BIRMINGHAM – This year marks the 21^st Habitat for Humanity home built by volunteers with the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) Magic City Chapter and numerous partners. The house will be built May 14-18 in east Birmingham.

Volunteers are building a “green” EarthCents home with many energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features.

“This is a great opportunity for APSO to partner with Habitat and other agencies,” said Leigh Perry, Alabama Power’s vice president for Charitable Giving. “Our company believes in giving back to the communities we serve. By donating gifts of time through APSO, our employees and families can make a difference.”

“Thanks to the partnership between Habitat and APSO, the Howard family will experience the dream of home ownership,” said Charles Moore, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham. “The installation of green features means direct savings on utility costs, which will benefit them for years to come.”

Several features of the Howards’ EarthCents home will produce savings on electricity. These include Energy Star appliances, lighting and controls as well as energy-efficient heating and cooling and a hybrid hot-water system.

Other elements in the design of the home and yard will help reduce water usage. For example, the home will have a rain-harvesting system for irrigation. The home will also have low-flow faucets, shower heads and toilets. Low-toxic paints, caulking and adhesives will make the home cleaner and healthier. Construction materials will be recycled where possible, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

“This project will show how a green EarthCents home will improve energy efficiency, and put money back in the homeowner’s wallet over the long run,” said Robin White, a green building specialist at Alabama Power and past chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council, Alabama Chapter. “This energy-efficient home will be healthier for the family and have less of an impact on the environment.”

The Howards’ homesite is at 149 Martin Drive in east Birmingham. From downtown Birmingham, travel I-20 East/I-59 North. Keep left at the fork, staying on I-59. Take exit 134 for AL-75/Roebuck Parkway. Turn left at Roebuck Parkway and continue onto Parkway East/Center Point Parkway for approximately 6 miles. Turn right onto Martin Drive and the house site is on the right.

Building Habitat homes is just one of hundreds of projects supported by APSO, a nonprofit organization with 10 chapters across the state. APSO volunteers devote their time and resources to support education, protect the environment and improve Alabama communities.   

For more information about APSO and the company’s charitable giving efforts, go to http://www.alpowercharitablegiving.org/. To learn ways to be more energy efficient, visit www.alabamapower.com/earthcents/home. For more information about Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham, go to www.habitatbirmingham.org.