San Francisco to Build Energy-Efficient Affordable Housing

Sixteen hundred new San Francisco homes will be built to save energy, lowering expenses for their low-income owners, according to a memorandum of understanding between the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and developer Lennar/BVHP, LLC. The homes will be built on a 78-acre (32 ha) plot of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, which the U.S. Navy recently transferred to the City and County of San Francisco. The homes, designed with the help of the Building America program through the Seattle Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Energy, will include well-insulated envelopes and glazing, efficient appliances, and rooftop solar electric power systems. These features are expected to lower energy costs by 48% compared with conventional design. More details are online at www.sfwater.org and www.hunterspointshipyard.com.