INDEPENDENCE Station, the Oregon development said to become the world's greenest building when it opens in 2010, is now accepting pre-reservations for its 15 condominium-style homes.
Homeowners can expect to enjoy many environment-saving benefits throughout the building such as radiant floor heating and cooling, displacement ventilation, solar water heating, day lighting design, an ice-based cooling storage system, water-based ground source heat pump and extensive use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
During sunny months, the homes inside the world’s greenest building will rely primarily on solar energy collected in a unique 120-kilowatt installation of photovoltaic panels.
In colder months, energy will additionally be generated, stored and managed through a biofuel cogeneration and thermal storage system.
The system backup is a retired tugboat engine which runs on waste vegetable oil from local restaurants and a massive battery bank.
While enjoying all the comforts of a modern "Smart Grid home," the 15 homeowners within Independence Station must become the subjects of published open source data on energy and water usage.
Independence Station will also be a marketing showcase for manufacturers of authentic green products and green technologies. Bus tours to the building and classes in an adjacent venue during construction are being planned as early as this summer.
The one- and two-bedroom condominiums in Independence Station range in size from 600 to 1,660 square feet and in price from $300,000s to the $600,000s.
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