Texas Development Plan to Bring 7,500 Energy Neutral Homes to Austin

A development that promises to bring 7,500 energy-saving homes to Central Texas is beginning to take shape in northeastern Travis County.

Situated off Texas 130, about 3 miles south of Manor, construction is scheduled to start soon on the first 237 homes at Whisper Valley, developer Taurus of Texas said.

Whisper Valley, a new master-planned community along Texas 130 and FM 969, is aiming to create more than 7,000 ‘energy neutral’ ... read more

Taurus officials said the project is the first large single-family housing development, locally and nationally, that will be “energy neutral,” with homes designed to produce as much energy as they consume on a net basis every year.

The homes will be equipped with geothermal pumps for heating and cooling; roof-mounted solar panels; energy-efficient appliances; and other green-building technologies, Taurus said.

That means they could achieve the “net-zero,” or carbon neutral, standard Austin has set as a goal for all new homes built within the city limits from 2016 forward. Austin has set a 2050 target to reduce carbon emissions to zero for all buildings and houses.

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