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Lennar Bay Area Homebuilding is announcing three Bay Area solar-driven communities, located in the Windemere community of San Ramon. All 275 homes will come equipped with a roof integrated solar electric system from PowerLight, a subsidiary of SunPower Corporation as a standard feature. The three Windemere communities, Paloma, Escalante and Stafford Place, are the latest addition to Lennar’s solar-electric program. The company introduced their solar home program in February, when it unveiled the 77-home Milano community in Danville, at the time, the largest solar-driven community in the Bay Area. The homes in the three communities range in square footage from 2,600 to 4,300. In recognition of the Earth Day celebration, Lennar will host grand opening events in all three communities on April 21, from 11am-4pm.
 “Our commitment to energy conservation and enhanced value for our buyers has guided this decision to install solar systems in these homes,” said Les Lifter, Vice President of Marketing for Lennar. “Through our research, we listen to our customers and our Bay Area customers are telling us that solar power is a value-added element to their home buying decision.”
In 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 1, legislation which put the finishing touches on his Million Solar Roofs Plan, aimed at establishing California as the nation’s leader in solar energy. The plan provides incentives to builders and homeowners who install solar power in new homes and convert to solar energy in existing homes. The bill, which provides tremendous support to Lennar’s existing solar energy initiatives, is just part of a broader effort to push green energy alternatives throughout the state. Although the incentives from the program will not take effect until 2011, Lennar’s commitment to solar-power puts it in the forefront of forward-thinking builders who have their eye on the future and a concern for the environment. The Windemere homes equipped with a solar energy system can generate considerable savings on annual utility bills in addition to the current, one-time $2,000 federal tax credit. According to PG&E, homeowners will actually produce renewable power to help supply their own needs while protecting the environment. Any surplus power appears as a credit on the homeowner’s utility bill and reverts back to the PG&E power grid. PG&E then subtracts the energy supplied back to the utility from the consumer’s monthly bill. Unlike solar panels of the past, which were elevated above the roof, the SunPower SunTile solar electric system integrates into each home’s roofline. 
“The SunTile systems we are providing to these communities feature the world’s most efficient solar cell, ensuring that homeowners achieve maximum savings on their utility bills each month, while contributing to clean air and a better environment,” said Howard Wenger, Vice President of Global Business Units for SunPower. The Lennar homes at Windemere are part of the Company’s “Everything You Want, Everything You Need, That’s the Logic of Lennar” program. Rather than offering upgrades that cost extra, Lennar researches what customers want and value in a new home and includes those items as standard features. Story Sorce: blog.thesietch.org/2007/04/11/lennar-bay-area-announces-opening-of-275-solar-powered-homes/ No one has commented on this article.
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