Director: Danville Habitat homes more energy efficient

The homes built by Danville-Pittsylvania County Habitat for Humanity all look very modest, but inside the walls of these homes are some of the latest energy-saving devices on the market.

Marlin Yoder, executive director of the agency, said local Habitat homes are now built to EarthCraft standards to make them as energy efficient as possible.

Each home gets a blower door test that checks for air leaks in the building — with all the doors and windows sealed.

“Normal leakage in average construction is 30 to 40 percent,” Yoder said. “These are half that.”

The heating system is also tested for leaks by sealing off the system, then pressurizing it to measure leaks all through the system.

One home in Danville, now owned by Raymond and Jennifer Custer, got an extra layer of protection when it was built last year.

“It’s the only one with SIPs (structural insulated panels, donated by SIPs of America in Blairs) on its exterior walls,” Yoder said. “It also got extra insulation in the ceiling and crawl space.”

A tankless water heater delivers hot water on demand, without having to keep it warm in conventional tank all day, and Low-E glass in all of the windows also do their part to keep the power bills low.

The 900-square-foot home — two bedrooms, one bathroom, living room and kitchen/dining area — sees a total utility bill each month of about $80, according to Raymond Custer.

Custer said that bill is considerably less than the bill at their last home.

“At Danville House, the electric bill was $100 to $140, for two rooms and a bath,” he said.

Both Raymond and Jennifer Custer are wheelchair bound, and Raymond has oxygen equipment he uses regularly — but less often now, he says, because the overall environment of the house is healthier for him.

Yoder said a recent comparison of the 21 Habitat homes in Danville show they continue to get more energy efficient. The best one so far is a house on Riverview Street that Danville Utilities “maxed out” with energy efficient features, to use as a model for comparison.

“We build all our homes to be at least 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional homes,” Yoder said. “The house on Riverview came in at 44 percent in the study, and this (the Custers’ home) is in the same range.”

The Custers have lived in their West End Avenue home for just over a year now, and say they love it, from the peace and quiet of the location to the affordable utility bills. But most important, Raymond said, is the friendships they have developed with the people involved in helping them get their home.

“Habitat doesn’t just leave you when they finish the home,” Raymond said. “If we run into problems, they always come back.”

This weekend, Habitat volunteers are returning to work on the yard.

“People don’t know what that means to handicapped people like us,” Raymond said. “They’re the family we don’t have. They never let us down.”