SmartHome Cleveland at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History opened for tours earlier this month, making it the only public Passive House in the country.  We previewed the ultra-efficient abode a few months back and can now supplement our earlier coverage with these interior and exterior photos.

SmartHome will blend in with its future neighborhood, but don’t be fooled.  This home is different than most new and existing homes.  This home represents the future of energy-efficient housing and it will be open for visits through the end of this year, 2011.

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A new paint technology from Sherwin-Williams has received an innovation award from the Environmental Protection Agency this week. The company’s Water-Based Acrylic Alkyd Technology, or WBAAT, is being awarded a 2011 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the Designing Greener Chemicals category. The paint uses soybean oil and recycled PET plastic bottles to replace oil typically used in alkyd paint and, in doing so, reduces VOCs in the paint by 60%.

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In early June, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies issued a report entitled “Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health” which found that climate change could affect indoor environments as buildings seek to become more energy efficient.  The report was commissioned by the EPA to summarize the effects of climate change on indoor air quality and health.

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Bob Lindal is the President of Lindal Cedar Homes, and his company is probably the largest provider of custom cedar homes in the country.  Bob has been in the business for about 50 years, and today published a letter on the company blog.  Lindal explains that he’s seen several recessions before, but this one is different.  Prior recoveries retained the status quo, but “this emerging recovery is into a fundamentally changed world with new long-term priorities in housing.”

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Clayhaus Ceramics, maker of eco-friendly ceramic tiles in Portland, recently announced a new partnership with Modwalls, a web-based seller of modern tile and wall coverings.  The companies are now offering Clayhaus for Modwalls, which is a custom collection of modern ceramic tiles available online through Modwalls.

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