Contractors and Realtors will have a chance to learn about reading “green” blueprints during an adult education class at High Tech North.

Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order last year requiring all new public buildings follow LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Rob Andrys, a green architect with Fafco Solar in Cape Coral, said the mandate doesn’t apply to houses, but building more environmentally sustainable homes is where the trend is heading.

Andrys is teaching the class and said residents will not only learn how to read traditional blueprints, but also how to read and use these new building standards. Mastering the new green standards also comes with a new type of certification which proves that a home is environmentally friendly, he said.

“It attests to the fact that it uses at least 30 percent less electricity, and makes a much healthier and more durable structure,” he said.

The class is being offered at High Tech North in Cape Coral and the Lee County Business Industry Services Employee Training. Coordinator Nancy Smith said a number of classes have been offered to help residents learn how to be more green.

In January they offered a class on designing a green and energy efficient home and later in the year they offered a retrofit and weatherization class.

And now they are teaching people how to read green on the blueprint.

“So this will help people get familiar with some of the terms and be a refresher course on how to read blue prints,” she said.

Smith said the class is not only helpful for contractors and business owners, but even Realtors, who need to know about the latest building standards for their clients.

The blueprint reading class is a total of 12 instructional hours and meets four Tuesdays starting on April 20, from 6-9 p.m. Each student pays $75 to enroll.

So far the green classes have been very popular, said Smith.

“We would like to repeat it in our fall line up,” she said.

Adult education classes are typically cancelled if enrollment falls below an expected number. Smith said organizers were pleased with the turnout and were proud they didn’t have to cancel it because of attendance.

For more information or to register for a class, call 939-6320 or e-mail joannelo@leeschools.net.