L.A. Solar Towhouses

Published on May 6, 2009 by Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred".
Categories: Affordable Solar, Buying Solar, Los Angeles Solar, energy efficiency.

Hi! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Here’s an example of a great new trend in solar: New residential developments, built from the ground up with Green in mind and solar as an option.

Rock Row, built in the Eagle Rock section of Los Angles, is sold out already, even though most of the town homes on the lot have yet to be built. The builder is intending for the entire project to be LEED certified, but that will have to wait until they’re finished and assessed.

What do you get for around $500,000 and 1310 to 1600 square feet, depending on the floor plan?
See the sign below.

I spoke to Chris Furstenberg, one of the real estate agents, who graciously showed me the inside of one of the model homes– though all of the units were sold. Chris tells me he offered buyers free solar panels if they bought a townhouse without a real estate agent. Several have taken him up on his offer.

The solar systems are limited, however, by the roof size and will likely not cover the electricity needs of the townhouse. Still, some solar is better than no solar, and the new owners will see some savings even on a 1kw to 2kw system. For those home owners who want to add solar later, that’s still possible as well.

It’s encouraging to Solar Fred that builders are now considering solar and green building practices. And for those of you reading this outside of Los Angeles, the $500,000 price tag is actually very reasonable, especially for a green home.

Related posts:

1. Cheap Solar: NY Times Video
2. Solar Bonus: Increasing Home’s Value
3. Winner!
4. Top 10 Solar Myths

Video: Solar Basics »« Solar Info: Referral Sites