Austin Habitat builds lean and green. Homeowner Maria Villegas gets a hug from her daughter, Madeline, in her turf-free yard.

Austin Habitat builds homes equipped with many green features. In addition to  benefiting the entire Austin community by reducing the need for new power plants, water treatment, and landfill space, these features make the home more affordable by reducing energy and water bills of Habitat homeowners.

All of these features usually combine to score five stars under the Austin Energy Green Building Program and five stars under the Energy Star Program.

Austin Habitat Green Features

Durability
-Drainage directed away from the house
-Hardipanel and Hardiplank siding  
-Metal roof with covered fasteners or 40 year shingles
-Sprinkler systems that prevent fires from spreading

Enclosure
-Double-pane low-E windows
-Air sealing and Energy Star thermal bypass inspection checklist
-R-13 fiberglass wall insulation blown-in-batt system (BIBS)
-Unvented attic with 5.5 inches of foam insulation sprayed under roof deck
- Heating and cooling system, including all ductwork, inside the thermal envelope
-Insulation in corners and interior/exterior wall intersection

Systems and Appliances
-SEER 14.5, 1.5 ton air conditioning
-Bathroom exhaust fans attached to a dehumidistat
-Central manifold plumbing system
-High-efficiency water heater
-Sealed and tested ducts in unvented attic
-Energy Star refrigerator

Water Conservation
-Xeriscape trees and plants from the Austin GrowGreen list at growgreen.org
-Careful soil preparation to promote deep root growth
-Grading and planting to promote water insoak
-Efficient plumbing layouts
-Low-flow faucets and showerheads
-High-efficiency toilets
-Front-loading Energy Star washing machine (homeowner option)
-Energy Star dishwasher (homeowner option)
 
Our affiliate is a model of sustainability in the hot humid climate zone, and we host Habitat affiliates who want to learn about green building practices from all over Texas and the South.

WHAT’S IN OUR FUTURE? In our Habitat Sendero Hills community, where construction will begin in early 2011, we are emphasizing the integration of the house and the landscape. We plan to move from resource efficiency to resource production and go beyond reducing negative impacts on the environment to having a positive impact.

See Energy Efficiency Tips for Your Home

See the AHFH case study prepared by RESNET

See the AHFH home featured in the 2010 Cool House Tour guidebook

See the video produced by Kohler, the company that donates water conserving products to Habitat for Humanity’s sustainable building efforts