Delaware
A first in Delaware for energy-efficient affordable housing
Examples of homes that are more affordable with lower utility bills
The four homes on Kirkwood Street in Dover are examples of how to build homes that are more affordable to buy with more affordable utility bills
- The first homes in Delaware to achieve one of the nation’s highest certifications for energy-efficient design were unveiled in Dover on Feb. 19.
- An open house and dedication were held for the four Phius-certified homes on North Kirkwood Street.
The first residential buildings in Delaware to achieve one of the nation’s highest certifications for energy-efficient design were unveiled in Dover on Feb. 19.
The North Kirkwood Street “passive house project” features four homes that have been certified in Phius core prescriptive design.
Phius stands for “Passive House Institute United States,” a nonprofit that trains and certifies professionals to build highly energy-efficient and healthy homes, certifies energy-efficient building products and conducts research on energy-efficient construction.
So the homes will be more affordable each month with lower utility bills – and thanks to funding help from nonprofits and governments, the homes will have a more affordable price.
The houses cost an average of about $350,000 to build, but they’re being sold for $250,000 each.
Leading the project were three nonprofits:
- NeighborGood Partners, which specializes in affordable housing counseling and development, financial education and lending
- Energize Delaware, which promotes clean, efficient and sustainable energy solutions with energy-saving programs, rebates and financing
- New Ecology, which helps energy-efficient construction with technical assistance, testing and verification services, project coordination, education and training
NeighborGood Partners is selecting the homeowners from those enrolled in the organization’s housing counseling program, with preference to those who already live in Dover.
“I just want to recognize all the different partners that we had because it took, in this case, a village to make this happen,” said NeighborGood Partners Executive Director Karen Speakman.
Along with the groups heading the project, additional funds came from the Delaware State Housing Authority, Healthy Communities Delaware and the city of Dover including a portion of the city’s money from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.
Construction was led by Green Diamond Builders with Cypress Construction and Architectural Alliance, with New Ecology overseeing the certification process.
How much energy do the homes save?
Phius-certified homes are designed to deliver healthy indoor air, consistent comfort and significantly lower utility bills to reduce monthly housing costs, according to the organization’s website.
How much lower bills?
With 1,680 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, the all-electric homes in Dover are designed to use about 7,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a year, about 625 kilowatt hours per month.
That’s about 30% less than what the average home uses – 10,791 kilowatt hours per year or 899.25 kilowatt hours per month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Norm Horn, New Ecology construction project manager, outlined the key components in the energy-efficient construction including:
- continuous insulation around the outside of the home, higher levels of insulation in the walls, under the floors and in the attic and “significant attention to how that insulation was installed so it works”
- a thermal airtight building enclosure that requires very little energy to heat and cool
- highly efficient heat pump systems for heating, cooling, the water heater and clothes dryer
- dehumidifier system to control moisture
- continuous mechanical ventilation with heat recovery that provides fresh, filtered air
New Ecology Chief Executive Officer Kim Stevenson said the construction techniques used in these homes help the owners in several ways.
Utility bills can spike during winter’s cold and summer’s heat if homes don’t have good insulation, good windows and doors or proper sealing around them.
“That forces families to make impossible tradeoffs between paying utility bills, rent or mortgage, food and health care,” Stevenson said.
The Phius homes can decrease monthly utility bills while also improving residents’ health with moisture control to prevent mold along with top-quality air circulation for cleaner, healthier air.
These four homes will be examples for others to follow in trying to make homes more affordable, more energy efficient and healthier, as the nonprofits leading the effort expand the training to more builders.
Tony DePrima, Energize Delaware treasurer and former executive director, said the homes will be part of a research project, comparing data including utility bills to more typical homes to see the cost savings over time.
Energize Delaware is “trying to figure out how do we make this work for the people who need it most,” DePrima said.
Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.