Jun 18 2008 8:56AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
Blog This! using: Blogger.com | LiveJournal |

The beautiful state of Hawaii recently broke ground on the nation's first United States Green Building Council's (USGBC) Smart Growth Community for Military Families. Touted as "the world's largest solar-powered residential community," the pilot project incorporates one of the most neglected and underdeveloped energy sources available today.

I personally think it is (expletive, deleted) ridiculous that we've let solar power methods stagnate when the technology has been around for decades. Only in recent years (and after another oil crisis) are solar technologies coming back. I blame it on a vast right-wing conspiracy to keep us addicted to oil, but that's just me. Think about it, builders and remodelers--we have the largest nuclear fusion reactor within light years literally right there, shining down on us, providing us with limitless energy (well, at least for the next 4.5 billion years the sun has fuel) and we still suck on fossil fuels. But I digress.

Starting off in Honolulu, the first development of the USGBC community will take place in the Simpson Wisser neighborhood. The U.S. Army and its development partner Actus Lend Lease are taking the lead in establishing and testing the first national standard for the design and development of neighborhoods integrating smart growth, new urbanism and green building principles. 

According to a press release issued by the project's spokespeople:

"The future vision for Simpson Wisser includes responsible replacement and recycling of all existing multi-family homes built in the late 1950s. In contrast to these existing homes, the LEED-ND homes will provide photovoltaic power generation, solar hot water and private open spaces, as well as larger dwellings, adequate off-street parking and significantly increased storage. Neighborhood development at Simpson Wisser will incorporate recreational amenities, community centers, walking and congregating areas designed specifically to strengthen the unique social fabric of Military communities."

“What makes this groundbreaking so important and exciting, is the fact that we are quite literally building the future,” says Jeffrey Simon, President of Actus Lend Lease. “With our Army partner and the other USGBC LEED-ND pilot developers, we are putting into motion sustainable green building practices that ensure quality of life and respectful use of natural resources for generations to come—it’s a serious and important responsibility. Further, we see this as an opportunity to not only develop neighborhoods that truly support and enrich the lives of our nation’s deserving Service Families, but have the potential to forever change the world’s view of residential community development.”






.




.