Green With Envy
Habitat for Humanity builds a budget-conscious home, with the environment as a top priority.
This month: Mooresville North Carolina
This North Carolina house is the envy of homeowner Missy Larson's* block, but not for its size. Most of the special features that make the 1,220-square-foot, three-bedroom home unique can't even be seen.
The Habitat for Humanity house is one of the most energy efficient, environmentally friendly homes in the area. Built in 2006 for under $75,000, the project proves that a residence does not need to cost a fortune to save energy and help sustain our planet's resources.
"On average, my monthly electric bill is between $30 to $50," Larson says. "And that's for the lights and the heat-for everything." (The owner of a similar-sized home down the street said her average bill is many times higher.)
Details Make the Difference
Michael Chenard, Lowe's director of environmental affairs, and Allen Nelson, a Lowe's industrial designer, helped local Habitat builders incorporate various smart features into Larson's home. They started by insulating the crawlspace with plastic sheeting and attaching foam boards to the cinder-block walls. "Covering the dirt in a crawlspace with plastic is one of the best things a homeowner can do," Nelson says. "Even if you take plastic sheeting and spread it out without attaching it to the walls, it's going to make a huge difference in the home's air quality."
Many of the fixtures and materials in Larson's home were chosen with product life cycles in mind. The compact fluorescent bulbs in the light fixtures are designed to last years longer and use significantly less energy than incandescent bulbs. And longer-lasting bulbs mean less waste in landfills.
The house's windows-double paned for extra insulation-are glazed with a special low-emissivity (Low-E) coating that blocks the sun's warmth in the summer and lets it in during the winter.
Over the bedroom doors, a vent allows air to flow even when the doors are closed. This simple technique keeps temperatures consistent throughout the home and supports a healthy exchange of air.
In the hallway, a programmable thermostat saves energy by automatically lowering and raising the temperature as needed, whether the family is at home sleeping or away on a trip.
"If installed and used properly, a programmable thermostat can pay for itself in less than one year," Chenard says. "There are very few products that give you that kind of a return on your investment."
Endless Earth-Friendly Options
The Larson home includes as many environmentally friendly products as it could hold, from the linoleum floors (a material made from renewable linseed oils) to the metal roof (a recyclable product that's built to last 100 years).
As word spreads about this home's green features and healthy characteristics, more and more people are asking for a tour to collect ideas for their own homes. "All I know is that it's a great house," Larson says. "It's quiet and warm and wonderful. I just feel especially blessed."
*Name changed for privacy.
Good To Know
To learn more about Habitat for Humanity, including building opportunities in your area, visit Habitat.org.
Tankless Water Heater
This Habitat house showcases a new energy-saving item that every home needs.
In a closet off of Missy Larson's laundry room, a tankless water heater takes up a fraction of the space of a typical tank. And because the boiler only operates when hot water is needed, it also uses a fraction of the energy.
"Tankless water heaters save energy because they only heat the water you're going to use. A typical water heater keeps all of the water inside of the tank heated all the time," says Michael Chenard, Lowe's director of environmental affairs. "That would be like leaving your oven on all the time whether you're using it or not."
A water-circulating pump under the kitchen sink kicks in with the press of a button and, within seconds, pulls hot water to all of the faucets. What's the environmental benefit? Less cold water pouring down the drain as Larson waits for hot water. Instead, she presses one of the doorbell-type buttons installed in her bath and kitchen and then waits half a minute before turning on the water. "It's always there and always hot, right when I need it," she says.
To incorporate this technology into your home, choose from several options at Lowe's, including the water heater shown here.
*Available by special order in some stores.