They Built It Green - Habitat For Humanity’s Green House Homeowner Orientation

Habitat for Humanity’s goal is simple: Eliminating poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that builds simple houses with donations of funds, materials, and volunteers.

A number of houses that Habitat for Humanity constructs incorporate green-friendly materials, with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind. Such homes provide a healthy environment and lower energy bills. When the completion of a home nears, a homeowner’s orientation is given. This is where Habitat for Humanity Minnesota stepped in.

In the summer of 2009, a project called “We Built It Green” was started. The goal of this project was to create a homeowner’s orientation to help new homeowners deal with the less familiar aspects of energy efficient and environmentally responsible homes. These homes have a few things that need to be known, in order to have a safe and environmentally responsible home. The orientation comes with three components—a video (DVD-format), paper manual, and an in-home visit, providing the maximum amount of professional support possible.

All of this information begs the question: What goes into an environmentally responsible home? Usually a home is constructed of materials that achieve the same function and look the same as conventional materials, but these materials are chosen for what they are made of and how that affects the health and comfort of the interior environment. Some of the innovations in the new Habitat homes include the use of insulated concrete form (ICF), low-flow plumbing fixtures which save water, the use of low-volatile organic compound (low-VOC) interior finishes, and ENERGY STAR appliances. There are a lot of unfamiliar terms in the list, but that’s the reason why Habitat for Humanity updated the homeowners’ orientation.

Insulated Concrete Form: This is made up of interlocking molded concrete units, like Legos, that are fitted together without mortar. Unlike other forms, after the concrete has been poured and hardened, the forms stay in the structure for thermal and acoustic insulation (heat and sound), plumbing and electrical purposes, and backing for siding on the exterior.

This particular form has many advantages for energy efficient housing:

• Minimal air leaks, which reduces heat loss in the home
• High sound absorption, leading to a quieter home environment
• Reduces heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) costs by 30-70%

Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures: These have been adopted almost everywhere. When flushing a toilet 1.6 gallons is used compared to the 1980’s standard of 3.5 gallons, conserving water without compromising efficiency. Aerator showerheads, also a low-flow fixture, are an inexpensive and simple way to reduce water use.

Low Volatile Organic Compounds: Volatile organic compounds are carbon-based chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature that can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Reducing these chemicals makes for a healthier home.

Ventilation System: When airtight homes are built to prevent a loss of heat, it prevents air from circulating, which can cause a buildup of moisture and mold that is dangerous to a family’s health. Habitat for Humanity installs a ventilation system that keeps the air circulating in the house.

Homes built by Habitat for Humanity that use those materials have a Home Energy Rating (HERS) of 66. The HERS rating measures a house’s net energy, where the lower the number, the more efficient a house is. The standard new house has a rating of 100. A Habitat for Humanity house is 34% more energy efficient than the average home.

But the real test for any structure built in Minnesota is how well it does during the winter months between November and March. The average monthly heating bill during these months is $129 dollars. The average monthly heating bill for a Habitat for Humanity home is $49. That’s a difference of $80; you are essentially saving $400 under the state average!

Habitat for Humanity operates on grants, donations, and fundraising in order to provide low-income first-time homebuyers with safe, energy efficient, and environmentally responsible homes. Volunteers from the neighborhood, as well as the homeowners, help construct the house, putting in 2,707 hours into one house. With an energy-efficient home, the whole community will benefit. Volunteers will learn valuable lessons from the training experience and transfer and apply those environmentally responsible skills to their own lives. Plans are in the works to broadcast trainings on public television in Minnesota to expand their message and reach a wider audience.

As stated many times, donations, grants, and fundraising support Habitat for Humanity’s. Molly Berg, the project lead, successfully applied for a SE Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) grant of $2,000. Xcel Energy also became interested in the project through the SE CERT partnership and provided financial and technical support for the DVD production.

As more homeowners take their own steps to make their homes healthier and more efficient, Habitat knows that the owners of their homes wish for the same quality of living. The “We Built It Green” Homeowner Manual project sends a distinct message that Habitat is constructing green homes and that their owners know and are excited to live in them and enjoy all the benefits all homeowners should have.

Project Snapshot:

• Purpose: Construct energy efficient and environmentally-responsible homes
• Total Homes Built in MN in a Year: 125 homes
• Average Energy Savings: $80/month during winter months on heating
• Volunteer Hours/Home: 2,400 hours per house, not including 300 hours by the future homeowner
• Grant: $2,000 Southeast CERT; $5,000 and technical assistance by Xcel Energy

For more information, contact Molly Berg at Minnesota Habitat for Humanity at 612-331-4439 or email molly@hfhmn.org