New solar powered development in Houston

[editor]

I got a press release today about "Discovery at Spring Trails." It's going to be a new development (3,000 homes on 1,150 acres) near Spring that promises to be more energy-efficient than most. Unfortunately, the release was laced with hype like " Houston's first solar-powered hybrid community." (It's a "hybrid" community -- so the houses will run on gas, too?)

Here's the essentials:

• Solar panels that will provide up to 20% of each home's energy needs.
  
• An "energy dashboard" for each new home, allowing homeowners to monitor real-time solar energy production and energy and water use. Homeowners can readily see how many tons of CO2 emissions saved.
  
• A "bouquet" of the many styles of compact fluorescent (CF) light bulbs available. Each new home in Discovery at Spring Trails will be built with a minimum of 50% CF lighting.
  
• Green community features including a solar farm and wastewater re-use for lakes and irrigation.
  

Some of these items seem good. Some seem like someone striving for buzzword compliance. "A minimum of 50% CF lighting." I'm underwhelmed. My home is 100% CF. I bet millions of homes are. I've seen buildings in the third world that are 100% CF. It's not that big a deal to screw in a different type of lightbulb, so why not make the homes 90% or 99% CF?

There was a media preview today and I think 39 was among the stations that went, so turn on CW39 News at Nine tonight to see what it's like.

[Subdude]

It does sound a bit OTT, but I suppose it is a step in the right direction. If I'm not mistaken solar isn't that effective yet for electricity production. My boss has a solar-panel hot water heater which he likes a lot, although he isn't totally convinced he is saving money on it.

[Pumapayam]

It does sound a bit OTT, but I suppose it is a step in the right direction. If I'm not mistaken solar isn't that effective yet for electricity production. My boss has a solar-panel hot water heater which he likes a lot, although he isn't totally convinced he is saving money on it.

I think you save money each month, but the payback sucks if you are comparing the savings like that.

That is a great idea for a new neighborhood, too bad it's is out in BFE.

[memebag]

That is a great idea for a new neighborhood, too bad it's is out in BFE.

BFE is the best place for photovoltaics. They benefit most from not having to ship electricity long distances through wires.

I have a bad feeling about any housing development that relies so heavily on gimmicks, but I wish them well.

[Subdude]

BFE is the best place for photovoltaics. They benefit most from not having to ship electricity long distances through wires.

I have a bad feeling about any housing development that relies so heavily on gimmicks, but I wish them well.

There is line loss in any transmission system, but Spring isn't so far away or so isolated that there would be any particular problem in "shipping" electricity there.

I also thought it was strange about allowing a relatively low proportion of CF bulbs. It is supposed to be less of a problem now, but a lot of people say they don't like the color of the light. CFL might also prove a transitory technology if LED lighting is perfected.

[RedScare]

They had a story on this development on HPR Friday morning. I think it is a more comprehensive project than their poor marketing materials suggest. Super efficient appliances and light bulbs, a pretty cool video screen that monitors all energy use, and exceptional insulation. They predict a 40% reduction in energy use. It is located right off the Hardy Toll Road at Riley Fuzzell, basically at the county line.