Net-zero electricity townhome project to rise in Dunedin

It's a Floridian's dream: an electric system that powers the home air conditioner and lights without sending the power bill as high as a car payment. The CEO of Planet Green Group plans to break ground Aug. 1 on what he hopes will become a nationwide trend in development when he begins building a 25-unit "net-zero energy" townhouse complex in Dunedin. Salmi's complex will feature townhomes in the $135,000 to $170,000 range. In addition to solar panels, the homes feature foam insulation, specially designed duct work, high-efficiency air conditioners and water heaters, LED lighting and energy management systems that help maximize energy use. The townhouses, at the corner of Martin Luther King and Lorraine Leland Street in Dunedin, will cost home buyers with good credit $5,000 to $7,000 down and $600 to $950 a month before taxes and insurance, the builders said. Salmi's company built two net-zero energy single family homes in Pinellas before launching into the Dunedin townhouse project. He said he plans to develop similar townhouse projects in Pinellas and then across the country.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/net-zero-electricity-townhome-project-to-rise-in-dunedin/1242006