This Pro Tour took attendees to the Melpet Farm Residences, a recently completed affordable housing community in Dennis, MA. These homes were built to near Net Zero standards despite the intensely regulated pricing of affordable housing units. By investing in high-performance materials, the project team behind the Melpet Farm Residences designed them so that they will use nearly 60% less energy than code compliance demands, and incorporated features to keep the energy use low over time (including a PV system on each roof that offsets energy costs by ~72%). This community consists of 27 townhouse-style rental units in eight two-story buildings, with a ninth building for management offices and community space.  

Pro Tour participants spent the afternoon on a guided tour of the Melpet Farm affordable housing  project, with a chance hear directly from members of the project team about what it takes to apply sustainable building practices into a socially responsible, affordable community project.

 Additional performance-based incentive funds, as well as funding to help offset the HERs Rater fees, were contributed by the Cape Light Compact as part of their Residential New Construction program.

Melpet Farm Residences Features

• Newly constructed complex, completed in December 2015
• 30,000 sq.ft. across nine buildings (eight new residences & one management/office)
• Triple pane windows
• 2 x 6 walls with taped Zipwall and two inches of rigid insulation on the exterior
• Electric heating, cooling and DHW
• Photovoltaics, generating 72% energy offset
• HERS Index: 60
• View the complete energy case study for this project

Thank to the event sponsors!

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