Zero Energy Community in California Innovated in 2003

Back in 2003 a housing development became California’s largest zero energy community with single family homes and an apartment complex powered by solar. Built by Clarum Homes, Vista Montaña in Watsonville was designed to reduce homeowner energy bills by up to 90 percent. Carrying the Zero Energy Home designation from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the development housed the largest building-integrated solar electric system in an apartment community in the United States. The 60-kilowatt system by GE made it possible for this community to produce over 90 megawatt hours of electricity annually. In total, Vista Montana has 177 single-family homes, 80 townhouses, and 132 apartments that were built with 1.2 to 2.4 kWp, and with a calculated energy yield of 1400 kWh/kWp.

Wheelchair Accessible Treehouse Uses Solar

Camp Twin Lakes wheelchair-accessible treehouse features a solar array, a vegetated roof and composting toilets in Georgia, USA. A 1.4-kilowatt, eight-module photovoltaic solar array is mounted on a nearby pole and supplies the treehouse fans and misting system pump with DC power.

Why the Spotlight on Solar?

PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN is the first step towards reducing our power consumption in buildings. After that, SOLAR and WIND energy can be used for cleaner, renewable electric power. However, a quick look at the solar power industry shows that cumulative solar energy production accounts for less than 0.01% of total Global Primary Energy demand. Its use is growing, but not so much in the US. Consider:
- Worldwide photovoltaic installations doubled to 5,948 MW in 2008, up from 2,826 MW installed during the previous year. (In 1985, annual solar installation demand was only 21 MW.)
- In megawatt terms, cell production in China and Taiwan reached 3,304 MW in 2008, with Europe at 1,729 MW, ahead of Japanese production at 1,172 MW in 2008. US manufacturers contributed only 375 MW in 2008.