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New Community focuses on GREEN energy options
A new housing development in Spring is building on a “green” foundation with solar power, recycling programs and a focus on cutting energy consumption.
Discovery at Spring Trails, 2711 Riley Fuzzel Road, will be “the first solar-powered hybrid community” in the Houston area, said Patrick Bullard, president of Land Tejas Cos. The Houston-based developer, in collaboration with several homebuilders, is creating housing designed with the environment and residents’ utility bills in mind.
“We think the consumers are ready for energy efficiency in their homes,” Bullard said.
Thanks to stringent construction guidelines, residents can expect to see heating and cooling bills about halved, he said. Homes will be built in collaboration with the General Electric Co.’s ecomagination Homebuilder Program. The standards call for at least 20 percent household energy savings when compared to the average home and Energy Star appliances, among other specifications.
“Overall the goal is to make a 40 to 50 percent more efficient home,” said Monica Hayes, an En-Touch Systems representative. The company operates the home networks that will provide entertainment, communications and security services, and will help manage the solar power systems.
Home prices will range from $170,000 to $400,000 at the 1,500 to 3,000-square-foot residences. The first models are slated to open in about a month, said Craig Lodel, president of San Diego-based EcoEdge Consulting, which helped create the community’s master plan.
The 1,200-acre development is set to house 2,700 to 3,000 homes. Resort-style amenities, such as a junior-sized Olympic pool and a water-park-like play area for children, are also in the plans.
The property will border the Spring Creek Greenway, the 12,000-acre preservation project of Montgomery and Harris counties. A 40-foot-wide park on the greenway will give residents a launching point for hiking, biking and canoeing.
New technology
Along with tighter construction, an LCD touch screen in every home will help owners learn how to conserve energy, Hayes said. The wall-mounted screen comes standard with two features: a security system and a program that shows how much electricity and water the home is using.
It also offers motivation to stay conservative. The energy feature shows how much was saved in terms of dollars, tons of carbon dioxide and miles driven in a vehicle. For water, it’s dollars, water coolers and the amount of bathtubs the homeowner has saved.
“People like to see that what they do is actually helping them and the environment,” Hayes said.
The live numbers also provide added protection by displaying current water and electricity usage.
“If you have a leak you would know right away,” she said.
Residents can opt for several other extras like the lighting feature, which lets someone control all the lights in the home from the control center. To conserve energy, the homeowner could also set various modes for different times of day. “Goodnight” could turn off all the lights or “party” mode could dim them and crank up the air conditioning.
Solar power
Though the community will be run by conventional power as well, an emphasis is on drawing solar energy. Solar panels will provide a minimum of one kilowatt to every home, or about 15 percent of the total power, Hayes said.
Homeowners can upgrade to enough solar panels to provide two or three kilowatts.
“The home itself is not only allowing them to manage their energy consumption, but also to produce it themselves,” Lodel said.
A “solar farm” will furnish about 20 percent of the energy needed to power streetlights and light common areas, Hayes said. Inside, about 75 percent of every residence will be lit by compact fluorescent light bulbs that last longer and produce less heat than incandescent bulbs.
Recycling will also be strongly encouraged through a Waste Management curbside recycling program and reusing residents’ water. Wastewater will be treated to a nearly drinkable level and will then be used to water the grounds and fill community fountains, lakes and waterfalls.
The community will also help develop educational programs to teach fourth and fifth-grade students about recycling at Tom Cox Intermediate School. That campus and the new York Junior High School are set to open at the community in the fall, Bullard said. Both are in the Conroe Independent School District.
brooke.hatchett@chron.com
08-01-2008
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