SoCal Edison unveils model 'green' home at OC Great Park in Irvine

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- The "greener" your home the more you can save on utility bills. Southern California Edison just revealed its first "green" home. It's on display at Orange County Great Park in Irvine. It's designed for any builder on any lot.

Want to save $150 to $200 per month on your energy bills? The 1,800-square-foot house built by Southern California Edison and "Green Homebuilder" magazine aims to show you how.

"It started out as an exercise to demonstrate to the home-building community across the country that it is in fact possible to provide affordable entry-level very green homes," said Nick Slevin, publisher of Green Homebuilder.

The house was built as a teaching tool. It's considered the first of its kind to demonstrate affordable green technology and design that's currently available.

"We built this house from bits and pieces you can find at any local builder supply yard," said Slevin. "Any journeyman father and son home-building company or any big-box production builder could build this house on any lot in America."

The outside walls use less wood and provides more insulation with a differently constructed lumber frame than normal.

A button in the bathroom instantly pumps hot water to the shower so you don't have to waste time and water waiting for the water to heat up. It can be installed in any home.

A touch-screen panel controls just about anything in the house: fans, lights, air-conditioning, heating, appliances, television and more. If you have an iPhone, an iPad or an Android, you can control the same features remotely.

The house will be on display for the next year, then will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. A future homeowner will be selected from the disabled veterans community.

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environment, save money / consumer news, ric romero

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