Have you heard about Grow Community? A net-zero One Planet community under construction on Bainbridge Island. Want to learn more? Thinking about living here? Join us for a positive evening of connection: drink some wine, eat some cheese, and partake in some stimulating conversation.
Click here for Part 2 of our Grow Solar Series, where we talk about the energy efficiency measures we’ve taken to make solar power feasible in each home. 
When we set out to build Grow Community, we committed to creating a One Planet community that would allow its residents to live a zero carbon lifestyle without spending extra money or compromising the comforts or quality of life that they desired. We set an immense challenge for our team: to design and build zero-carbon houses that could sell for less than or equal to market price. Our incredible team met that challenge and exceeded our expectations, not only designing zero-carbon, solar powered homes that met our price requirements, but creating homes that are incredibly comfortable and pleasant to live in. The homes are amazing spaces to be in. Seriously. If you haven’t been to the models homes for a tour, check it out. We think you’ll agree.
We have an even bigger challenge now. To encourage each and every resident to join us in meeting the One Planet Zero Carbon goal for the community. We think we can do this by making the option to add solar panels to each home an easy choice. With no-money down financing available for the solar package, and a well-established federal and state incentive program that essentially pays for the solar, there really is no reason not to add solar to each house. It is our hope that over time each and every building within Grow Community can be powered by solar, bringing the community as a whole closer to the goal of zero carbon living by 2020. We know it can be done.
The idea of tax credits and incentives for the solar package may at first seem complex, but really it is quite simple. The incentives available for renewable energy can be broken down into 3 major parts:
1. The most notable of these incentives is a 30% tax credit provided by the federal government to anyone installing renewable energy (Solar, wind, geothermal, etc.) at their place of residence. As an example, say you purchase a $40,000 solar package. In the first tax cycle after your purchase, you will receive a tax credit (actual cash – not a deduction) of approximately $12,000.
Here is some additional information from EnergyStar on this tax credit.
2. The second important incentive is provided by Washington State Department of Revenue’s solar power purchase incentive,through Puget Sound Energy (the energy provider on Bainbridge Island). In order to promote both energy efficiency AND Washington manufacturing, solar owners can receive up to $5,000 per year in production incentives until 2020 if they use renewable energy technology manufactured within the state. Grow Community uses solar modules manufactured by Washington-based iTek Energy and solar micro-inverters manufactured by Blue Frog Solar, also a Washington business, in order to maximize this production incentive.
3. Last, but not least, Puget Sound Energy has a net-metering program where residential homes that use renewable energy can actually provide electricity back to the power grid. Based on typical modeled energy use, by sizing our solar for each home at Grow, and expecting average weather, each resident can end up producing as much as they use. The result? Your averaged annual energy bill – Zero. With potentially rising energy costs over time, the ability to live in a home and not pay for energy has a significant positive impact on annual cost of living – no small consideration.
By working with iTek, Blue Frog, and PSE, to craft a solar package specifically tailored for each house, Grow Community homeowners are able to realize all three incentives: tax credits, power production incentives, and no electric bill each year. All this results in a payback of 7 to 8 years and a better return on your money than many current investment opportunities.
We think it’s a no-brainer, but we are interested to know what you think. Does it make sense? Do you have questions?
Click here for more information on Washington State solar production incentives.
Stay tuned for Grow Solar Part 4: Financing and Paying off Your Solar Panels.
The Bainbridge Library and Housing Resources Board Community Land Trust are sponsoring a “Home at the Library” speakers series that explores how diverse housing builds community. This month: Green, Energy Efficient Homes, a conversation about building the future with intention. The smartest investment in our community may be the energy saving elements we use in our homes. Don’t miss this event for a conversation that will explore cutting edge energy and green practices in residential construction such as zero gain and passive home building. Our Grow Community Architect, Jonathan Davis of Davis Studio Architecture and Design will be one of three speakers.
By Susan DeFreitas
Sick of the traffic in Seattle, and dreaming of the low-impact, car-free lifestyle? Serious about growing food, but lacking in large-scale farming ambitions? Consider a tour of one of new model homes that have recently opened their doors in Grow Community, a new net-zero energy development on Bainbridge Island centered around gardening and low-impact modes of transportation.
This collection of new, net-zero energy homes — located just a 35-minute ferry-ride across the Puget Sound from Seattle — was designed by Jonathan Davis of Davis Studio Architecture + Design and is currently under development. To give prospective residents a glimpse of what life in this eight-acre “pedestrian-oriented, energy-efficient, multigenerational neighborhood” might look like, the community has opened up its first three green prefabricated model homes, which are now open for tours.
Monday, October 22nd 2012, 10am
The following is a blog post written by Asani President Marja Preston in March 2012 on the subject of trees on the Grow Community construction site. With the second phase of construction beginning, this is again an important subject to explore. Now that construction has begun, we can share more on how we plan on saving and re-using trees on the site.
Protected tree on Grow Community construction site
1. Working with professional arborist Katy Bigelow, we walked through the property to designate significant trees to save and to remove trees that presented a danger to the neighborhood.
2. Several trees that required removal have been used as stream bank restoration for salmon habitat by the Kitsap County Surface and Stormwater Management Program.
