Energy- and water-saving appliances from Whirlpool and KitchenAid brands and electronic items by Panasonic helped contribute to a historically low score in the Home Efficiency Rating System (HERS) from ENERGY STAR® in the newly completed National Homebuilder Mainstream GreenHome.

The Mainstream GreenHome, a Cherokee project, is intended to show that sustainable construction is compatible with conventional building and design practices.

“Our green research team sought to include products that were both beneficial to the environment and appealing to homeowners used to traditional design, thereby offering a showcase of how to bring these great green ideas to the mainstream,” said Jonathan Philips, Senior Director of Cherokee. “Whirlpool Corporation and Panasonic’s products that we selected for the project fit that idea perfectly: they offer an attractive design and also fit the sustainability goals of the home.”

Whirlpool Corporation is an active partner of the ENERGY STAR Program and has been honored with the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award eight times in the past nine years, a feat unmatched by any other home appliance manufacturer. The company manufactures nearly 600 ENERGY STAR qualified products in the United States under Jenn-Air, KitchenAid, Maytag, Whirlpool, Amana, Gladiator and other brand and trade partner names.

As with most KitchenAid brand refrigerators, the KitchenAid® Architect® Series II Built-In Refrigerator used in the home is ENERGY STAR® qualified, requiring about 40 percent less energy than conventional models sold in 2001. The KitchenAid brand ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwasher is at least 41 percent more energy-efficient than the minimum federal government standard and uses an average of 44 percent less water than conventional models.

The Whirlpool® Duet HT® model washer in the home – also ENERGY STAR qualified – features a sleek design, intuitive controls, can save up to 70 percent more energy, and uses 70 percent less water than top-load washers manufactured before 2004.

“The Mainstream GreenHome is an excellent opportunity to exhibit the benefits of energy and water efficiency in home building,” said Tracy Frye, senior contract marketing manager at Whirlpool Corporation. “We believe it’s essential for homebuilders to use environmentally friendly building materials and construction techniques. With Cherokee’s impact as the nation’s leading brownfield redeveloper and its commitment to sustainability, the GreenHome spotlights that green concepts can be integrated in ways that are appealing to a wide range of homebuyers.”

Panasonic’s WhisperGreen Premium series fans in the home incorporate built-in speed and timer controls and DC motors; ideal for an airtight home that requires an affordable method to meet indoor air quality (IAQ) requirements.  WhisperGreen features allow the fan to meet both spot and continuous ventilation needs to ensure whole house IAQ.

The Panasonic flat-screen televisions in the home are also ENERGY STAR qualified including two Viera high performance plasma display TVs, which are the only models available from any manufacturer in the world to feature a completely lead free display.  If all plasma TVs sold in the U.S. used lead-free panels, more than 1.4 million pounds of lead would be kept out of the waste stream.  Panasonic’s plasma TVs are also free of any mercury.

Panasonic manufactures more than 300 ENERGY STAR labeled products that use less energy and last longer than conventional products.  In addition, through its Shared Responsibility Program, Panasonic has co-sponsored 1,415 events in 29 States since 2000 that have helped to collect and recycle 31,253,546 pounds of unwanted electronics. At the corporate level, Panasonic has implemented the eco ideas strategy with one of its goals to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 300,000 tons over the next three years.  The reduction would be achieved through a combination of greener products and factories, encouraging resource conservation and promoting eco-friendly individual actions.

“With all of our energy-efficient goals, the Mainstream GreenHome is a great project to be a part of,” said Mark Sharp, Group manager of Panasonic’s Corporate Environmental Department.  “From our fans that are contributing to a healthy indoor air quality to our plasma TVs that are almost completely lead and mercury free, Panasonic can offer environmentally friendly solutions throughout the home.”

The Mainstream GreenHome has received a tremendous amount of recognition recently as one of the greenest homes in the nation.  It received one of the best scores ever in ENERGY STAR’s Home Efficiency Rating System. In addition, it was recently announced that the home is certified as the highest-rated green residence in history of the State of North Carolina’s green building program, NC Healthy Built Homes. And last week, the home received the first ever Gold certificate through the Green Building Initiative, which is led by the Home Builders Associations representing North Carolina’s Triangle region. Finally, the home is the first in the nation known to be built in a typical subdivision under National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines.

For more information about the Mainstream GreenHome please visit www.MainstreamGreenHome.com.