Clean Energy In the News

By Kiera Hay 
Journal Staff Writer
    For the average Santa Fe homebuyer, owning a solar-powered house just got a whole lot easier.
    SunCor New Mexico, with an eye toward the increasing number of people seeking greener lifestyles, is now offering solar energy packages in its Rancho Viejo housing community just south of Santa Fe.
    "It makes sense for someone with the wherewithal ... to do anything we can do to reduce our impact on the environment," SunCor New Mexicopresident Isaac Pino said.
    SunCor sold its first— and, so far, only— solar home last December. The house, which cost $302,000, includes features such as solar panels, radiant floors and a high-efficiency boiler, offsetting about 70 percent of natural gas consumption, according to Boaz Soifer, partner and general manager for Cedar Mountain Solar, the Santa Fe-based company that installed the system.
    "I think Rancho Viejo has really extended themselves by developing a system and incorporating it into their sales process," Soifer said.
    Solar packages can be built into any new house at Rancho Viejo, where units range from $187,000 to $500,000, Pino said.
    SunCor said deciding to go with a solar system is as easy as choosing a favorite carpet.
    In fact, Pino ventured to predict that as environmental awareness becomes greater, more and more customers will chose to solar package instead of, say, upgrading to a higher-quality tile.
    "I think it's just changing with the times," he said. "I think more and more people are buying into the idea of global warming."
    Pino declined to make predictions about how popular the solar package will be with Rancho Viejo's future homebuyers. But he noted, "As we continue to think about carbon footprints, sustainability, we're going to appeal to more and more people."
    The idea to offer solar packages at Rancho Viejo has its roots in a call by Santa Fe County Commissioner Paul Campos to increase energy conservation and sustainability practices within the area, Pino said. Campos put together a panel, in cooperation with SunCor officials, that investigated possible green initiatives at the south Santa Fe community. Solar energy was the path eventually chosen, Pino said.
    SunCor is considering building another solar model for its upcoming La Entrada subdivision, he said. There are currently over 1,100 homes in the Rancho Viejo community, with plans calling for an additional 1,250 over the next ten years.
    Some among the state's environmental groups say SunCor is moving in the right direction.
    When the average citizen has easy access to ownership of a solar energy-friendly home "is when solar is really going to gain some ground and we're going to make some headway," said Lauren Ketchum, an advocate at Environment New Mexico.
    Soifer said he believes large housing developments will play a role in bringing more solar power to New Mexico, but the nature and extent of that role depends on legislation, homebuilders and the motivation of homeowners.
    Homebuyers may find some motivation in applying for tax credits that cover 30 percent of the cost of a solar system, or up to $9,000 from the state and $2,000 from the federal government.
    Such applications have risen steadily, according to state officials. New Mexico received 159 applications for the state solar tax credit in 2007— most of them from residents of Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties— compared to 106 applications in 2006.
    The system installed in Rancho Viejo cost $38,000, Pino said, although costs could decrease if the package becomes more popular.
    Installing a solar packaging in a new home is about 30 percent cheaper than retrofitting an existing home, Soifer said. That's primarily because various mechanical systems in conventional homes must be dismantled and then rebuilt to make way for solar energy.
    The physical differences between the solar home and the other units in Rancho Viejo are minimal, Pino said. There are panels on the roof and an engine in the garage, but otherwise the modifications are so minor it would probably take a trained eye to recognize them, he said.
    Sales at Rancho Viejo were down 40 percent over the last year— about in line with the overall decline in Santa Fe home sales during the ongoing housing slump— and Pino admitted the solar package option is part of a broader effort to appeal to new homebuyers.
    All homes in Rancho Viejo are already Energy Star certified, and officials are considering seeking LEED certification for the development's remaining houses.
    "I think people are just going to have to get comfortable with the idea and with the fact that it can be done at a production level," Pino said.