The residents of The Preserve in Yorba Linda in California willmove into their 90-home community knowing that part of the energy theywill be using is renewable. That’s because the model homes will comewith pre-installed solar panels with no additional cost to homebuyers,the developers say.

The project is a joint venture between SunRun, a home solar provider, and Toll Brothers, a builder of luxury homes. The solar panels wereinstalled by PetersenDean Roofing and Solar Systems and two weeks ago aribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the community to thepublic.

The companies say the deal will save homeowners money. Besides nothaving to spend about $30,000 to install the solar panels (the averagemarket cost), SunRun says they can sign up for solar power for no freewhile service costs will be about $42 per month. That should represent a saving of $50 to $100, depending on the amount of power used.

“Our goal for The Preserve is to not only make cost-effective solarpower available to more homebuyers than ever before, but also to set anew standard for the home building industry,” said Jim Boyd, regionalpresident at Toll Brothers. “Homebuyers have shown overwhelming support for the solar option, and this initiative will save them thousands ofdollars over the life of their homes.”

SunRun owns, monitors, and maintains the solar equipment. The company says it is meeting a client demand as homeowners usually complain ofthe hassle of maintenance and upfront costs. “We are working toeliminate these barriers for new home buyers”, says SunRun’s presidentLynn Jurich.

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