BAIHP conducted an initial site visit with this affiliate in November 2007. FSEC staff reviewed plans, conducted a thermal bypass evaluation and tested a completed home. Duct leakage was well within specification for ENERGY STAR, and BAIHP made minor recommendations for passing the thermal bypass inspection. Preliminary analysis showed the homes achieving a HERS Index of 95. In an effort to bring specifications in line with ENERGY STAR for all their homes, the affiliate agreed to build two prototypes meeting the HERS Index goal of 60 to 70 (see BAIHP recommended Gulf Coast Package).

The first prototype (Figure 1, left) was completed in November of 2008 with a HERS Index of 69. Given the ease with which the affiliate incorporated the package of improvements to their build, the affiliate has adopted the Building America package for all future construction.

BAIHP presented the Mobile Prototype I project to the general membership of the local chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), and a workshop was produced in conjunction with the Home Builders Association of Metro Mobile on November 20, 2008. Despite direct mail promotion to over 1700 members of the Home Builders Association, attendance predominately consisted of local raters and other Habitat affiliates from south Alabama and the Florida panhandle. The workshop agenda and presentation are available online at www.baihp.org/gulfcoast. The site visit portion of the workshop generated considerable discussion.

A second high-performance affordable prototype was completed in 2009 (Figure 1, right)  that included an Energy STAR heat pump (SEER 15) and an electric heat pump water heater with a COP of 2.3 to the previous prototype package. The affiliate exceeded the HERS Index target with a score of 59. Ratings on the house were completed by a local rater and will also be certified green by a local green building program. The affiliate is a participant in Habitat International’s Partners in Sustainable Building program which provides a $5,000 grant for green certified homes to offset increased first cost of the home.

Figure 1 Mobile County Habitat HERS 69 Prototype (left)and HERS 59 Prototype (right).

Partner contact information:

Josh Shedeck, Construction Director
Habitat for Humanity in Mobile County
P.O. Box 16422
Mobile, AL 36616
Phone: (251) 476-7171
Fax: (251) 476-7978
E-mail: jtidwell@habitatmobile.org

Website: http://www.habitatswalabama.org/