Habitat For Humanity Goes Green!
(Page 3 of 6)
April/May 2003
By Dan Chiras
Solar hot water systems are installed on the rooftops of some homes, providing up to three-fourths of the hot water needed for washing dishes, showering and bathing. Compact fluorescent lighting reduces electrical demand.
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"Energy-efficient appliances like Whirlpool front-loading washing machines and gas drier also are standard equipment in new homes," says Mike Pritchard, HFH of Metro Denver's Director of Development. "The additional costs of energy-efficient appliances are funded by a grant from the Colorado Energy Assistance Foundation, which provides about $2,000 per home."
In 2002, the Denver group teamed up with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to build a home that generates a portion of its own electricity from sunlight using photovoltaic modules. Habitat also has collaborated with the Buildings Technology Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a research and development group focused on promoting energy-efficient and environmentally sound building technologies, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America program, which has built more than 14,000 homes with energy-efficient and affordable features. An initiative in Louden County, Tennessee, fostered Habitat's construction of several Zero Energy Buildings. Structural insulated panels in the floors, walls and ceiling create a tight building envelope and provide insulation, allowing a smaller air conditioner to be installed. A heatpump water heater saves about 60 percent in water heating energy costs. Solar-electric panels installed by the Tennessee Valley Authority provide power to the house and reduce demand on the utility grid.
BEYOND ENERGY
Some Habitat affiliates have begun to take their homes to even greener heights by incorporating more environmentally responsible building materials.
HFH of Metro Denver, for example, paints some homes' interiors with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints. VOCs are solvents in paint that outgas (evaporate) as the paint dries, and can irritate the eyes and cause sore throats and coughing. Some VOCs are carcinogenic.
Advanced framing techniques ensure struc tural support with minimal material use. Finger-jointed studs (made from short pieces of wood) are used to frame interior walls. Floor joists are made from engineered lumber, which requires about half as much wood fiber as solid dimensional lumber, yet provides the same or greater strength. Many homes' floors are covered with carpet made from recycled plastic soda bottles. Recycled wood and plastic lumber are used to build decks. Low-water vegetation reduces lawn maintenance and water use in an area that suffers from periodic water shortages. Additional water conservation measures include installing low-flow showerheads and faucets. Waste from the building site, including wood and cardboard, is recycled.
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