Page 18 - Green Builder Magazine Sept-Oct 2017

CREDIT: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SOUTH SARASOTA COUNTY

Simple science. Habitat for Humanity of South Sarasota County constructed a modest, energy-efficient 1,200-square-foot home tailored to
moderate-income families that is attractive, durable and affordable.
Air and Space

Green home affordability starts within the walls of this H for H award winner.

homes are true to Habitat’s mission to provide safe, decent and
BY GREEN BUILDER STAFF affordable homes to those in need. But they go even further by
providing homeowners with low energy bills for the long term.
OW-INCOME AMERICANS FACE a disproportionate The award-winning home is expected to cost its owners about $838
energy burden, spending 17 percent to 50 percent of annually in energy bills, or roughly $70 per month.
their incomes on heating and cooling bills, while other “Our affiliate has totally embraced the concept of building homes
U.S. households spend an average of just 4 percent better than code and employing energy-efficient and green building
of their income on energy. “These families are the techniques,” Sollitto says. Among them: The home has an uninsulated
ones who would benefit the most from home energy slab-on-grade foundation with proper grading of the site to allow for
L upgrades but they are the least able to afford them,” drainage away from the structure. The concrete slab is raised 8 inches
says Michael Sollitto, Habitat for Humanity South Sarasota County’s above grade per local code requirements, while gutters, downspouts
director of construction. This is one of the primary reasons that and rain barrels keep rainwater from pooling around the foundation.
the Venice, Fla.-based Habitat affiliate is now constructing all of its
homes to the high energy efficiency and durability levels of the U.S. WALL OF WONDER
Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. The Habitat affiliate chose a common Central Florida construction
The Habitat for Humanity affiliate has constructed 21 DOE Zero type: concrete masonry block walls. To increase the insulation value
Energy Ready-labeled homes to date, including one, the Saragossa of the walls, the hollow cores are filled with a two-part foam product
Innovation Home in Venice, which won a 2016 DOE Housing that hardens as it dries to provide insulation and sound proofing.
Innovation Award. “In the beginning, I thought it would be hard to On the interior side of the walls, the affiliate installs a 0.75-inch
comply with the requirements,” Sollitto says. “Now it’s just second layer of rigid expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam board. On the inside-
nature to do what needs to be done to comply.” facing side of the foam board, they install 0.75-inch furring strips.
This provides an air space between the concrete block walls and the
SMALL STATURE, BIG GREEN STATUS foil-faced insulation. This is a rolled-sheet vapor retarder product
The simple, one-level, three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,200-square-foot combining layers of perforated foil and kraft paper that is nailed

16 GREEN BUILDER September/October 2017 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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