Habitat is LEEDing the Way in Green Building

Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County helps families in substandard living conditions earn decent affordable homes by providing a hand-up, not a handout, through sweat equity partnerships and no interest loans. What many people do not realize is that Habitat is also a strong proponent of “green” building.  We believe that environmentally-friendly building techniques and products not only reduce the lifecycle costs of home ownership, but also conserve the resources God has left in our care. This spring, our local Habitat affiliate is going to celebrate its commitment to environmental building with its first annual Green Build.

You can track the progress of this build on our blog.

The homes currently being built by Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County are energy-efficient, featuring metal roofing, Energy Star windows, and 14 SEER HVAC units.  However, we have never obtained certification from any of the various rating programs such as Energy Star or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This project will be Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County's first official Green Build and our goal is to obtain a Gold or Platinum LEED certification. If we obtain a LEED certification, this home would be the first LEED certified residence in the state of Alabama.

Not only will the future homeowners of this particular Habitat for Humanity home reap many benefits from their new "green" home, such as improved indoor air quality and lower utility bills, other homeowners will also benefit from this project. The Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County's Green Build will serve as the prototype for future low cost, "green" homes for our partner families.

The Green Build house will be dedicated on Saturday, May 2nd at 10 a.m.  Please join us at 13438 Rooster Lane in Foley and bring a dish to pass.

This project would not be possibile without the support of the following sponsors:

The Baldwin County Realtors Association
The Housing Assistance Council
The Home Depot Foundation
Airtight Spray Foam Insulation
Dow
U.S. Green Building Council
Edgefield Lumber Company
Valspar
Edgefield Lumber Company
Georgia Pacific
Square D
Mobile Mini, Inc.
Yale
Whirlpool
Watershed
Plauche, Johnson Landscape
Kaloosa Builders
Coulsen Green Consulting
Stiffler Engineering
Raber Surverying
LuLu's at Homeport
ICF of Alabama
Air-Lok Spray Foam Insulation

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