SolarCity and Trilogy/Shea Homes celebrated a milestone recently by selling its 2000 SheaXero home in just over two years.
Available in 11 Trilogy communities in five states, these “No Electric Bill Homes” give a real one-two punch in financial and environmental savings.
Home with Solar Panels via Flickr CC
Homeowners can save around $3,000 annually, Shea Trilogy’s notes. Now imagine what you can do with an extra $3,000 in your pocket. You could have more money for retirement. You may want to put that money away for a rainy day. You may even want to put it to a charity. A trip even. Or if you are feeling lucky, that extra change will get you closer to that Tesla Model S you always wanted.
Meanwhile, the environmental impact is nothing to sneeze at. SolarCity’s press release suggests the 2,000 homes carbon emission level reductions equal 30,000 cars not driven. That’s also the same as saving 14 million trees from being cut.
With Shea Homes’ choice to go solar, it is also reducing water consumption in producing energy. It’s estimated these houses will cut fresh water usage by 1.5 billion gallons over the next twenty years.
In April, 2013, SheaXero homes surpassed the 1000th homes sold bench mark.
Interest in zero energy homes like SheaXero is rising. Consider how a one year trial run by the National Institute of Society and Technology on a net-zero energy home fared:
To put it another way — and perhaps even more impressively — the net-zero system allowed for almost $4400 (average annual bill for a comparable modern home in the region) in saved/avoided energy costs, while also actually earning the virtual family of four residing there a cash credit via the exportation of surplus energy to the local utility.
As solar costs continue to fall, zero energy homes will benefit, reducing further energy costs, while seeing ideas like SheaXero become more affordable for everyone.
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