The January RESNET Builder of the Month is Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity of Hartford Connecticut. In this month’s feature, we asked Sue Henderson, Habitat for Humanity International’s vice president of U.S. operations, and Kris McKelvie, director of construction at the Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity to provide a national and local perspective on HERS® rated homes. The Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity was recently recognized with the Connecticut Green Building Council’s Residential Award of Honor for constructing its first net-zero energy home with a HERS® Index Score of -7. When asked why they choose to have their homes HERS® rated, Henderson replies, “Our model at Habitat is to build simple, decent and affordable homes. We provide a hand up to families and individuals who would likely not be able to purchase a home. The HERS® rating is valuable to us as we work toward building sustainable and eco-friendly homes in an affordable way. Using the rating, we can ensure that the methods and materials selected for the home create an energy-efficient and healthy environment for our homebuyers, and keep costs low, and homes affordable. Additionally, third-party verification ensures that the methods and materials we use are properly implemented and will produce the desired results” McKelvie concurs, “Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity intentionally builds safe and affordable housing for families. Having all of our homes HERS® rated holds us accountable for providing our families with comfortable housing and low energy costs. We use the rating information to educate our homeowners and to document that we are exceeding local building codes. HERS® ratings allow us to constantly evaluate and improve our building techniques.” Habitat for Humanity International is the 17th largest homebuilder in the U.S. closing 4,334 homes in 2018. To date, Habitat has had over 8,300 homes HERS® rated. To view the feature, click here.
