“Imagine being able to live in a new master-planned gated community set in a friendly small town rich with history…” starts the welcome message for the Villages at Heritage Springs.
The Villages is a new community of more than 500 residences set on 54 acres in Santa Fe Springs in Southern California. But what’s so special about that you might ask. Well, they claim to be the nation’s largest single-builder solar-powered community.
It sounds like a great community full of green and energy efficient features. First let me mention the standard stuff real quick: The community offers both town-homes and single family homes ranging from 1,390 to 2,166 square feet. In terms of amenities it offers pretty much everything you’d find in a modern home. High ceilings, luxurious master-suites, two-car garages, etc.
It’s the green features that make it stand out: The homes are solar-powered and have been designed for superior energy performance, exceeding the National Energy Standard by 50%. It uses SunPower’s SunTile technology which blends naturally into the home’s design converting the sun’s energy into electricity to power the lights, appliances, television, and other electronic devices.
In addition to saving up to 60% on the home’s electric bill, if the system produces more electricity than the owner is using, the meter spins backwards giving you credit which offsets your electric bill (net metering).
But the maintenance on this thing must be… zero. No maintenance required. The system turns itself automatically on in the morning and off at night. You can also track your usage from the supplied wireless in-home display, a computer or even a mobile phone.
Think about this – over thirty years you will:
- Save the energy equivalent of drilling for 143 barrels of oil, or
- Offset 88,236 miles driven in a car, or
- Reduce carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions by 3,341 pounds, or
- Provide the equivalent environmental benefit of planting 160 mature trees, or
As you know, solar power alone won’t make a home energy efficient. The builder, Comstock Homes, has included a whole set of energy efficient, money saving features in the home:
- Double-Pane, Low-E windows result in better heating and cooling retention in the home Up to half of all lights in the development are Energy Star fluorescent lights, using 1/3 less electricity and lasting up to 10 times longer than conventional lighting.
- Energy Efficient Air-Conditioning & Heating, upgraded duct insulation and ducts tested to ensure minimum leakage.
- Tankless Water Heaters (they can cut energy expenses up to 40%)
- Cool Roof Tiles, reflecting sun’s heat, resulting in up to 30% cooling energy savings.
Of course now I wonder, when will we see such large scale green community in the DC metro area? Are we too conservative around here to take such big step?
Check out the Villages at Heritage Springs.
