conduction, Insulation and r-factor: ESA21 (PDF)
- Home Energy Audit - Part 1: ESA21 (PDF)
- Home Energy Audit - Part 2: ESA21 (PDF)
- Home Energy Audit - Part 3: ESA21 (PDF)
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Contact
For questions and/or additional information about Sustainable Homes for the 21st Century project (ihome21), please contact:
Matthew Laposata, Ph.D.
mlaposat@kennesaw.edu
Professor of Environmental Science
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology
Kennesaw State UniversityDavid Rosengrant, Ed.D.
rosengrant@usfsp.edu
Associate Professor in STEM Education
University of South Florida, St. Petersburg