Real-estate developer blends energy-efficiency, affordability
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By: Harrison Jobe, Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: State & National
DURHAM - Self-Help, a community development lender and real-estate developer in low-income markets, celebrated the groundbreaking of a new energy-efficient home Monday on Kent Street.
The construction of the new home is based on a design developed by five N.C. State University students who won the 2007 N.C. Sustainable Building Design Competition.
The competition is in its 10th year, said Tracy Dixon, project manager for Advanced Energy, a Raleigh-based nonprofit providing innovative solutions to energy issues.
"This year we are focusing on sustainability and affordability and how the two are connected and can be connected," Dixon said. "It's a great opportunity to try out all sorts of new construction techniques in one house."
Those include installing better insulation and sealing the windows and crawl space more efficiently.
Dixon said they projected about $550 a year in reductions of heating and cooling costs in the new construction.
Heating and cooling costs represent about half of most families' utility bill, Self-Help Project Manager Dan Levine said. After receiving energy-efficient certification from Advanced Energy, the nonprofit guarantees the price of heating and cooling bills for the family at about $30 per month, he said.
The finished house will cost about $100,000.
David Beck, policy director for Self-Help, said he hopes Self-Help can become a leader in discovering practical ways of conserving energy and improving the quality of life for lower-income families.
"The more you look into environmental impact," Beck said. "The more you see that the negative impacts fall disproportionately on low-income families."
Miguel Rubiera, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Durham, said he agreed that efficiency more immediately benefits low-income families.
"As far as energy efficiency, I think we are pioneers," he said of lower-income residents.
Dawn Bland, the owner of a recently completed Self-Help energy-efficient home, said she is appreciative of the projected financial savings in utility bills.
"It was only after that we had started dealing with them that we found out they were doing energy-efficient-type housing that we just really fell in love with them," Bland said. "It was a deal sealer for us."
Durham Mayor Bill Bell noted at the event other needs for change in the wake of global warming and regional drought.
"Conservation becomes the rule rather the exception," he said.
Dorcas Bradley, chairwoman of the Southwest Central Durham Quality of Life Project, said the community was benefiting from the several new homes constructed by Self-Help.
"We really wanted to do something totally green," Bradley said. "We're helping to empower them, speak up, do all those kinds of things that will be good for the community."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
The construction of the new home is based on a design developed by five N.C. State University students who won the 2007 N.C. Sustainable Building Design Competition.
The competition is in its 10th year, said Tracy Dixon, project manager for Advanced Energy, a Raleigh-based nonprofit providing innovative solutions to energy issues.
"This year we are focusing on sustainability and affordability and how the two are connected and can be connected," Dixon said. "It's a great opportunity to try out all sorts of new construction techniques in one house."
Those include installing better insulation and sealing the windows and crawl space more efficiently.
Dixon said they projected about $550 a year in reductions of heating and cooling costs in the new construction.
Heating and cooling costs represent about half of most families' utility bill, Self-Help Project Manager Dan Levine said. After receiving energy-efficient certification from Advanced Energy, the nonprofit guarantees the price of heating and cooling bills for the family at about $30 per month, he said.
The finished house will cost about $100,000.
David Beck, policy director for Self-Help, said he hopes Self-Help can become a leader in discovering practical ways of conserving energy and improving the quality of life for lower-income families.
"The more you look into environmental impact," Beck said. "The more you see that the negative impacts fall disproportionately on low-income families."
Miguel Rubiera, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Durham, said he agreed that efficiency more immediately benefits low-income families.
"As far as energy efficiency, I think we are pioneers," he said of lower-income residents.
Dawn Bland, the owner of a recently completed Self-Help energy-efficient home, said she is appreciative of the projected financial savings in utility bills.
"It was only after that we had started dealing with them that we found out they were doing energy-efficient-type housing that we just really fell in love with them," Bland said. "It was a deal sealer for us."
Durham Mayor Bill Bell noted at the event other needs for change in the wake of global warming and regional drought.
"Conservation becomes the rule rather the exception," he said.
Dorcas Bradley, chairwoman of the Southwest Central Durham Quality of Life Project, said the community was benefiting from the several new homes constructed by Self-Help.
"We really wanted to do something totally green," Bradley said. "We're helping to empower them, speak up, do all those kinds of things that will be good for the community."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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