HARWICH – The six homes under construction on Murray Lane are examples of how strongly Habitat for Humanity has embraced energy efficiency. When completed, each will be equipped with a Mitsubishi HVAC system and LG solar panels. They will have 6-inch exterior walls with room for plenty of insulation.
Using a framing technique called a California corner, the home’s corners will allow for more insulation in an area that traditionally loses the most heat. Cement–based clapboard siding is economical, durable and made from materials often tossed into landfills, according to Habitat.
Also, flooring is made from sustainably harvested bamboo. Appliances are “Energy Star” rated and windows are double paned. LED lights are used in all fixtures. Where possible, homes are oriented to the south, so solar panels can capture the most hours of sunlight. Some homes are so energy efficient that they return more energy to the grid than they use.
“People don’t know how energy efficient and environmentally friendly our homes are,” said Habitat’s Executive Director Wendy Cullinan.
Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod, based in Yarmouth Port, partners with local families to help them build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Homes are deed-restricted to remain affordable in perpetuity.
What Is the HERS index?
The Home Energy Rating System Index, or HERS, is the industry standard for calculating a home’s energy performance, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, ductwork, plumbing and insulation. The lower the number, the more energy efficient the home. Three recently built Habitat homes received negative HERS scores.
The Massachusetts code for new construction without onsite energy production has a HERS rating of 55, according to Steven Grevelis, owner of Target Inspections, a HERS rating company in West Dennis.
Habitat’s Construction Director Bob Ryley said the last three Habitat homes built on the Cape scored in negative numbers: –18, –20, and –21 respectively.
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Grevelis calls the numbers remarkable.
“To get from 55 to negative 15, that’s extraordinary,” he said. “When you get a negative HERS rating, it means the house is so energy efficient that it generates more energy than it draws from the grid.”
More efficient each year
Out of nearly 1,000 ratings from 2018 to present, Habitat Cape Cod homes have consistently received the best HERS ratings of any Habitat affiliate in the United States, according to Molly Berg, building science specialist at Habitat for Humanity International.
The energy efficiency sets the homes apart, Ryley said. “Most everything we do is net zero or around it,” he said.
The efficiencies have been a work in progress for Habitat. Since 1989, Habitat has built 155 homes on the Cape. The houses have been getting more energy efficient with each passing year, according to Ryley.
The first solar panel put on a Habitat house in 2016 cost $24,000. Now the cost is down to $18,000, according to Ryley. He expects the costs to drop further.
“We tried building a house with a high degree of indoor air quality,” he said. Habitat moved from heating systems to heat pumps, which do not require fossil fuels. Energy Recovery Ventilators were introduced, which simultaneously exchange stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air.
“The house literally breathes,” Ryley said.
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Crews continue to make improvements in the construction of homes. The dominant model built is a three-bedroom ranch measuring about 1,200 square feet.
Habitat is constantly trying to minimize the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the homes. The less BTU (a unit of heat) needed to raise or lower temperature, the less kilowatts (a unit of electrical energy) needed to power the increase in heat or cooling. The less kilowatts a house needs, the fewer solar panels needed.
The six homes in Harwich, and six homes in a separate project in Falmouth, are in various stages of completion. The 12 homes all have active volunteers helping the homeowners finish them off.
“Volunteers will be out there all winter chipping ice off porches so they can start working,” said Cullinan.
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What do Habitat for Humanity homes cost?
Habitat’s most recently finished builds include three homes in Truro, six homes in Yarmouth, 14 homes in Brewster, four homes in Marstons Mills, three homes in Dennis, five homes in Mashpee, two homes in Wellfleet and one home in Orleans.
The application deadline for future Habitat homes in Chatham (2), Falmouth (4), and Sandwich (3), closed on Feb. 1. With Habitat homes costing owners about $168,000, and a typically priced home in Barnstable County costing more than $500,000, there’s plenty of need.
Contact Denise Coffey at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.
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