Model home in Brandon eliminates electric bills

Los Angeles-based KB Home plans a nationwide rollout this week of its first net-zero house, designed to essentially eliminate monthly electric bills. It chose Brandon's Emerald Oaks neighborhood, near

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

and

Highview Road

, to unveil its first model. The home marks the latest in an industrywide effort to build homes that cost less to operate. KB, Lennar, PulteGroup and some other builders now post energy ratings in some of their homes so buyers can shop for a home the way they compare gas mileage in cars. More builders also offer solar panels. The 1,800 square-foot model home in Brandon features solar panels on the roof that convert the energy of light from the sun into electricity. The idea is for the home to produce more power than it uses. Here are some other features in the home: A water heater with an 80-gallon storage tank, fed by rain water collected on the roof. A counter composter, used to turn food waste into fertilizer. An energy monitoring system. This enables the homeowner to go to a website that tracks energy usage through a real-time utilities meter and a meter to track solar electricity production. Owners can change habits to cut energy consumption. A Rainwater Hog, a modular rainwater storage system. A single unit can irrigate 70 square feet year-round and provide 25 days of emergency water for four people. A backyard composting bin, 115 gallons in size. http://www2.tbo.com/news/business/2011/sep/14/5/spbizo1-builders-model-home-in-brandon-eliminates--ar-257526/