California Leads the State in Zero Net Energy Homebuilding at Scale with Largest Single-Family Community and 100+ Zero Net Energy Homes in Clovis
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA…September 5, 2018…De Young Properties and energy consulting company ConSol jointly announce De Young RidgeView, the largest grid-connected zero net energy (ZNE) single-family community to be developed in California. De Young RidgeView, located in the Central California community of Clovis, will include 58 zero net energy homes designed with the potential to produce as much clean energy as they consume in a year. The development is supported by a grant from the California Energy Commission Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) program and administered by the California Homebuilding Foundation (CHF) as a way to demonstrate cost effective construction of ZNE single-family homes.
“We believe California’s goals for solar and zero net energy homebuilding are a catalyst for the future of homebuilding nationwide. We are proud to play a role in helping to advance ZNE research and education with the development of RidgeView,” said Brandon De Young, executive vice president of De Young Properties and president of De Young Mortgage. “These homes are not only better for the environment but also for homeowners, as their innovative design and energy efficiency features will enable homeowners to achieve extremely low energy bills and live more comfortably in their home, while reducing their carbon footprint and promoting better air quality in California.”
RidgeView is the newest and largest ZNE community by De Young Properties with (58) ZNE homes, followed closely by two others located in Clovis: The Highlands by De Young (45) and EnVision (36), which welcomes its first residents this fall.
With sales beginning September 15, the De Young RidgeView community will provide critical energy and market data that will contribute to the continued development of California’s policy and modeling software for ZNE building. This data, analysis and reporting will prove essential in assisting California homebuilders to further optimize their ZNE building science and technology ahead of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) goal for all new California homes to be ZNE. This large-scale demonstration project will show regional, statewide and even national builders that zero net energy homes can be constructed affordably and marketed successfully, encouraging others to follow suit.
De Young RidgeView Zero Energy Inforgraphic
“To reach California’s ambitious climate and energy goals, we must push past status quo thinking to get the most out of each construction investment,” said Commissioner Andrew McAllister, the Energy Commission’s lead on energy efficiency and buildings. “Research projects like De Young’s RidgeView create new possibilities for building affordable, sustainable and comfortable homes in the real world.”
Research, Development and Education
With the support of a team of expert researchers, De Young Properties and ConSol, a Sacramento-based company with broad experience in residential and non-residential efficiency programs, will monitor energy usage and solar production, among other performance attributes of the RidgeView homes. The information will be used to continue improving ZNE home designs.
“Although California has made tremendous progress toward broader adoption of highly efficient and ZNE homebuilding practices, we’re still not all the way there. The best way to reach the State’s goal for all new homes to be ZNE is through the deployment of full-scale ZNE subdivisions like RidgeView. By getting these technologies out of the lab and working harmoniously in the field, we’ll finally be able to understand and begin to overcome the remaining barriers to large-scale adoption of ZNE and low-carbon building,” said Garth Torvestad, senior technical consultant at ConSol.
The research team will assess ZNE building costs and benefits, and evaluate best practices to reduce costs over time. Specific research focuses include the analysis of consumer perceptions; air sealing and ventilation strategy; study of homeowner behavioral variation in energy use; and the assessment of construction materials, equipment, design and technique. A recently completed survey of 500 California home shoppers and recent buyers has already yielded valuable insight into consumer preferences and willingness to spend on ZNE home features. This research will be used to help educate the home buying public and encourage builders to follow in De Young’s footsteps.
ConSol and De Young Properties will work with the California Energy Commission, California Homebuilding Foundation, Energy Solutions, Opinion Dynamics and the University of California, Davis in addition to a broad range of ZNE experts throughout the completion of the full RidgeView community.
ZNE Symposium to be held at California State University, Fresno on November 15, 2018
To help educate future homebuilding leaders, De Young Properties and ConSol have established a partnership with Fresno State to present an educational ZNE Symposium November 15 for students and faculty of homebuilding industry related disciplines, urban planning executives and regional government. The cutting-edge, energy efficient building process at RidgeView will be filmed to memorialize the process and provide demonstration exhibits that can assist in industry and collegiate curriculum.
About the RidgeView Community
De Young RidgeView’s 58 zero net energy homes (also known as zero energy or ZE) will be located in scenic north Clovis. RidgeView homes are available in floorplans ranging from 1,880 – 3,820 square-feet, and prices will start in the low $400,000’s. Homes will be available for purchase at a Pre-Grand Opening event at De Young’s Leonard Welcome Center located on Leonard and Dakota, south of Ashlan in Clovis on Saturday, September 15, 2018. The first homes are scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2019.
Along with the advanced building science features that include solar panels, High Performance Walls that utilize Advanced Framing techniques, and a High Performance Sealed Attic; these homes will offer generous amenities including a gourmet kitchen with stainless steel General Electric appliances, performance-engineered Kohler plumbing fixtures, spacious 10’ ceilings and 8’ doors and professional front yard landscaping, among several other desirable amenities. To learn more about De Young Properties’ zero energy technology, view a short video here.
About ConSol
Founded by Mike Hodgson in 1983, ConSol is a California corporation with broad experience in residential and non-residential energy efficiency, green program design and management, building audits, and training. ConSol also offers leading-edge research and energy consulting in systems and technologies to improve sustainability of new and existing residential and commercial buildings. As one of the leading independent energy efficiency firms in the Western United States, ConSol has clients in multiple markets including local governments, investor-owned and municipal utilities, public agencies, manufacturers, installing subcontractors, land developers, and top national and innovative residential builders.
ConSol’s team of highly skilled staff includes experts in energy compliance analysis, mechanical design, field implementation, program design and management, energy research and development, and environmental sustainability and compliance. They specialize in applying their knowledge of current building practices, building codes and building science to make buildings more energy efficient. For more information about ConSol visit www.consol.ws.
About De Young’s Zero Energy Footprint
A leading California energy efficient home builder, De Young Properties has been working to develop its ZE homebuilding technology for nearly a decade, having revealed its first ZE community, EnVision, in 2017; followed by The Highlands by De Young; and now De Young RidgeView, its third and largest ZE community.
De Young Properties has long been committed to the environment and takes pride in building homes with state-of-the-art features that are both beneficial to homeowners and environmentally-conscious for the long term. Focused on staying ahead of California’s homebuilding regulations, the company openly shares best practice successes through each community completion. The most recent demonstration of this commitment includes a SmartHome Experience Center, which is an interactive, educational display of the innovative energy efficiency and home automation technology included in their homes, at their Leonard Welcome Center in east Clovis.
De Young Properties was founded by Jerry and Paula De Young in 1974. With three generations of homebuilding experience and more than 40 years later, De Young Properties has built over 7,000 homes, and its name is synonymous with quality craftsmanship, enduring value, innovation and customer service. For more information about De Young Properties and zero energy homes visit www.deyoungproperties.com or call (559) 435-0900.
For more information about the California Energy Commission Electric Program Investment Charge program visit http://www.energy.ca.gov/research/epic/ and the California Homebuilding Foundation visit http://www.mychf.org/
