On January 27, 2012, a ribbon cutting was held for the first prototype from the University of Kentucky's Houseboat to Energy Efficient Residences (HBEER) initiative with local, state and federal dignitaries in an established residential area near downtown Monticello, Ky.

HBEER is a partnership between the UK College of Design, the Center for Applied Energy Research at UK, the Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation (KHIC) and the Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC).

The multi-year project was initiated in the fall of 2009 and directly responds to the impact the current economic downturn has had on the houseboat manufacturing industry in the Commonwealth. More than 50 students and faculty at the college's School of Architecture were responsible for researching and developing initial models of energy-efficient, affordable housing that could be produced by the region's houseboat manufacturers.

For more on the HBEER project, see the overview video.