Habitat Builds Its First Energy Star Home in Va.: House in Charles City Includes Energy-Saving Insulation, Windows
Posted on: Wednesday, 27 December 2006, 12:02 CST
By Greg Edwards, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Dec. 27--CHARLES CITY -- "I love my house," first-time homeowner Valerie Brooks says.
Brooks, who works as a housekeeper at the College of William and Mary, owns the first Habitat for Humanity house built in Charles City County.
Brooks' new home also is the first Energy Star Habitat for Humanity house built in Virginia, according to Leisha G. LaRiviere, acting executive director for Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity.
To qualify for the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star rating, a home must be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than international residential code. To qualify, the home can include a variety of energy-saving features, including lighting, appliances and insulation.
The energy supplier for Brooks' new home is Dominion Virginia Power, which also paid $50,000 for the two-bedroom home's construction. When it appeared budget constraints would cause the home to fall short of the Energy Star rating, Dominion Virginia Power chipped in more money for an energy-efficient washer and dryer, which provided enough points to put the home over the top, LaRiviere said.
Dominion Virginia Power has sponsored Habitat homes in Connecticut, Alabama and other places where it has operations. Dominion Virginia Power employees from the Richmond area and from the company's Surry County nuclear power plant worked on the Charles City home.
"It was definitely a labor of love," said Iris Holliday, external affairs manager.
Construction began in October and, because the home was modular in design, has progressed quickly. Brooks expects to move in the next few weeks.
The home is all-electric, with extra insulation in the walls, ceiling and floor, and has double-insulated windows. It is unclear how much her utility bills will be.
"Charles City County is very glad to have this home," said County Administrator Angelia Yancey. "Families here do need affordable housing."
Roughly 120 homes in the county do not have indoor plumbing. Grant money is helping rehabilitate many substandard homes, but Habitat for Humanity helps fill the gap, Yancey said.
The Rev. Alton Washington, who represents the county on the Habitat for Humanity board, helped dedicate Brooks' home, calling the day historic. Washington presented her with a Bible for the home, telling her to look to it for information and inspiration.
Brooks, 42, is single. Her only child is grown. She has been living with her mother in another part of the county for the past seven years. She said she has been looking in various stores for ideas on how to decorate her the home.
"My mom's excited about it," she said. "I feel wonderful."
Contact staff writer Greg Edwards at gedwards@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6390
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Copyright (c) 2006, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch
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