Lennar is changing the way they build homes in the Santa Clarita area by introducing their SOLARplus homes in the Patina development in West Creek Valencia.

The SOLARplus homes are not new to California, since they've already been tested in the Sacramento, Fresno and San Franciso areas. However, the Valencia development will be one of the very first attempts to bring this energy efficient technology to the Southern California area.

The Patina homes at West Creek Valencia will apparently be the only homes to include this technology, unless they decide to add the currently on-hold Mosaic homes to this program later. The homes in Lennar's Valencia RiverVillage will apparently not be included in the SOLARplus offerings.

The difference between Lennar's SOLARplus homes and other homes won't be that apparent, since the newer technologies using the SunPower SunTile solar tiles blend seamlessly into the concrete roofs. Residents will be able to monitor their energy savings online, and they will be credited when their energy production exceeds their energy usage - the electric meter will actually spin backwards.

In addition to the solar energy system, these homes will feature energy efficient appliances, heating and cooling systems, high-efficiency windows, energy efficient lighting systems, and extra insulation to aid in energy conservation.

The diagram below, courtesy of Lennar's Solarplus website, shows how these new technologies may be built into a home. Note that this is just an example, and may not be exactly what is included in the Patina homes. Many of these features, such as energy efficient appliances and energy efficient lighting, are already being included in Lennar's standard production homes in the Santa Clarita area, including West Creek and West Hills as well as RiverVillage.

Is Lennar footing the entire bill for all of these energy-efficient add-ons? Not quite... they're getting some assistance from the New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP) in the form of incentive programs in conjunction with Southern California Edison (SCE). This program is commonly known as the "Go Solar California!" program.

As an EcoBroker, I'm very happy to see these new energy efficient homes being built in the Santa Clarita area. It's most likely a test run for Lennar, to see how well these homes sell as compared to traditional homes, and I do hope that this program takes off in our area.

As always, read our Tips for Buying New Construction before visiting any new home sales office, and NEVER go to a new home sales office without your Realtor! Doing so will likely you cost you money, since a qualified Realtor will be familiar with the new home sales team and will be able to negotiate incentives and other options for you that you'll likely not be able to get on your own.

Santa Clarita Realtor Linda Slocum is a Certified New Home Specialist (CNHS) and an EcoBroker. Contact her today to see these new energy efficient homes at West Creek Valencia, or any other new homes in the Santa Clarita area. You can reach her at 661.670.0349 or click the "email me" link below.