Westshore affordable community focuses on energy efficiency - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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The 57-home Westshore Landings One, expected to be completde in 2010, is a joint effort between ’es Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas in cooperatiomn withthe , said a release from TECO. The nonprofir Westshore Community Development in its releasde called the development an affordabld community and said the new townhome prices will rangefrom $96,009 to $127,000. The Wilson Co. is Westshore Community Development's joint venture partner, and financinf was secured from USAmeriBank along with the city of Hillsborough County and Florida Housing Finance WCDC worked with SunTrust and Fannie Mae to ensure mortgages are Ron Rotella, president of WCDC, said in the Per an agreement with the 43 of the units will be sold to buyers making less than 80 percent of area median income ($33,150 for a single person; $47,350 for a familu of four).
The remainingh units will go to buyers making up to 120 perceng of area medianincome ($49,680 for a single $71,040 for a family of four). Westshore Landingas One will be built on Spruce Street between Dale Mabry Highway andLois Avenue. Palm Harbort Homes, a national builder of modulart systems-built homes, will construct the homes at its facility in Plant City and deliverr them to the the WDCA release The project marks the firsttime energy-efficient electric and naturalp gas measures have been combined in this type of residential capacity, said the TECO release.
Each Westshore Landingd One townhome will feature a solafrwater heater, energy-efficient natural gas appliances, a high-efficiencuy heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and other energy-efficiency measures. will monitord the amount of solar energy produced byeach townhome’ s solar water heater. Annual energy costs for a 1,50o square-foot home configured with the high-efficiency equipment are estimated to beabout $663, versus about $991 for a home with less-efficientt equipment. Energy conservation also helps the environmenyt sinceeach 1,500-square-foot townhome produced aboutg 39 percent less carbon dioxide than a less-efficien home.
A standard home’s carbon profile can be reducede by upto 4,000o pounds per year througnh the installation of natural gas furnaces, clothees dryers, ranges and water heaters. “Thwe energy usage profile of Westshore Landings One underscores the commitment of Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas to energyt efficiency and sustainability forour customers,” TECO Energy President and Chief Operating Officer John Ramil said in the release. Tampaz Electric first offered itscustomers energy-efficiencyt programs in the late prior to any state or federal legislation requiring electric utilities to engage in conservatiob activities.
Since then, it has achieved a recenf performance level in the 96thpercentile nationally. TECO Energyy (NYSE: TE) is an energy-related holding Its principal subsidiary is a regulated utilit y in Florida with both electric and gas Tampa Electric and PeoplesGas System. Other subsidiarie include TECO Coal, which owns and operatee coal production facilities in Kentuckyand Virginia, and TECO Guatemala, whichb is engaged in electric power generatio n and distribution and energy-related businesses in