Developer unveils solar-powered housing development in Henderson

JACOB KEPLER/VIEWBob Sweeney, vice president of operations for Concordia Homes, talks about some of the new gauges needed to regulate solar energy during a presentation at the Somerset community, the first solar-powered residential development in Nevada. JACOB KEPLER/VIEWAll of the houses in Somerset will have a gauge to monitor water and energy use. Advertisement

When Concordia homes began looking at going solar about a year ago, the only deterrent was the cost.

Stormie Andrews, director of sales and marketing, said the solar panels that are placed on the roof of a house are extremely expensive.

After some research, Concordia found the answer for affordable solar power with General Electric Co.'s ecomagination program.

"GE found a better way to build a home," Andrews said. "It's built more energy-efficient, which makes it easier to add solar panels."

Andrews said the homes are built so tight that no air gets in or out. The insulation is top-quality, and the temperature from room to room won't differ by more than three degrees. This keeps energy costs down and allows about half of the required solar panels to be installed.

Fresh, filtered air is pumped into the homes for a cleaner interior environment.

Concordia Homes is the first production home builder to use solar energy in Nevada, said Monica Caruso, spokeswoman with the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association.

Although the homes are priced about $25,000 more than a similar home without solar panels, Andrews said homeowners will recoup the costs quickly.

The power bill for a home under 1,700 square feet, built with the GE ecomagination, should not exceed $99 a month, Andrews said. With the solar-powered system, he said the power bill will be lowered to about $49. The power company can buy back power generated and not used by the home, which will result in credits and an even lower bill.

The roofs of the houses have tech shield, which blocks certain radiation from entering the attic and keeps the home cooler. There are low-emittance windows and energy-efficient appliances, including refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines and dryers.

The Somerset community in Henderson is the first GE ecomagination-inspired housing development in the nation.

Concordia Homes also is a member of the Southern Nevada Green Building Partnership.

"There are many shades of green," Caruso said.

The partnership holds builders to a high standard of resource efficiency, which includes more than saving energy. Builders must use building materials effectively, and all homes need water conservation systems.

For the homes to be considered green, which the Somerset houses are, they also must meet indoor environmental standards. The carpets and paints in the homes cannot have certain chemicals in them.

"A huge element of green is living more in tune with the environment, with less chemicals," Caruso said.

Under the Green Building Partnership, all rooms must be ventilated, not just kitchens and bathrooms.

Each home in the Somerset community has an envirodashboard, which lets owners monitor their water and electricity consumption and their energy generation.

To be in the partnership, builders do not have to use solar energy.

"Concordia is going above and beyond, and we are thrilled they are," Caruso said. "They are paving a whole new route showing fellow home builders how it's done."

There are three models open, and the first families will move into the 48-home community in July. The community has a design center with a licensed interior designer available to all buyers at no additional cost.

Homes in Somerset at Racetrack Road and Burkholder Boulevard range in size from under 1,700 to 2,700 square feet.

For more information, visit www.myconcordiahome.com/communities/somerset.htm.