Wilshire Homes is expanding its green building practices by partnering with SolarCity, a provider of clean energy, to offer solar panels for its range of LEED-certified homes in downtown Boerne’s Woodside Village, giving homebuyers an easy way to make the switch to clean, renewable energy for their homes and help them save money on their electric bills.

 

The builder is celebrating the opening of its Woodside Village model home at 199 Autumn Ridge in traditional Texas manner, with a barbecue 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28.

 

Boerne Mayor Mike Shultz will speak at the event, as will Pam Losefsky with the U.S. Green Building Council, which oversees the LEED for Homes certification program. Members of the Boerne Chamber of Commerce also will be on hand for a ribbon-cutting. In addition to enjoying barbecue by Fritze’s, event-goers can register to win an iPad Mini. The public is invited.

 

“As the only production builder in the San Antonio area to follow LEED-certified mandates, our collaboration with SolarCity dovetails nicely with our goal to build a home that leaves a minimal footprint on the environment,” said Ken Gezella, division sales manager for Wilshire Homes in San Antonio.

 

Homebuyers can choose between a 2, 4, or 6 kilowatt (kW) solar system for their new homes. The savings from solar at Woodside Village are estimated to range for more than $300 a year for a basic 2 kW system to more than $945 a year with a 6 kW system.  SolarCity will custom design and install each solar system at Woodside before the homebuyer moves into their new home. SolarCity also offers real-time monitoring and a personalized MySolarCity web portal to homebuyers to view their electricity consumption and their solar system energy production online.

 

Wilshire Homes offers homes from the $280,000s in Woodside Village, an intimate enclave of new homes within walking distance of popular downtown shops and restaurants and directly alongside the Old No. 9 Trail, a 1.4-mile scenic walk that originated as a narrow Native American pathway and was once part of the main wagon trail between Boerne and San Antonio. Every home in the community will carry the LEED certification, signifying it is a high-performing green home that uses less energy and water and fewer natural resources. Wilshire has an average HERS index rating of 65, which equates to an estimated monthly heating and cooling cost of approximately $110.