Energy-efficient housing doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think » Yale Climate Connections

Transcript:

In Boston, a new affordable apartment complex for seniors demonstrates that building climate-friendly housing does not need to break the bank.

Beverly Craig of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center says the Kenzi at Bartlett Station is a 50-unit complex built to maximize energy efficiency.

Craig: “So this is designed to the passive house standard, which is basically the most efficient green building standard that you can get to in the world.”

The Kenzi is well-insulated, with an advanced ventilation system to maximize airflow. And it’s powered by all-electric systems including heat pumps for heating and cooling.

That may sound like a costly way to build.

Craig: “The perception was that it’s really expensive to build that building up front.”

So Craig’s group awarded grants to the Kenzi and seven other affordable housing projects to help them build to passive house standards and track the cost.

They found that on average, constructing them cost only about 2.5% more than building similar projects to lower standards. And the Kenzi cost only 1% more.

And operating the buildings will likely be cheaper because they use so much less energy.

So she says creating climate-friendly housing can be affordable, too.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media