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Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver recognized at Golden, Colo. home dedication for excellence in sustainable housing

Release Date: 05/18/2012
Contact Information: EPA: Richard Mylott (303) 312-6654; Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver: Therese Marucci (720) 496-2712

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the first ENERGY STAR, WaterSense and Indoor airPLUS-labeled affordable home in nation

(Denver, Colo. - May 18, 2012) Today in Golden, Colo., the ribbon was cut on the first ENERGY STAR, WaterSense and Indoor airPLUS-labeled residence in Colorado. This Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver duplex is also the first affordable home in the nation built to the trio of EPA new homes programs that set standards for energy efficiency, water efficiency, and healthy indoor air in residential home construction.

At the ribbon-cutting event, EPA Regional Administrator Jim Martin awarded Heather Lafferty, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, the ENERGY STAR 2012 Excellence in Affordable Housing award for Habitat’s commitment to incorporating ENERGY STAR products and building practices into their homes.

“Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is setting a new standard for healthy, efficient and affordable homes that will benefit families long after they move in,” said Jim Martin, EPA’s Regional Administrator. “These homes will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save thousands of gallons of precious water resources, and keep toxic materials out of the environment.”

“As we celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program, EPA is proud to recognize Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver with the 2012 ENERGY STAR Excellence in Affordable Housing award,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Habitat for Humanity and all our ENERGY STAR award winners are ensuring that Americans at all income levels can benefit from living in energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR-certified homes.”

"Habitat for Humanity understands the importance of building high-quality, healthy and sustainable homes that families can live and thrive in well into the future," said Heather Lafferty, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. "That's why our affiliate has focused on building green, energy-efficient homes which have been ENERGY STAR tested for more than a decade. These measures help save homeowners hundreds of dollars each year on utility costs, while also providing them with a healthy living environment."

About Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver:

Habitat for Humanity is a homeownership program for low-income families. It engages the community in building high quality, energy-efficient homes which are sold to hard-working families in desperate need of stable, affordable housing. Qualified families purchase Habitat homes with zero-interest loans and make mortgage payments based on 25 percent of the family's income. Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver has built 465 homes throughout its 32-year history of building in Denver. For more information about Habitat for Humanity, please visit www.habitatmetrodenver.org.

ENERGY STAR

Compared with standard homes, ENERGY STAR-certified homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating, delivering $200 to $400 in annual savings.

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver is building this home to ENERGY STAR's new more rigorous Version 3 guidelines which are 15% more energy efficient than the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (2009 IECC) and include additional efficiency features that make these homes 20-30% more efficient than a typical new home. For more information visit: http://www.energystar.gov/

WaterSense

WaterSense-labeled homes are designed to use 20% less water, indoors and out; resulting in cost savings of $600 a year. A WaterSense-labeled home can save a family of four as much as 50,000 gallons of water a year – enough to wash more than 2,000 loads of laundry.

Since its inception in 2006, the WaterSense program has helped Americans save 125 billion gallons of water and $2 billion in utility bills. For more information visit: https://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/

Indoor airPLUS

We spend up to 90% of our time indoors. This means that the indoor environment can have a significant impact on our health. EPA studies have shown that levels of air pollution inside the home are often 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels.

There are significant possible health risks of breathing indoor air pollutants like mold, radon, carbon monoxide, pesticides, combustion gases and other toxic airborne chemicals.

Homes built with Indoor airPLUS incorporate more than 30 design and construction features to help protect against these pollutants, such as moisture and mold control, radon-resistant construction, improved heating and air conditioning design and installation, advanced air filtration, fresh air ventilation, combustion safety, insect barriers and steps to reduce levels of chemicals in the home. For more information visit: https://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus/