Habitat for Humanity

1st Lt. Temesha Madison, 844th Communication Group executive officer, Joint Base Andrews, Md., removes the hinges of a window to be used in a new home Dec. 15 in Washington D.C. "We are building the solar passive home," said Madison. "We wanted to get involved with the environmentally friendly build, and provide a home in our community." (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano)

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Habitat for Humanity

Master Sgt. Erik Doyle, 844th Communication Squadron First Sgt., Joint Base Andrews, Md., holds a piece of wood steady while Staff Sgt. Clifton Goodson, 744th Communication Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of radio frequency transmissions, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., secures the wood with a screw Dec. 15 in Washington, D.C. Twenty two members from the 844th Communication Group are contributing more than 140 man-hours towards the build Dec. 15 and 16. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano)

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Habitat for Humanity

Staff Sgt. Clifton Goodson, 744th Communication Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of radio frequency transmissions, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., measures where to place the new screw Dec. 15 in Washington D.C. This structure will house the tools required for the construction of the first solar passive home built by Habitat for Humanity in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano)

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Habitat for Humanity

From left to right, Telesha Robinson, Air Force District of Washington information technology specialist, Joint Base Andrews, Md., and Beverly Forbes, 844th Communication Squadron network operations center analyst,, JBA, sort nails Dec. 15 in Washington, D.C. Members from the communications group are contributing more than 140 hours man-hours towards the construction of the first passive home build with Habitat for Humanity in here, which is set to be finished in April. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano)

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Habitat for Humanity

The 844th Communications Group, Joint Base Andrews, Md., is spreading the Air Force District of Washington mission of 'going green' into the Washington D.C. community Dec. 15 and 16. "We are building the solar passive home," said 1st Lt. Temesha Madison, executive officer. "It is the first one in D.C, and the second that Habitat for Humanity has ever built." (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano)

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Habitat for Humanity

The inside of the first solar passive build with Habitat for Humanity in Washington, D.C., Dec. 15. A solar passive house is designed to collect, store and redistribute the solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject it in the summer, requiring much less electrical energy to control the temperature in the home. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Ruano)

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844th Comm. Group goes green in the community

Published Dec. 15, 2011
By Airman 1st Class Tabitha N. Haynes
Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs

Joint Base Andrews, Md. -- The 844th Communications Group, Joint Base Andrews, Md., is spreading the Air Force District of Washington mission of 'going green' into the Washington D.C. community Dec. 15 and 16.

"We are building the solar passive home," said 1st Lt. Temesha Madison, executive officer. "It is the first one in D.C, and the second that Habitat for Humanity has ever built."

Military groups participate approximately every other month to volunteer for the local Habitat builds said Luke Hupp, AmeriCorps crew leader in charge of the green construction build.

"We wanted to get involved with the environmentally friendly build, and provide a home in our community," Madison said. "This home will save the tenant 80 percent off of their electrical bill and run off of the same amount of energy used to power a hair dryer."

Parsons School of Designs, N.J., competed in the solar decathlon, Washington, D.C., building this home for the competition.

Following the competition, the home travelled back to New Jersey where it waited for its family to be assigned before it came back to D.C. donated for the habitat build.

There will be two identical green homes to make a duplex when it is completed.

"In the end you don't use much energy and the energy bills will be low," said Hupp.

A solar passive house is designed to collect, store and redistribute the solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject it in the summer, requiring much less electrical energy to control the temperature in the home.

The 844th Comm. Group is donating 143 man-hours towards the build to help the low income family gain a home, Madison said. The unit will be returning in spring.

The project is set to be finished in April.

To volunteer for the local HFH projects contact the Habitat volunteer coordinator at (202) 882-4600, option 2.