Sacramento’s Habitat for Humanity chapter on Saturday presented two needy families with keys to new homes – each built to be environmentally friendly.

The homes, in the Del Paso Heights area, are the first built by Habitat for Humanity in the Sacramento area to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council under its widely recognized LEED program, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

DanWilson, Habitat’s Sacramento director of construction, proudly pointed out that solar panels on one homewere making more electricity than the home was consuming.

This was the case even though it was an overcast morning, the heater was running inside the house, all the lights were on, and the front door was wide open as dozens of visitors toured the home after a ribbon-cutting.

"It’s a better product for our families because it reduces their long-term energy costs," Wilson said.

The homes also have recycled carpeting, extra-thick insulation, on-demand water heaters, Energy Star certified appliances, dual-pane windows filled with argon gas, fluorescent lighting and drought-tolerant landscaping.

The three-bedroom homes are the first of four "green" homes being built by Habitat for Humanity in the 2700 block of Forrest Street, near Noralto Elementary School. A third will be dedicated in December, while a fourth was just being framed on Saturday.

Each of the two homes dedicated Saturday is owned by families spanning three generations.

One is husband and wife Berhanu Didanu and Miheret Bune, recent immigrants from Ethiopia; their daughters Penile Kumlo, 4, and Elore Kumlo, 3; and the girls’ grandmother, Adegesh Mazinga. Didanu works as a parking attendant, and Bune works in a retail shop.

The other new homeowner is Abrehet Weldemariam, a vocational nurse, who immigrated from Eritrea 14 years ago. Her disabled daughter, Millen Ghebretinsae, 19, and mother, Kudusan Habtegergish, will live with her.

"When I came to the U.S., I could not ever imagine having a house of my own, especially one for Millen to have a better life," Weldemariam said. Millen has cerebral palsy.

She walks with difficulty and spends most of her time in a wheelchair. The new house is equipped with a roll-in shower, wide doors and low counters so she can do more to care for herself.

The homes were built using donated labor and materials from a wide range of sources. Pacific Gas & Electric Co., for instance, donated money for the solar panels, while employees of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District donated $75,000 – about half the construction cost for one of the homes.