Taking energy efficiency seriously - Housing Summit II

June 19, 2001

Is it time to take energy efficiency seriously? If you are paying attention to the news, you'd have to think so. The State of Housing in Eastern North Carolina - Summit II is a two-part conference working to develop a strategy for energy efficient healthy affordable housing. This may begin as a plan for Eastern North Carolina, but it's hoped that it will become a national model.

June 6-7 in Greenville, NC, the first session of this year's conference convened to explore the role of technology in affordable housing. Summit I, held in Greenville in 1998, focused on the problems of deep systemic and pervasive poverty and the lack of safe, sanitary affordable housing in the eastern part of North Carolina. The effects of the floods following Hurricane Floyd in 1999 made those problems even worse.

Working in conjunction with many other groups, particularly the state Energy Office and the Eastern NC Sustainable Community Economic Development Center, Advanced Energy coordinated a Build Back Better training series for builders and subcontractors. The positive response to this series led to the development of the SystemVisionä Program for Affordable Housing, incorporating the technical standards, training, quality control, performance testing, and comfort and energy bill guarantees that have become hallmarks of Advanced Energy's programs.

People attending Summit II heard presentations of several models in both new construction and rehab of existing housing. The basic premise was that no house should be built that is not healthy and safe, durable, comfortable, affordable, energy efficient, and environmentally responsible. Small group workshops then identified obstacles to achieving those goals in their own communities, strategies for overcoming those obstacles, and an action plan for moving ahead.

The session was attended by nonprofit developers, local and state housing officials, nonprofit housing advocates, utility reps, builders, designers, and contractors. Jim Powell, regional director of the US Dept. of Energy, gave the keynote address for the conference. He talked about the importance of energy in affordable housing and some of DOE's programs in that area.

A panel including Andy Yakim of Greenville Utilities, Rev. David Moore of Metropolitan Housing and Community Development Corp., and Arnie Katz of Advanced Energy talked about ways to integrate the systems approach into affordable housing. Yakim described the Greenville Utilities E-300 Program, which has been in effect for over 20 years. Later that day, he led a tour of houses at various stages of construction.

Moore and Katz described the "Field of Dreams," a 56-unit flood recovery project in Grifton. With funding from the State Energy Office, Advanced Energy has been working to ensure the homes are built to our standards. Plan reviews, contractor training, on-site quality control, and performance testing will lead to houses with comfort and heating/cooling costs guaranteed by Advanced Energy. Average monthly heating and cooling bills for the first houses are guaranteed at $18/mo (3-bedroom) and $19/mo (4 bedroom). At current utility rates, of course. A bus load of folks from the conference visited the Grifton site, which also had homes at various stages of construction.

Participants were clearly energized to incorporate these ideas into their own projects. Plans are already underway to hold a state-wide summit with a similar agenda next year.

For more information about the Affordable Housing and its work in creating energy efficient, durable, comfortable, safe, healthy, and affordable housing, contact Arnie Katz, Director, Affordable Housing; Phone: (919) 857-9029; E-mail: akatz@advancedenergy.org