Habitat’s Green Energy Initiative On Gomes Way Praised

by William F. Galvin

HARWICH – The sun was shining on the Habitat for Humanity Cape Cod, Inc. housing project along Gomes Way Tuesday morning, promising a greener future for the owners of the 13 units now under construction.

Habitat was recognized for its commitment to the green affordable housing under construction there. A work crew from E2 Solar of Hyannis was busy installing photovoltaic panels on the roofs of several of the homes designed to drastically reduce the cost of electricity to the occupants.

“The cleanest and cheapest energy is the energy we don’t need or have to pay for,” E2 Solar President Jason Stoots said. Stoots praised the efforts of Habitat and Building Diagnostics, which designed and is evaluating each house envelope to provide greater efficiency and comfort.

Stoots said the solar panels will provide three-quarters of the electrical use for the homes, a savings of up to $70 a month for homeowners. During the summer homeowners should be free of electric bills, he said.

“Because these homes will require very little heat input and produce much of their own electricity, these homeowners will truly live in affordable homes,” Stoots said, “homes that have long-term, low fixed operating costs built into them.”

Cape Light Compact has helped with Habitat’s goal of a green community, providing funds from a $1.5 million grant from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust to help “green-up” housing to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED) home standards. The development has a LEED platinum rating.

“The building here is a model community for the rest of the country to live up to and take a piece of it home,” Michael Williams, director of construction for Habitat said on Tuesday. “It’s something for America and the world to look at. It’s nothing different, or crazy, but we can build a better home.”

“In a small way I know we bettered the world,” said Kevin F. Galligan, an energy efficiency project manager for the Cape Light Compact.

The group gathered Tuesday morning at the request of Environment Massachusetts, a nonprofit which handles environmental issues for MASSPIRG, which sought to recognize the efforts of Habitat’s Gomes Way project for its clean energy infrastructure.

The citizens’ environmental advocacy group wanted to recognize Habitat’s active green energy built site, Sue Daggett, director of Habitat’s resource development and communications, said. Habitat welcomes the opportunity to showcase the model green development, but does not specifically endorse the event, Daggett said.

Benjamin Frank, a field manager with Environmental Massachusetts, said Massachusetts will spend $545 billion on fossil fuels between 2010 and 2030, which is 2.4 times the total earnings of all workers in the state in 2007.The per person spending will increase by 47 percent by 2030.

Frank praised the Massachusetts congressional delegation for its support of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, passed in the House last week and urged Gov. Patrick to take steps to make the Bay State the hub of a clean energy economy.

7/2/09