Sustainable home builder Meritage Homes, in conjunction with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), is working to create California’s first generation of net-zero multifamily residences and they’re starting with an infill project in Irvine. The builder chose the neighborhood due to its proximity to employment centers as well as the John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, zero-energy building produces enough renewable energy to meet its own annual energy consumption requirements, which ultimately reduces the use of non-renewable energy in the building area. This concept yields several possibilities, and it’s fairly new, which is why Meritage is one of the first developers to pioneer it within their infill communities.

 The 44-unit residential project, which was designed by architecture firm KTGY, will consist of three-story townhomes ranging from 1,600 to 2,200 square feet. Per Builder, the housing development will feature eight blocks of duplexes and triplexes and it will serve as one of the state’s first examples of net-zero family housing. The homes will integrate sustainable and energy-efficient lighting, appliances, and even insulated interiors and roofing. Meritage is still exploring ways to incorporate its solar energy system, which would absorb the cost of the homeowners association fee, removing upfront costs.

 The Meritage project will break ground next spring with sales beginning in late 2018.

 The developer’s partner EPRI is currently working on another net-zero energy venture which includes building a new collection of 36 sustainable homes in Fontana.