They will break ground in Frisco Wednesday on what may be a first-of-its-kind community anywhere – a development full of homes that are energy-free and maintenance-free.
By energy-free, the homebuilder, The New Modern Home, of Plano, is referring to a house that generates enough electricity through solar power to result in no electric bill. And by maintenance-free the builder is referring to his use of materials — masonry and steel instead of wood and siding — that should not require upkeep or major repairs down the line.
“I am here for the long run,” said Jimmy Tanghongs, President and CEO of The New Modern Home. “I plan to be building homes for the next 20 years, and I think over the next five years, 10 years, 15 years this is how all homes will look and this is how they will provide value for their homeowners.”
Tanghongs is more than just the President of his company — he is also its first client.
Tanghongs and his young family have lived in what he calls a “prototype” home, the first to be completed by The New Modern Home, in North Frisco since late last year. The 3,600 square foot, four-bedroom house is outfitted with 40 solar panels. And during the month of July — with its seemingly unending number of 100-degree days — the house generated enough electricity to produce a $27 credit with its energy provider.
“Typically you might have a $200 electric bill per month [in a house this size], but not only are we able to eliminate the electric bill and to have zero electric bill, but we can also charge our electric cars we are producing that much power,” Tanghongs said.
The groundbreaking Wednesday will happen at 10:30 a.m. at the first home site where Tanghongs plans to build 22 houses, at 8260 Fairview Drive in Frisco, just west of intersection of Sunset Drive at Preston Trace Boulevard.
