No power bills, Cat 5 ready: 5 things to know about this Bradenton eco-community

Hunters Point in Cortez, Florida, is pioneering the future of sustainable and resilient housing.

Developed by Marshall Gobuty and Pearl Homes, this community is designed to withstand extreme weather while producing as much energy as it consumes.

FULL STORY: ‘The future of homes.’ Why this Bradenton development is earning national praise

Here are the highlights:

• Hunters Point is the first community to use a home design certified as “Zero Energy” by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program. It’s also designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes. The homes have survived multiple hurricanes, including Debby, Helene and Milton, without damage or power loss.
• The development utilizes solar panels and a Sonnen ecoLinx energy management system, generating an estimated 35% more power than consumed. This excess energy is returned to the grid, providing residents with potential utility credits and no power bills.
• Homes are built 16 feet above sea level with reinforced concrete foundations, steel roofs and other features to ensure resilience against floods and high winds. This design has earned recognition from FEMA and several homebuilding awards for its innovative approach.
• While Hunters Point homes are priced in the luxury market, with recent sales ranging from $1.1 million to $1.9 million, Pearl Homes aims to apply these sustainable concepts to more affordable rental developments, such as the upcoming OurLives community in Ellenton.
• The project has inspired educational initiatives, with students visiting to learn about sustainable building practices. Gobuty hopes to inspire future generations and other builders to adopt sustainable and resilient construction methods.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Bradenton Herald newsroom. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by Bradenton Herald journalists.