NEWS

New Jersey Newsroom: Energy-efficient home for wounded veteran rising in Hillsdale
August 27, 2009


Citing what he said is his administration's commitment to clean and efficient energy, Gov. Jon Corzine Thursday visited Hillsdale to tour the first so-called New Jersey Climate Choice Home being constructed in the state.

The energy-efficient home is being built by Homes for our Troops for Marine Corporal Visnu Gonzalez, a wounded Iraq war veteran.

"Corporal Gonzalez has served our country with honor and at great sacrifice,'' Corzine said after touring the project. "I commend Homes for Our Troops for their commitment to our country's wounded veterans and for building Corporal Gonzalez a home that will improve quality of life not just for him, but for all of us. Corporal Gonzalez will have significantly lower energy costs for as long as he lives here, and everyone in New Jersey will breathe air that's a little bit cleaner because of the energy efficiency and renewable energy that was incorporated into the construction of this home."

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, private homes currently account for nearly 17 percent of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. Building new homes to New Jersey ENERGY STAR Homes and New Jersey Climate Choice Home program standards is one of the most effective ways to meet Corzine's energy master plan, which calls for reducing energy consumption by 20 percent and generating at least 30 percent of the state's energy from renewable sources by the year 2020.

Administered through the state Clean Energy Program, New Jersey's Climate Choice Home program incorporates New Jersey ENERGY STAR Home standards and renewable energy technologies that result in nearly zero energy use. New Jersey Climate Choice Homes includes high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, high-quality windows and doors, well-sealed duct systems, improved air sealing and insulation, ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and lighting, and renewable energy systems that account for 50 percent of the home's electrical load.

Once completed, Gonzalez's home will be 70 percent more energy efficient than a conventionally built home and eligible to receive up to $36,000 in incentives from New Jersey's Clean Energy Program to offset costs.

During the Corzine administration, 16,822 homes have been built to New Jersey ENERGY STAR standards with assistance from New Jersey's Clean Energy Program. A total of 37,622 New Jersey ENERGY STAR Homes have been built since the program began in 2001.

"Throughout the nation and particularly in New Jersey, we are seeing the growth of a burgeoning new industry that is based on conservation, environmentally-friendly practices and the creation of jobs," Corzine said. "Today, we are looking at the home of the future – one that will allow homeowners throughout the state to participate in the Green Revolution."

– TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM