De Young Properties Partners with SolarCity for Zero Annual Electricity Usage

FRESNO – De Young Properties and SolarCity have made it possible for homebuyers to save money and use clean energy with solar-powered Net Zero EnergySmart homes, now available in select De Young Properties communities.

Designed to reduce annual electricity usage to zero, De Young Net Zero EnergySmart floorplans feature advanced building science that generates savings by combing De Young EnergySmart features with the power of SolarCity’s solar energy systems. De Young’s agreement with SolarCity makes it possible for homebuyers to pay less for clean electricity generated by their homes’ solar systems than they would pay for power from their local utility.

A De Young Net Zero EnergySmart home not only meets rigorous energy-efficiency standards, but is designed to annually consume zero net electric energy. The award-winning De Young Net Zero EnergySmart homes are designed to meet these criteria by using efficient climate control, lighting and other efficiency improvements to reduce their energy use, and then offsetting the remainder of their electricity needs by producing their own using a solar system. The result is a home that is far more advanced than the standard home on the market today. This environmentally responsible technology is designed to help homeowners save thousands of dollars in the future by reducing annual electricity costs.

“A De Young Net Zero EnergySmart home is designed to allow homebuyers to reduce their annual electricity expenses so they can have less stress on their pocket book, making it a very smart decision,” said Brandon De Young of De Young Properties. “We are pleased to partner with SolarCity as our solar provider for the De Young Net Zero EnergySmart home, as SolarCity will handle the installation process and continue to provide customer service for our homebuyers for years to come.”

The homes in select De Young Properties communities offer solar systems ranging from 2.94 to 4.9 or more kilowatts (kW) of solar generation capacity depending on the design and style of the home. De Young EnergySmart homes are built to the stringent California Advanced Homes Program Tier 2 standard, are GreenPoint Rated and significantly exceed California’s required energy-efficiency standards by a minimum of 30 percent. The individual savings for each homebuyer will vary based on their level of personal use and the amount of solar electricity generated from their individual solar system. The environmental impact of a 4.9 kW solar system is equivalent to reducing 172,465 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions in the air, or planting more than 180 trees, over the lifetime of the 20-year pre-paid lease agreement.*

“SolarCity is thrilled to be part of the De Young Net Zero EnergySmart homes that will run on clean, solar power and will be designed to save money and run efficiently,” said Walter Cuculic, SolarCity’s national manager of Builder Programs. “With solar, De Young homebuyers will enjoy savings from the very first day they move into their beautiful homes.”

SolarCity custom designs and installs each solar system at De Young Properties communities before the homebuyer moves into their new home, and will provide customer service, real-time monitoring and repairs if needed for the lifetime of the contract. SolarCity will also provide a personalized MySolarCity web portal to each homebuyer, giving them direct access to view their electricity consumption and their solar system energy production online.

In addition to the already available Net Zero electric option, De Young Properties continues to explore energy efficient building science technology by building a Zero Net Energy home that is designed to not only offset annual electricity usage, but natural gas as well. With the support of SolarCity, De Young Properties’ new Zero Net Energy model home is designed to produce as much energy as it consumes each year. A private ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at De Young CountryCourt community and the home will be open to the public on Dec. 1, 2013.