The largest zero net energy (ZNE) community of single-family homes in California will serve as a multi-year living laboratory when Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) researchers begin to monitor and analyze the benefits and impacts of smart and grid-connected homes.
A collaborative team, including De Young Properties, EPRI, BIRAenergy, and Pacific Gas and Electric, unveiled plans for the new community, which is located within the 3,300-acre Loma Vista master-planned community in Clovis, Calif. Called De Young EnVision, the development will include 36 grid-connected ZNE homes designed to produce as much clean energy as they consume in a year.
The homes will be optimized for energy efficiency and include features like electric heat pumps for space heating and cooling, advanced wall framing and insulation, solar generation, and electric vehicle ports. Over the next several years, EPRI researchers will monitor the homes’ energy use, solar production, and other performance attributes to learn how they can improve upon and expand ZNE communities and the benefits for homeowners and the environment.
The findings will also help inform utilities and other development stakeholders how to more seamlessly integrate these types of homes into the electric grid.
The first homes in this community are scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.