A new development of solar powered homes is now under construction in the US, which could help future owners run their cars with next to no cost in electricity.
Announcing the start of construction in the California cities of Signal Hill, Santa Barbara and Brea, City Ventures, the company behind the new solar, no-gas homes, held a ‘Plug Into History’ press event featuring the Nissan Leaf to show how the houses could help nearly cancel out energy bills. The start of construction of 190 pre-wired homes is the largest of its kind in the US.
Each one of the 190 homes, features solar panels and an advance electric circuit to enable an electric car to be recharged from the energy generated from the panels. The homes features a garage pre-wired to allow an electric car to plug-in and re-power, making an electric car like a Nissan Leaf the perfect accomplice.
Other home features include an Energy Star-rated hybrid electric water heater, low-flow faucets and shower heads, Energy Star high-efficiency dishwasher and low-emission windows for superior insulation against cold and heat.
"A City Ventures residence puts homeowners farther on the path to net-zero energy independence than any other new home on the market," says Herb Gardner, president of City Ventures’ Homebuilding Division. "Its built-in solar power provides ‘off-the-grid’ energy, while its highly efficient appliances and materials reduce energy consumption compared to most new homes. The electric bills are exceptionally low and there are no gas bills. All this makes for a green earth and green wallet, returning immediate savings to the owner. Our Signal Hill Collection is the first opportunity to see these homes and their pre-wired LEAF technology in action."
City Ventures is following up the Plug Into History event by inviting interested homeowners and the general public to come tour its Signal Hill home collection on Saturday, November 19th. This is the first opportunity to tour the pre-wired, all-electric neighbourhood.
