Santa Rosa subdivision Bridge Trail going all solar

<p>SANTA ROSA – Santa Rosa-based developer Hugh Futrell Corp. is building what could be Sonoma County’s first residential subdivision composed entirely of homes equipped with solar-electric panels.</p><p>The company has built the first 17 of a planned 200 solar-equipped houses on a 30-acre parcel bordering Fulton Road in northwest Santa Rosa. The project, known as Bridge Trail, represents a total investment of approximately $4 million dollars in solar equipment and installation, both provided by San Jose-based SunPower Corp. (Nasdaq: SPWR).</p><p>Project manager Hugh Futrell said that in addition to supporting the use of renewable energy, his company wanted to benefit from being the first in its market to offer solar panels as a standard feature in new homes.</p><p>“We’re convinced that there’s a market competitive advantage providing something you can’t get elsewhere,” Mr. Futrell said.</p><p>At $20,000 per home, the solar technology accounts for about 15 percent of each home’s construction cost, according to Mr. Futrell. The state will pay $8,000 per home—40 percent—in the form of rebates. In addition, buyers will receive a $2000 federal tax credit when they purchase one of the homes.</p><p>SunPower says it has outfitted some 40 to 45 California subdivisions that are 100 percent solar, including a 19-home Novato development planned by Santa Rosa-based Christopherson Homes. The general manager for SunPower’s new homes division, Bill Kelly, said that once a homebuilder invests in solar technology, others in the same market are usually quick to follow.</p><p>“As the customers are presented with the option, they’ll start demanding it,” Mr. Kelly said.</p><p>Mr. Kelly said that the potential for immediate energy savings make it easy for homebuyers to recognize the value of solar power. He said that Sacramento area homebuilders recently reported that SunPower-equipped homes were selling twice as quickly as homes without solar power.</p><p>“Part of it is it’s a real interest in the environment, but I think at the end of the day, especially when you’re buying a new home, people are really concerned about the costs to live in the home,” Mr. Kelly said.</p><p>The first phase of the Bridge Trail project consists of 3-bedroom homes ranging in size from 1,488 to 2,397-square-feet, and in price from $491,500 to $559,900. The project is part of a 300-acre area annexed for development by the City of Santa Rosa. It will include a 12-acre wetlands preserve and a community center.</p>