Eco-friendly housing project Paisano Green Community 1st of its kind

With the construction of the first net-zero-energy public housing development in the nation, the Paisano neighborhood in Central El Paso is getting a little greener.

"It's really a blueprint on how things should be done from design to construction and the quality of life it offers to residents while being environmentally friendly," said Marty Howell, the city's sustainability manager. "There is a trend rolling throughout the country, and this project is one to talk and boast about."

The Paisano Green Community, which is expected to open in April 2012, is an energy-efficient, 73-unit El Paso Housing Authority complex for senior citizens. The complex will feature wind turbines, rooftop solar panels, air-source heat-pump water heaters and more. All energy consumed will be generated on site, and no fossil fuels will be burned at the complex -- making it one of the most cutting-edge green projects in the nation, officials said.

"It's an exciting project all around," Housing Authority spokesman Shane Griffith said. "Even in the construction, we're looking at a lot less waste and a lot more recycling of materials."

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19085432

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Awesome project!