Talking About Green

Home builders are thinking more progressively these days. They’ve got their sights set on cost savings, energy efficiency, and how to rid homeowners once and for all of ever-inflating utility bills. KB Home is the perfect example. It’s at the forefront of the movement with plans to develop an entire neighborhood in California with brand-new solar-fitted homes.

Arroyo, the future housing development in southern California, will consist of new homes with home solar PV panels, courtesy of SunPower Corp, included in the deal. Why? Because KB Home and its affiliates recognize the enormous energy savings that solar power offers homeowners, as well as its benefit to the environment.

How Solar Will Cut Your Energy Bills In Half

Take the average single-story, 3-bedroom house—the typical-style of a KB Home. Then consider that customers will have the option of buying a property with either a 1.35-kilowatt (kW) or 3.15kW solar system. Those who choose the former will likely see a monthly energy bill of less than $100, while choosing the 3.15kW system will cut it to less than $50 monthly, according to KB. For perspective, in 2008, the American Community Survey reported that the average Lancaster resident’s gas/electric bill (in a 3-4 bedroom house) was over $210. As Mayor R. Rex Parris of Lancaster put it, “we simply cannot sit back and wait for others to ‘fix’ the economy.” That’s specifically why he and the city council took progressive steps to help KB Home realize the project. In addition to waiving local taxes on the development, they also moved to fast-track the approval process.

Making Solar Power More Accessible

Arroyo won’t be the first new home community built around an eco-friendly, energy-efficient model. In fact, KB has already built several of these ‘solar’ communities, including Eastvale-based Newbury at the Enclave, Chula Vista-based Otay Ranch, and communities in Colorado, and is planning five additional communities for 2011, including Arroyo. Also note that in addition to the fantastic energy savings of solar-equipped homes, there’s a bill in Congress to extend yet another significant tax credit to homeowners who invest in solar power—and it likely won’t be just for new homes, either.

Brittany Mauriss is an editor and solar expert at Green Marketing TV, the green entrepreneur’s source for start-up ideas and insightful interviews with the industry’s top thinkers. She also specializes in solar leasing and blogs over at EntrepreneursforaChange.com.