Habitat for Humanity Revisited
In honor of Habitat for Humanity recently commemorating its 39th annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, we are revisiting previous RESNET® HERS® Builder of the Month profiles of Habitat for Humanity affiliates building HERS-rated homes.
According to the RESNET National Registry, Habitat for Humanity has built over 15,000 homes that are HERS rated. The average HERS Index Score of a Habitat home built in 2024 is 53. This means that Habitat-built homes in 2024 were 47% more efficient than homes built to 2006 energy codes and standards. The new homes built by Habitat for Humanity have demonstrated a more efficient score by the RESNET HERS Index Score than the national average HERS Index Score of homes in 2024 of 57.
Q: What is special about a HERS® Rated home?
Kris McKelvie (Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity Director of Construction): I believe HERS® ratings help put the health and safety of a home in perspective for a prospective buyer or homeowner. It’s a great way to simplify the various methods of insulating, air sealing, and energy-efficient building into a numerical value that provides insightful information about the condition of a home and expected energy costs.
Q: Why should consumers ask for the HERS® Index Score on homes they are shopping for?
Kris: Prospective homeowners can observe the general condition of a home, but they don’t know how thorough the builder was in insulating and air sealing without a HERS® Index Score. This simple number provides insight on the level of comfort and cost savings found in a rated home that may not be otherwise disclosed.
Q: Why does Habitat for Humanity choose to have their homes HERS® Rated?
Kris: 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.
Q: How do your customers feel about HERS® Rated homes?
A: Kris: The Walton family, who moved into the zero-energy home, was eager to learn about how their new home worked. Our staff takes the time to educate every family about their homes air exchange, climate systems, and general maintenance. Since our families help build the home they also get to learn about each component of the building envelope and better appreciate what makes a home energy efficient. Most of our families previously lived in apartments with inefficient heat systems, drafty windows, and expensive electric and fuel heating bills. To be able to move into a home with all LED light fixtures, Energy Star appliances, a high-efficiency heat system, and a well-insulated thermal barrier can be life-changing. Now their family can be safe, comfortable, and not financially burdened.
Q: What is special about a HERS-rated home?
A: Kevin (Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County CEO): 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: 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: How many homes does Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County build with HERS per year?
A: Kevin: 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 your customers feel about HERS-rated homes?
A: Kevin: 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.
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