Get Free Solar Power for Your New Home

Increasing energy costs, as well as state and federal rebates and incentives, make solar electric systems an increasingly popular choice for homeowners who want to reduce their energy bills. Solar energy is also one of the best ways to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.

Trilogy(TM) by Shea Homes, the first builder to roll out a national solar offering, has chosen to work with BP Solar, a global leader in solar energy. Trilogy will offer free solar power systems on new homes as part of its ongoing commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of homes in all of its Shea Homes Active Lifestyle(TM) Communities across four states in the US.

The BP Solar Home Solutions(R) systems are estimated to reduce the homes’ electric bills by up to 60% per home, in addition to the approximately 30% energy usage reduction Trilogy homes already achieve with the Shea Green Certified(TM) standards for home building. Each home will be equipped with a 3-kilowatt solar power system, which will prevent about 18 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over ten years. Moreover, it helps provide security against electric rate increases, allowing consumers to hedge their future risks in the volatile energy markets.

“With the addition of solar in a home, we’re no longer just efficient users of electricity, we become producers. Integrating a solar system into a home during construction is less expensive than adding it later, making solar more accessible and affordable than it’s ever been,” said Rick Andreen, president of Shea Homes’ Active Lifestyle Communities. “Trilogy homes pass the true test of a ‘green’ home by integrating a mix of energy-saving and energy-generating devices that deliver immediate and long-term benefits for our customer.”

Solar systems will be free (the offer expiration date is unclear) to new homebuyers in Trilogy communities in Arizona, California, Florida and Washington. After the offer expired, the systems will be available as an upgrade option. Homeowners will be able to track how much power their system is producing, along with its environmental benefits, via a Web-based remote monitoring system.

“Creative business partnerships are helping to transform the American residential marketplace with homes that combine energy efficiency with solar power,” said DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander A. Karsner. “These homes will help transform the built environment into healthier, more prosperous and sustainable communities that reduce our carbon footprint, enhance our energy security and contribute to the fabric of a cleaner, more efficient America.”

To maintain a consistent and visually appealing look for its high-end resort communities, Trilogy chose BP Solar’s EnergyTile and Integra(R) systems. The EnergyTile roof-integrated solar electric system emulates the shape of common flat concrete tile roofs, making it one of the industry’s most aesthetically pleasing solutions for tile roof applications. The Integra system offers a low-profile installation, enhancing the look on asphalt shingle roofs.

“We’re proud to be Trilogy’s exclusive solar provider as they become the first national residential builder to introduce solar across all of their communities,” said Mary Shields, global vice president of marketing for BP Solar. “We are pleased to see that home builders around the country increasingly see the value that solar brings to their homes as well as to their homebuyers.”

Shea Green Certified homes are built with a combination of the most important and cost-effective standards for green residential building set by LEED, National Association of Home Builders, and Environments for Living(R).

In addition to solar power systems, standard features in Trilogy’s green homes include solar attic fans, blown-in insulation from recycled cellulose, wood from sustainable forests, framing techniques that use up to 10% less wood and save 5.5 trees per home, leak minimizing construction via sealed ducts and penetrations, satellite/weather-controlled irrigation systems, Energy Star-rated efficient appliances, dual pane low-e windows and motion and occupancy sensor lighting.

In September 2007, J.D. Power and Associates ranked Trilogy by Shea Homes highest in customer satisfaction among the largest active adult community new home builders in 34 U.S. markets. [Shea Homes, BP Solar]

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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