Community Energy Opportunity Finder : Case Stories

Successful Community Energy Efficiency Programs

Curitiba, Brazil
(www.uoregon.edu/%7Esergiok/brasil/curitiba.html)
A great example of how a rapidly expanding community (150,000 in the 1950's to 1.6 million in 1990) drastically improved its quality of life by implementing small, quick, and cheap initiatives. These initiatives were implemented by political leaders, in particular Jaime Lerner, (later to become mayor) who envisioned a better, cleaner, and more productive city.

Village Homes, Davis, California
(www.villagehomesdavis.org)
One of the first modern developments that can be considered "green." The designers and developers used a "whole systems" approach that considered end-use/least-cost issues. The now community has become a dearly loved neighborhood, with lower utility and food costs and a strong community fabric, because it was designed to endure.

Dunes Country, Indiana
(www.dunescountry.com)
An environmentally sustainable community in Northwest Indiana that incorporated the latest green building technology into its homes.

Civano, Tucson, Arizona
(www.swenergy.org/casestudies/arizona/civano.htm)
This energy efficient residential community in Tucson, Arizona was built in response to the energy crisis in the 1970's. A few goals of this community include:

Reducing energy consumption by designing homes that use fifty percent less energy than a typical home of the same size;
Reducing water consumption;
Reducing vehicular traffic by creating a pedestrian-friendly community;
Reducing landfill waste;
Incorporating working and living environments.

Armory Park del Sol, Tucson, Arizona
(www.armoryparkdelsol.com)
A conservation community in Tucson, Arizona. All of the homes in this community incorporate energy efficient appliances and mechanical equipment, passive solar water heating systems, a one-kWh active solar electric system, and super efficient windows. There is also a Zero Energy Home (ZEH) within this community that annually produces as much energy as it consumes.