Aquatera Residents Get All of Their Energy from the Sun
May 19, 2015
Aquatera, a 254-unit eco-friendly apartment community that opened in 2009, is taking its EcoLiving lifestyle to a new level with a solar energy installation that allows its residents to get 100 percent of their energy from the sun. Each apartment unit also features smart NEST thermostats so residents can control the power use in their unit as well as their individual utility bills.
“Our residents can control how much energy they consume and have the potential to reduce their energy costs to zero or even receive a rebate,” said H.G. Fenton Company President Mike Neal. “When we opened Aquatera, it was a model community for incorporating green building and planning, particularly with regards to water use. With this innovative solar energy program, it is also a model for sustainable energy use and eco-friendly living.”
When first built, Aquatera featured a 282-kilowatt photovoltaic solar energy system that supplied 90 percent of the community’s common area electricity. The new solar panels H.G. Fenton installed this spring added 539 kilowatts in solar power capability. The larger 821-kilowatt system generates enough electricity for Aquatera to become 100 percent solar-powered.
Aquatera exceeds California’s energy efficiency standards and includes many other sustainable features like electric vehicle charging stations, a solar-heated swimming pool and water-smart landscaping measures such as an underground well system, drought-tolerant plants requiring minimal to no irrigation and synthetic turf in place of grass. When it opened, Aquatera was celebrated with a Water Smart award from the San Diego County Water Authority for its water efficient design and water savings. Aquatera is the second all-solar apartment community in San Diego and one of the first in the nation to offer “net zero” living to customers.
In addition to living in one of the most eco-conscious communities in the country, Aquatera residents enjoy a suite of other amenities and design elements that create exceptional lifestyle opportunities. Each apartment home features high-end touches like cherry wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, track lighting, in-home washer/dryers, intrusion alarms, air conditioning and nine-foot ceilings. Most units also come with a private, single-car garage. Around the community, comforts include a 10,000-square-foot, two-story clubhouse with a fitness center, cyber café, professional-grade kitchen and a club room with flat screen TVs, a pool table and PlayStation 4 and Xbox One gaming systems.
A 25-meter saltwater pool complete with a large deck, complimentary towel service, spa and barbecue make it easy to enjoy the same San Diego sun fueling Aquatera’s energy.
About H.G. Fenton
H.G. Fenton Company, a family-owned San Diego real estate company, has proudly entered its second century of service providing quality working and living experiences through responsible development and management practices. H.G. Fenton Company creates lifestyle opportunities where employees flourish, residents live well, and businesses succeed for over 1,100 businesses, and across 13 apartment communities totaling over 3,200 homes in San Diego County. For more information, visit www.hgfenton.com.