TriadHomes.com

Fifteen builders joined forces with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro this past week to build four homes — from foundation to finishing touches — in The Village of Northside near Summit Avenue.

The biannual “Raising Roofs — Builders for Habitat” event is part of the national nonprofit group’s initiative to increase affordable housing opportunities across the country. The appeal is simple. Builders get the opportunity to work side by side to provide homes for families in the community, says Cheryl Collins, executive officer for the Greensboro Builders Association. And “the camaraderie that develops is one reason participants keep coming back year after year.”

Another major attraction for builders this year was the green building focus, which included participation in official certification programs.

“To be able to get into a Habitat home is one thing, but to have it be green is even better,” says Robert Millican, owner of Millican Construction, one of the building companies taking part.

Previous partnerships between the local Habitat and the Greensboro Builders Association have resulted in 32 homes in three different one-week builds since 2003. Hundreds of builders, suppliers and subcontractors have pitched in expertise, labor and supplies. This year’s five-day build gave the builders the opportunity to lend a hand and for some was a chance to learn about sustainable building.

“It’s been a great learning experience and opportunity for some builders who were not as familiar with what is considered green building practices,” Collins says. “They’ve all been able to get a taste of the certification programs,” which will help them make decisions on how to incorporate green building practices into their businesses.

Millican, who serves on the executive committee of the Triad Green Building Council, and Collins say the home’s green features include tankless water heaters, roofing material that reduces energy transfer, stronger insulation, low-VOC materials in the paint and flooring, and new formaldehyde-free cabinetry. While Habitat has followed federal Energy Star guidelines in its regular projects for several years, the green building practices introduced this week further ensure sustainability and energy efficiency. With fewer homes than usual on the agenda — eight to 12 homes were built in previous years — Habitat officials thought incorporating the green elements was more feasible and cost-efficient.

“With a smaller number we felt we could devote the manpower and the energy into making that happen,” says Pat Arnett, Habitat’s director of development and communications. The nonprofit plans to continue its green initiative with the connections made this week.

Third-party verficiation is an essential component of green building. Steve Armstrong and Andrew Courts with Energy Solutions Group were on site all week to evaluate the homes for the National Association of Home Builders green building certification and an Energy Star rating, which is a piece of the NAHB program.

The green building certification covers lot preparation and design; resource efficiency; energy efficiency; water efficiency and conservation; occupancy comfort and indoor environmental quality; and operation, maintenance and homeowner education, according to www.nahbgreen.org. Homes are evaluated at three levels: bronze, silver and gold. The builders aimed for the highest NAHB designation, and the homes will be submitted for a gold rating, Courts says. The NAHB makes the ultimate decision, which should be known in a couple of weeks.

Energy Star requires homes to meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), according to www.energystar.gov, and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20 percent to 30 percent more efficient than standard homes.

Additionally, Raleigh-based Advanced Energy sent verifiers to evaluate the homes for SystemVision qualification. The program guarantees that a home’s heating and cooling consumption will not exceed a set, very low level, usually $32 a month for a 1,200-square-foot home, according to www.advancedenergy.org. The guidelines are considered stronger than those set by Energy Star.

Essentially, the value of green isn’t measured in how fancy the home is, but by how painstakingly constructed it is to be airtight and energy efficient, Courts says. “These houses could turn out to be the most efficient houses in Greensboro.”  The homes are typical Habitat models: Three are 1,100 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and the fourth is 1,300 square feet with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The new owners will be able to move in to their homes by the end of the year, Arnett says. Organizers rate the four Raising Roofs a success, particularly considering the speed of the build, the introduction of green practices and completion of three sets of inspections — by Energy Solutions Group, Advanced Energy and the city of Greensboro.

“It’s gone incredibly smoothly,” says Collins, in part crediting builders who have taken part in the effort before. “They’ve kind of perfected the scheduling piece.”

And the houses are meeting every bit of code and two additional inspections, Collins says, emphasizing the importance of the city’s cooperation and the flexibility of chief inspector David Jones and his staff. “We are all very appreciative of the tremendous support,” she says. “This wouldn’t happen without the city of Greensboro’s commitment.”

Heather L. Modlin can be reached at hmodlin@news-record.com or 373-7144.