3. Much of the cleared material will be re-purposed on-site for construction material, playground sites, and erosion control.
4. We will be replanting more trees (~250) than we remove.
Here is the original blog post:
Part of the careful planning we’ve put in place for this project includes everyday environmental choices that incorporate the beauty of our surroundings. This project is in the R-14 zone, which, under the new land use code, does not require retention of existing trees on the site. The Grow project will meet Built Green 5-Star certification, which requires substantial tree retention. In addition, we are committed to contributing to the long-term tree canopy goal of 50% coverage in Winslow, as outlined in the Bainbridge Island Urban Forest Management Plan.
Lead Architect Johnathan Davis marking trees to be re-utilized in the Grow Community playground.
In order to meet all these goals, our plan is to retain existing vegetation as much as possible. To accomplish this, we continue to work with a professional arborist, Katy Bigelow, to identify the maximum amount of trees that can reasonably be retained with the urban density that is planned. From here, once all trees have been identified, a service such as Gosnell Tree & Landscape or a similar company will be contracted for the removal of the selected trees.
We have focused on retaining trees in clusters and larger areas, for instance, at the corner of Grow Avenue and Wyatt Way, to maintain native vegetation areas, preserving habitat and maintaining existing green corridors. In addition, we are planting more than 250 new trees throughout the site. The new vegetation will enhance the existing green corridors and contribute to stormwater uptake and carbon sequestration, absorbing more than 900 metric tons of carbon over the next 100 years, almost double what the existing trees would have absorbed over that same time period.
As with all projects designed for urban densities, some trees must be removed, as preserving large trees next to new construction rarely works in the long-term. For the trees that do need to be removed or relocated we are taking the utmost care. All trees marked for preservation have been fenced at the dripline and no root systems will be disturbed by heavy equipment. Several Vine Maples have been saved for reuse in the project, a Dogwood is going home with one of our Contractors, several other plants will be going to a local landscaper, and we are working with the Kitsap Conservation District to salvage evergreens for Salmon Restoration projects.
So how can solar cover all our energy needs?
Well, traditionally it wouldn’t. Most houses you see around you draw more energy than solar panels could provide.
In our case, the homes of Grow Community have been designed from the ground up with solar in mind. This includes electric wiring specifically designed for easy installation of solar panels on the roof. If you take advantage of the solar option, the panels will be enough to meet the energy demand of your life due to the energy efficiency designed into every square inch of the house. You can click here to look at the options available to add onto it if so desired.
So just how energy efficient are these homes? Well, until we get people living in the homes full time we won’t know this exactly, but we’re happy to talk about how they have been designed. Plus having this option may give people some flexibility when they learn more about their utility options. Here are some of the features that make these homes as efficient as possible:
Heat pump: The ductless minisplit Greensboro heat pump by mitsubishi in each home is twice as efficient as a gas or electric water heater. There are many different types of water heaters available on the market, from electric to tankless, you have an array of options when obtaining a water heater for your home. Whether you’re moving to a new home, or just want to have your heater replaced, you can look online on sites similar to Water Heater Reviews and check out their vast catalog of water heaters. You can visit homepage for more information.
Ventilation system: Every home in Grow Community is outfitted with a heat recovery ventilator (HRV), which provides a great compliment to our ductless mini split heat pump by keeping the temperature range consistent within the home and allowing our heating system to work less and more efficiently. (This is very cool technology, and worth it’s own blog post in the future)
Lights: Most of the lights use high-efficiency LEDs, which are many times more efficient than conventional light bulbs. Almost all of our lights are LEDs and we’re pushing to have a 100% LED lit home in the future.
Windows: We use high quality energy-efficient windows, which are generally where houses lose a majority of their heat.
Appliances: All of the appliances in our homes meet or beat current energy star performance requirements.
Double Walls and Insulation: Walls in each home are twice as thick as standard walls, and are doubly insulated, reducing heat energy waste through the sides of your house.
All these energy-efficiency improvements greatly reduce the amount of power your home requires (saving 2-3 tons of coal per year), enabling the power created by solar panels to cover the rest.
Before we ever broke ground building Grow Community, we the Grow Team had a vision for the perfect neighborhood. We wanted to create a One Planet community that took environmental, economic, and social sustainability into account. Working toward this vision has been an adventure, and has helped us reach for our goal of being a Net-Zero carbon community by 2020.
A big part of achieving this goal is the option for each homeowner to install solar on their homes.
In the following blog series, we will explore this solar option start to finish. What makes this a viable option? What are the benefits of solar? How much will it cost? Will financing be available?
So stay tuned and head on over to Part 2: Solar Power and Energy Efficiency where we answer the question “How can solar cover all our energy needs?”
Come visit us at Grow on Saturday, October 6th as our homes will be one of the stops on the 2012 National Solar Tour. You will meet our team, tour our homes, learn more about why we pursued Net Zero Homes through solar, and learn more about our partners.Grow Community is an urban Net Zero neighborhood on Bainbridge Island, just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle. With beautifully designed solar-powered homes, shared community gardens and clean transportation options, Grow allows all generations to enjoy a high-quality and healthy lifestyle.
