(L to R) On July 16, EarthCraft House director Jim Hackler, Ellie and Ron Conners of Winslow Homes dedicate the first among 40 high-performance, energy-efficient homes planned for a West Nowell Road development named Winslow Oaks, located in Macon.

First Building America Site in Middle Georgia

Ellie Conners, Winslow Homes managing partner

The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America designated the Winslow Oaks community of Winslow Homes, L.L.C. as its first partner in Middle Georgia. Through this partnership, Winslow Oaks will provide homeowners with high performance, affordable, energy efficient homes that incorporate the latest innovations in building science.

Southface energy experts support Winslow Oaks with a team of energy consultants who provide technical assistance as well as design and implementation expertise, improving the energy-efficient performance of Winslow Oaks homes.

Ron Conners, Winslow Homes builder, describes the small - 1,490 to 1,625 square feet homes, priced from $129,000 to $156,000, as “mini-mansions for the masses. They’ll snuggle among preserved natural woods and park-like green spaces. And they’ll feature amenities that aren’t usual in small, affordable homes - 9-foot ceilings, crown mouldings and whirlpool tubs,” said Conners.

As a public - private partnership sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy, the vision of Building America is to develop and implement innovative building processes and technology that save homeowners at least 30 to 50 percent in energy costs. George James, program manager of the U. S. Department of Energy Building America initiative said, “We are pleased to support this builder’s efforts to bring high performance home building methods to the Middle Georgia community.”

“It’s exciting to see a builder offer home buyers in the Macon area some of the most energy efficient and high performance homes in the state,” said Dennis Creech, executive director of Southface Energy Institute.

Building high-performance homes is cost effective too, as Conners explained, with the comprehensive energy upgrades adding only three to five percent to the materials costs.

“To look at these houses, you think how cute they are, but they’ve got all kinds of features that are like nothing I think we’ve seen in Macon,” said architect Gene Dunwody Jr., who designed three house plans. “And it’s a green neighborhood, too, saving all the big trees. It’s a real sustainable-environment project.”

Health benefits are also evident in these homes with features such as crawl spaces having a two-inch thick moisture barrier and energy-efficient, non-carcinogenic cellulose insulation around the entire perimeter without vents, significantly reducing dampness and the formation of mildew.