SOLARA, the first apartment community in California to be fully powered by the sun, has officially opened in San Diego County.
‘We designed SOLARA to be totally green from the inside out,’ says Sue Reynolds, president and CEO of Community HousingWorks, the developer/owner of SOLARA. ‘The fact that SOLARA is also an affordable housing project proves that 'green' is not just for high-end homes.’
SOLARA's rooftop photovoltaic solar arrays produce enough energy to power the entire residential complex and – on some days – provide surplus electricity to feed the region's power grid, according to Global Green USA, which collaborated with Community HousingWorks on the project.
Global Green USA also points out that SOLARA has the lowest carbon footprint of any apartment complex in California – 95% lower than that of a conventionally powered community. The green design prevents the emission of more than 1,800 tons of carbon dioxide each year, which is equivalent to planting 5,446 trees or taking 300 cars off the road annually.
Funding for the $16.3 million apartment community project comes from Union Bank of California, the City of Poway, the County of San Diego, the California Energy Commission (CEC) and National Equity Fund, the organizations add.
