the technical specifications for building affordable green habitats, and the NC Housing Finance agency, which helps finance construction costs. Elaine Sargent lives in an Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity house built through System Vision in an Enka Hills development. Energy efficiency “was definitely a bonus for me,” she says. “I’m interested in permaculture and being environmentally conscious. Habitat didn’t have to go in that direction,” Sargent continues, “but they care enough about the people they are housing to make that a priority. They don’t just build the house, put you in there and walk away.” Ariane Kjellquist, communications manager with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, concurs. “We do what we can to ensure that Habitat communities remain safe and well-kept long after construction has ended.” SystemVision homes are certified through ENERGY STAR, a federal program administered jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. In North Carolina, both Progress Energy and Duke Energy customers living in certified ENERGY STAR homes qualify for discounted utility rates. ENERGY STAR homes are at least 15 percent more efficient than the state’s energy code requires for new buildings. Builders typically achieve the savings by a combination of methods, such as tightening the building envelope, installing better windows, controlling air infiltration, installing more efficient heating/ cooling systems and water heaters and making duct systems more efficient. SystemVision homes also carry a “comfort guarantee,” wherein comfort is defined as a temperature difference of no greater than 3 degrees Fahrenheit from the thermostat location to the center of any room. The
WNC Green Building Council
guarantee is in force for a two-year period after the original homeowner purchases the home. As part of the bargain, the homeowner agrees to prudent use of windows and doors when the heating/cooling system is in operation, with thermostat settings no higher than 72 degrees during the heating season and no lower than 76 during the cooling season. To achieve all these benefits, Sargent’s house is built with such features as energy-efficient windows, extra insulation, ENERGY STAR appliances and paints containing no toxic compounds. She says the energy efficiency has definitely lived up to its promise. During the big snowstorm of early 2010, “the power went out for over 12 hours, and we were so comfortable inside, I actually wrote Habitat a note. It was comfortable enough to wear only sweatshirts. We were not cold.” Sargent initially thought her income would disqualify her from Habitat for Humanity’s program, but she was surprised to discover that wasn’t so. “I applied online on their website, [and] got a letter back in a few days,” she says. “It took a little over a year from the very beginning, including the building time of six months. I feel very lucky.” Shelley DeLapouyade lives in an affordable green development in Flat Rock called Three Seeds. Like Sargent, she moved here from New Orleans with her children after Hurricane Katrina hit. While she can’t cite chapter and verse about all the technical details that make her home both HealthyBuilt and ENERGY STAR certified, she knows it works. “I would say the highest bill I’ve had, even in the heat of the summer, was $79 — even while keeping the thermostat at 69 degrees,” says DeLapouyade, smiling. “I’m sure the [extra] insulation is a factor — we hung it ourselves, thank you very much!” Future homeowners get involved in the work of building these houses
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