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November 7, 2003
Habitat for Humanity Founder Praises Energy Efficient, Green Houses
Millard Fuller, founder of Habitat for Humanity, delighted attendees with his words of praise at the dedication of six new affordable homes that are nearing completion in Yonkers. The October 23 ceremony was hosted by Habitat for Humanity of Westchester (HfHW). Fuller described the six units (three side-by-side duplexes built on a lot donated by the City of Yonkers) as yet another step towards providing quality, affordable homes to every family in America.
Fuller acknowledged the importance of building efficient, affordable homes and thanked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) program and the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) for their technical support and guidance on energy efficiency and sustainability.
PATH made recommendations on building systems, environmentally friendly products, and sustainable design. Among the project features are structural insulated panels (SIPs); insulated concrete foundation forms (ICFs); high-efficiency direct-vent boilers; and low-e windows.
But what pushes these homes to the cutting edge is renewable energy in the form of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The homes' roof area will allow for ten 120-watt panels, equivalent to a 1.2 kW DC system on each building. One system will be oriented to the southwest and the other two will face east-southeast. New York State is subsidizing the initial cost of the PV systems through HfHW's participation in the New York ENERGY STAR Labeled Home Demonstration Project.
PATH has developed relationships with various local Habitat affiliations including Baltimore; Newburgh, New York; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Seattle; and Philadelphia. PATH will continue working with Habitat to make homes more affordable through energy conservation and green practices.
Content updated on 3/8/2005
