ClimateMaster recently held a reception at the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association banquet facility to celebrate completion of Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity’s 300th home featuring a geothermal heat pump-driven heating and cooling system. The home, located in the organization’s Las Rosas development in Oklahoma City, represents a unique collaborative commitment to construct all Habitat for Humanity homes in the region with geothermal heating and cooling systems.
“Thanks to ClimateMaster and its president, Dan Ellis, we are one of the most energy-efficient home builders in the state of Oklahoma, and among the top in the nation, saving families $700 to $800 on average per year,” says Ann Felton, president of Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity. “We value our partnership with ClimateMaster and I am honored to have the opportunity to work with Dan. With his knowledge and expertise, he has really catapulted our construction program to the next level, which ultimately benefits our families.”
According to Felton, ClimateMaster has donated the heat pump units installed in all 300 geothermal homes constructed by the organization since 2006. In addition, system design, installation, testing and startup services have been provided at cost by Oklahoma City-based geothermal installing contractor Comfortworks and by geothermal driller B&H Construction.
“The 300 geothermal homes constructed by Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity provide a clear example that this type of system is accessible in the entry housing market, and that it can provide real and significant economic advantages to homeowners,” says Ellis. “With these and other initiatives, Central Oklahoma has become a leader in making geothermal systems a standard HVAC solution for the home, and we anticipate this leadership to encourage even greater traction across the country.”
The 300 geothermal homes built to date, which range in size from 1,050 to 1,400 square feet, each feature a 2-ton geothermal heat pump system from ClimateMaster that is fed by a single 400-foot deep borehole.
The 300th geothermal home, which is also the 722nd home overall to be built by Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity since the organization was established, is owned by Victor and Alma Medrano, who will move in to the home with their two sons.
According to Cherri Robinson, who has lived since 2006 in one of the first 10 geothermal homes built by Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity, she has enjoyed the comfortable and virtually maintenance-free aspects of geothermal heating and cooling. “I love my system,” said Robinson. “You can just move the temperature up or down one degree and notice the change.”
The majority of the geothermal homes built by Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity are located in the organization’s Hope Crossing development, which is currently Habitat for Humanity International’s largest green home community in the United States. The five-phase project, which includes 217 homes, was completed at the end of 2009.
“The successes achieved by this collaboration can be seen on many levels, from the homeowners themselves, to the geothermal industry at-large,” said Ellis. “We are proud to be part of the commitment made by Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity to construct 100 percent of its homes with geothermal heating and cooling over the past seven years, and we look forward to continuing this momentum well into the future.”