Earthcraft Home Program Launched By Upstate Forever and the Homebuilders Association Of Greater Greenville

House Speaker and Upstate Forever member David Wilkins speaking at the press conference announcing the EarthCraft Home program.

     One of Upstate Forever’s principal goals is better development practices in our region. We are excited to join forces with the Home Builders Association of Greater Greenville, the South Carolina Energy Office, and Southface Energy Institute to bring EarthCraft House, a green building program for residential development, to the Upstate.

EarthCraft originated in Atlanta when the Southface Energy Institute partnered with the Atlanta Homebuilders Association to start a voluntary program that serves as a blueprint for homes that are true a “win-win”– they reduce the owner’s utility bills and help protect the environment by lessening the demand on our natural resources.

More than 25 homebuilders attended the first EarthCraft House training session last October.

The pilot phase for the EarthCraft House program is being funded by a grant from the State Energy Office and is the first EarthCraft designation to be established outside the state of Georgia. The pilot project includes funding for builder training, inspections, and certification for twelve EarthCraft houses that will be built in the Greenville area.

The EarthCraft House offers extensive guidelines for reducing pollution and the waste of natural resources when building, giving residential builders a great deal of flexibility when choosing the environmental measures best suited for each project.

While the home itself is certified rather than the homebuilder, the builder must be a member of the HBA of Greenville and complete a short training course. When starting a new house, the builder completes a Scoring Worksheet which awards points in areas such as site planning, air-sealing measures, the use of recycled and natural content materials and waste management practices. A score of at least 150 points and a final inspection are required for certification.

In addition to these criteria, Greenville’s EarthCraft homes will also meet strict “Energy Star” standards set by the EPA and the Department of Energy. Energy Star homes are 15-30 per cent more energy efficient than homes built to traditional standards.

EarthCraft House is a sign of quality and commitment to homebuyers, with the biggest advantages being long-term savings on operating and maintaining the home and the ability to access special mortgage products. For example, the Energy Efficient Mortgage is a Fannie Mae product that allows homebuyers to qualify for a larger mortgage if the home is energy efficient.

An EarthCraft house also offers advantages compared with a traditional home, among them: lower overall energy consumption and thus costs to operate; more environmentally-friendly materials with fewer pollutants; reduced impact on the environment through site design and landscaping; and fewer environmental or health-related issues such as allergies, mold and mildew.

The Upstate region of South Carolina is one of the nation’s fastest growing areas; therefore, it is important to meet the needs of new residents in ways that are increasingly more sustainable (economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally sound). The EarthCraft House is one such way.

At the groundbreaking ceremony on April 7, Carlton Owens points to the Upstate House sign after the cover was removed by Keith Rodgers of Rome Construction (on left) and Brad Wyche of Upstate Forever. Seated behind Carlton are (from left to right): Architect Scott Johnston, Greenville City Council member Lillian Brock Fleming, and HBA of Greenville representative Coleman Shouse.

This is Upstate Forever’s second collaboration with HBA of Greenville. Last year the two organizations co-sponsored a successful regional conference on affordable housing. Like HBA of Greenville, Upstate Forever recognizes that effectively addressing the complex problems of our society requires working together with other groups.

For more information about EarthCraft House and Energy Star programs, visit
http://southface.org/web/earthcraft_house/ech_main/ech_context.htm and
http://www.energystar.gov/

Construction is now underway on “Upstate House,” a single-family residence in Greenville’s Pettigru Historic District that meets the EarthCraft standard. Upon completion, the house will be open to the public and allow homeowners, architects, builders, community groups and educators to see firsthand how to lessen the impact of daily living on the environment.

Upstate Forever Board Chairman Carlton Owen and his wife Brenda will own and live in the house. Next to the house will be a native woodland garden and public trail that will link the Pettigru district to Cleveland Park.

Several manufacturers and professional firms are donating or discounting materials and services to the project. The gain made when the house is purchased at fair market value will support the EarthCraft House program and other Upstate Forever and HBA of Greenville initiatives. To date, more than 25 building products manufacturers and professional service providers have agreed to sponsor the project. The house was designed by the Johnston Design Group and is being built by Rome Construction.

For more information and to follow the progress in constructing the house, see www.upstatehouse.org.