ROCHESTER, NY – From the outside, it’s hard to tell the difference between the Ryan/CARB prototype house from it’s twin next door. The homes look similar and even share the same site orientation. The similarity, however, ends there. The result of a partnership between Syracuse-based Ryan Homes and the Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB), the homes were built to showcase the cost effectiveness of energy-efficient design. The first home, the Ryan/CARB prototype home, uses innovative materials and design to demonstrate the viability of an affordable, energy-efficient home. It will be compared to the neighboring, more mainstream “control house” in order to assess its energy and comfort performance. Nicknamed the Carborne, the prototype home is designed to remain economical, even as it features integrated steel and engineered wood framing, low-e glazing, high-efficiency heating/ventilation systems, energy-efficient appliances, and advanced Owens Corning shingles, siding, and insulation. Ceilings, for example, will be insulated to R-38. An integrated design process was used to blend structure and systems for optimum performance. The home will also be monitored to gauge its performance – the designers currently estimate the home will use 30-40% less energy than its unfortunate mainstream neighbor. CARB is composed of a group of industry and manufacturing companies and the U.S. DOE, and includes companies such as Steven Winter Associates, Ryan Homes, Del Webb Corp., Beazer Homes U.S.A., Weyerhaeuser, U.S. Steel, Andersen Windows, Owens Corning, ITW/Paslode, York International, Whirlpool Corp., Westinghouse Electric Supply, and Norwest Mortgage. The group is working with the Build America Program to develop energy-efficient homes and has completed prototype buildings in Frederick, MD, and in the Sun City Grande project in Phoenix.