FREEPORT – A dedication ceremony was held Friday for an environmentally conscious home in Freeport that utilizes solar power, highly efficient insulation, radiant floor heating and other “green” features.

About 40 people – including Gov. John Baldacci and members of the Sierra Club and the Maine chapter of the U.S. Green Buildings Council – were on hand for the ceremony at the home of Mort and Evelyn Panish. Their home is the first LEED-certified home in Maine.

The LEED for Homes program is a voluntary initiative of the U.S. Green Buildings Council that encourages the building industry to use environmentally responsible initiatives in home construction. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The Freeport home has a passive solar design, an active solar system, a high-efficient boiler and recycled metal roofing. There are other LEED-certified buildings in Maine, but this was the first residence in Maine, and the second nationwide, to earn the designation.

Peter Taggart of Taggart Construction, who built the home, said the house uses 45 percent less energy than a traditional home of similar size.