In a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, the U.S. Commerce
Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) unveiled a
new laboratory designed to demonstrate that a typical-looking suburban home for
a family of four can generate as much energy as it uses in a year. Following an
initial year-long experiment, the facility will be used to improve test methods
for energy-efficient technologies and develop cost-effective design standards
for energy-efficient homes that could reduce overall energy consumption and
harmful pollution, and save families money on their monthly utility bills.