1. What are the challenges in soliciting product placements and donations for the Model Homes Project?

Greensburg, Kansas—Greensburg is the small Kansas town that was decimated by a powerful EF-5 tornado last May, the result of which 12 residents died and the community experienced the loss of 95%
of its structures. It is rebuilding as a model green community, focusing on energy self-sufficiency and other principles of sustainability, with the aim to become the greenest community in America.
As a component of this Green Initiative, the nonprofit organization Greensburg GreenTown launched a project to oversee the building of a dozen demonstration homes in the community. Each home will showcase different designs, technologies, and products and will serve as a “living science museum” both for residents and visitors. In addition to the educational aspects of this project, these models of sustainable living will also provide bed-and-breakfast type lodging to give people the opportunity to experience green living first-hand, in true eco-tourism fashion. Homes will be constructed of a variety of wall systems including straw bale, insulated concrete forms, structural insulated panels, and traditional wood built with “advanced framing” techniques. Each home will be equipped with monitoring devices to measure the performance of green design under real-world conditions. There are plans for homes incorporating passive solar elements, photovoltaic cells, wind generated power, and myriad other technologies of sustainable design.