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Frequently asked questions
Buyers can work with our builder, Vince DeFritas with Silver Developers, or bring their own builder. The only requirements are that the houses be transitional to contemporary and meet the net-zero energy building standards.
Net zero energy homes are grid-tied houses* designed and built to offset as much energy as they consume through on-site renewable energy sources. Environmental sustainability is built into every aspect of net zero energy homes, from how they are positioned on the property to insulation, wall systems, window selections, and more. Array’s comprehensive Community Residential Standards will extend beyond energy conservation and cost savings to also guarantee healthy interior environments, increased comfort, and high-end durability.
*A grid-tied house stores excess energy it produces on the local power grid for later use.
The Orange County Broadband Project just released it’s June update. The latest map shows that Array is in Phase 5 and is expected to have broadband internet by mid-June 2024.
Lumos released an updated map showing the areas planned to receive service as Phase Five of the project. This area should begin receiving service in second quarter 2024 and be substantially complete by the end of June 2024. Proposed boundaries of each phase, along with the timing, are subject to change.
Grid tied means that the houses will be tied to the grid as a source for back up energy. The houses in Array will be built to passive house and net zero energy standards. The excess energy created by your house will be stored in the grid. During peak times, when you need more energy, homes will get their own energy back from the grid. This is called net-metering. Duke Power does not allow homeowners to accrue credits. They zero credits out once a year but you will be able to use energy generated by your own home from the grid during peak times when you need it.
Yes, it does. The price quoted for your home will include grading the lot, the well and septic and the solar.
Southern Energy Management has written as excellent blog on this topic.
Click here https://southern-energy.com/nc-home-solar-financing-options/
It is difficult to use a solar payback period calculator because there are so many unique factors to each pv system and home. Homes in Array will be built to the highest energy efficiency standards possible which will reduce the number of solar panels needed.
If you look at your solar investment in a vacuum, the payback period for a home solar system is typically between 8-12 years. There are a few other factors that should be considered when evaluating the “payback” period for your system.
It is important to understand that a solar system is not just an expense, it’s an asset. It adds value and equity to your home. According to the Net Zero Energy Project and the Department of Energy, the market value of net zero energy homes with solar “sell for 3-8% more than a standard energy efficient home, they spend less than half the time on the market and yield prices $12,000 to $20,000 higher for having solar panels.
The energy efficiency of an Array home with solar panels will add value to your home and this should be taken into account in the payback calculations.
Another factor to consider is that there is a cost of not switching to solar. If you don’t invest in a solar system, you’ll continue to pay the utility each month and electricity prices are only expected increase over time. If you compare your solar savings vs the cost you would have paid to the utility, your break-even point is much shorter.
Another way to look at this is that you are currently renting your power from the utility and rent prices are going up. By investing in solar you will own your power. There are costs to make the jump from renting to owning, but the benefits of owning win out quickly and you’ll continue to reap the benefits for more than 30 years.
Homeowners can have gas stoves/cooktops and/or gas fireplaces. This can be factored into the modeling when your home is being designed to ensure that your home is net zero energy.
The National Green Building Standard™ (NGBS) is the first residential green building rating system approved by ANSI as an American National Standard. NGBS Green certification goes well beyond saying a home is energy efficient; it provides independent, third-party verification that a home, building, and in Array’s case, land development, is designed and built to achieve high performance in six key areas:
The NGBS third-party certification program ensures homes are built in compliance with three focus areas:
Healthy Homes
Lower Operating Costs
Sustainable Lifestyle
HERS is a rating for energy efficiency. The lower the HERS rating the better. Technically, net zero energy homes should have a HERS ratio of “0”.
Yes, Array homeowners will get two certificates. They will get a certificate that their home meets the National Green Building Standards and a certificate from Southern Energy Management that the home also meets the standards in the Array covenants.
Yes, to confirm that Array homes meet both the National Green Building Standards and the additional neighborhood standards developed by Southern Energy Management, homes in Array will be third party certified.
Yes, if the perk for the lots support the additional dwelling that is fine. For example, if the home built on the list has 3 bedrooms and the lot perks for 4 bedrooms, the ADU can be 1 bedroom.
Yes, chickens are very welcome in Array.
At this time, other livestock like goats, horses and potbellied pigs will not be allowed at Array. If the homeowners want to change this rule, they can do this once the HOA takes over the neighborhood.
Yes, you can have a pool in Array. The goal is for each home to be net zero energy. The good thing is your home will have a meter so you can track your energy usage with the addition of the pool. You a home owner can not meet the net zero energy goal, the home is that the homeowner will purchase a carbon off set.
Yes, high performance, green homes are more difficult to value because there are not as many comparable homes. Array will require the use of a specific Addendum that requires a home lender to request an appraiser with knowledge and training in valuing high performance, green, homes.
Yes, Array will have neighborhood dues. These dues have not been determined yet.
We want homeowners to understand the energy efficiency of their homes and to be able to check how the house is functioning over time. Southern Energy Management will work with the builders to ensure that the houses being designed meet the National Green Building Standards and the net zero energy criterion. When a homeowner is designing their home, they can see based on the use of different materials or systems, what the impact is on energy consumption. For example, if a home owner wants to see the impact of using gas for a cook-top rather than electric, this can be done through up-front modeling.
Because all of the homes in Array will have solar panels, the homes will have meters. Each home owner will be able to see their energy use and the changes in consumption based on life style choices. The meters will also enable Array, through a partnership with Southern Energy Management, to be able to report annually how the neighborhood is doing toward the goal of 100% net zero energy.
The intent is to have a dashboard on the neighborhood web site so that people can see the collective impact of the neighborhood.
Modeled. Array’s community standards are a blueprint for a healthy indoor environment and net-zero energy use. All home plans will be modeled prior to being built to ensure they will meet Array’s building standards.
Measured. Third-party inspections will be conducted at two points during construction to verify the home will perform as designed.
Monitored. Energy monitoring will allow homeowners to understand their energy use in real-time – the key to developing sustainable living practices. Annual reporting will be provided by Array to share the community’s collective impact.
The minimum home size in Array will be 1200 square feet. There will be no upper limit on the home size. The only other requirements will be that the houses are Transitional or Contemporary in style and that the homes meet the net zero energy standards.
Home-based businesses will be allowed in Array as long as the impact on the neighbors is minimal with respect to car traffic and noise.
Absolutely. If a homeowner prefers to have their house passive house certified rather than NGBS certified this is 100% fine as long as the house achieves net zero energy.
Yes, because Array is in the watershed, there are impervious surface limits for each lot. They are:
Yes, you can buy two lots if you want to purchase the extra lot for more privacy, not to combine the impervious surface to build a larger house.
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