Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County
Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County is an independently chartered affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, the largest not-for-profit builder in the world. Since 1986, Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County has built, renovated, or repaired over 300 homes, creating safe, affordable homeownership opportunities that transform lives.
In this month’s feature, we talked with Kevin Smith, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, about their latest development, Bennett Point, a project of 12 ENERGY STAR and ZERH-certified homes.
Q: What is special about a HERS-rated home?
A: Kevin Smith: For the homes we built on the Eastside of Wilmington, Bennett Point, these are our first all-electric and first Net Zero Ready homes. Bennett Point represents a groundbreaking step for Delaware as one of the first projects of its kind to feature Net Zero Ready homes. These all-electric homes are built with cutting-edge energy efficiency—featuring airtight construction, high-performance insulation, and no gas-fired appliances. With the addition of a solar power system, homeowners could enjoy a future with zero energy bills, making homeownership not just more affordable but also more sustainable for generations to come.
Q: Why should consumers ask for the HERS Index Score on homes they are shopping for?
A: Kevin Smith: Different tools help determine if homes meet or exceed the energy code for new homes, but only the HERS Index is a verified, in-the-field scoring mechanism that tells consumers the energy efficiency of their home.
Q: Why did HFHNCC choose to have this home HERS-rated?
A: Kevin Smith: In our case with this project, getting the homes HERS rated was a condition of the funding from Energize Delaware that enabled us to build at a higher efficiency level.
Q: Why should consumers expect energy-efficient homes?
A: Kevin Smith: Inflation has not come down, and energy costs are increasing. Consumers may not know how much an energy-efficient home can save them. It is important to our clients (low-moderate income) to not only afford the mortgage payment, but also the ongoing costs of owning a home. The energy cost is part of that ongoing expense that some do not consider.
Q: How many homes does Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County build with HERS per year?
A: Kevin Smith: This twelve-home project is our first! We have finished the first four homes and will complete the next four in August. The last four will start this fall. We are also starting five other homes in another location in Wilmington that are also HERS rated.
Q: How do you market HERS-rated homes?
A: Kevin Smith: We market our homes to homebuyers for the first time, with the added benefit of them buying a home from Habitat for Humanity through our 0% mortgage. We are excited to also start marketing HERS-rated homes and the energy efficiency benefits.
Q: How do your customers feel about HERS-rated homes?
A: Kevin Smith: These are the first homes we have built that are HERS rated. We are excited to hear from these new homeowners about what their energy bills look like and compare them to our non-HERS-rated homes.
Q: What rating company do you work with on your HERS-rated homes?
A: Kevin Smith: We utilized New Ecology, who also happened to be our construction consultant on the project, to be our rating company.
