The innovative community of Babcock Ranch includes an impressive collection of homes, businesses and amenities, but its what’s behind the scenes that’s just as notable. With a real commitment to the force of solar energy, even some new additions to the world’s only ‘solar powered town’ are being designed to capture Florida’s endless supply of sunshine.
Businesses within Babcock Ranch now have solar panels installed on the rooftops, while there are also a handful of solar trees that help charge handheld electronics, including smartphones. As well, there are also electric car charging stations.
This is in addition to the town’s solar energy center that sits on more than 400-acres of former farmland, and is said to generate more renewable, clean energy than it’s expected the town will ever even need, passing off some of that energy to other area consumers. Plans call for growing the solar energy center along with the town.
The savings to customers come from the construction methods used within Babcock Ranch, as all of the homes are constructed with energy efficiency in mind. While not necessary, homeowners can also add rooftop solar panels to their own homes.
It’s just one of the options provided by builders within the community, as the town works to harness natural resources to better the environment and the lives of its residents. When the sun isn’t out, natural gas helps fuel the power grid.
The design of the town is also proving to be an inspiration to area students, as the local neighborhood school uses the town as a sort of educational tool, teaching young students about things such as renewable power. The environmentally friendly town is not only solar powered but sustainable too, with additional construction features that allow for things like water conservation, as well.
Currently under development, Babcock Ranch is a true solar-powered town, with plans to eventually bring 50,000 residents and workers to the area. The entire development calls for more than 19,000 residential units and millions of square feet of commercial space.
