SAN FRANCISCO, CA.— On Friday November 16 2012, South San Francisco made public a virtual tour video of the Gree X-Ray House located in 109 Longford Avenue. There are a great number of homes in South San Francisco built several years ago, lacking energy-efficient elements that help save money. The X-Ray House shows how homes can have energy-saving materials and that an old house can be as functional as a brand new one. The video is a tour of the house; a narrator who explains the energy-efficient components accompanies it, some of the alterations are: drought-resistant outdoor plants, water-saving flush toilet, and double-pane windows. The city spent $53,000 in labor and materials combined. There was a group of volunteers who donated $45,000 worth of manual labor mounting solar panels, decking, water purification system, furniture, artificial turf, landscaping and installing insulation and windows.
The purpose of building the house is for educating the public on the various resources available without destroying the environment in today’s marketplace. It is said that if the house is to become available for sell, it would be sold at a reasonable price so a low-income person is able to afford it. If people were living in the home, they would be saving approximately $100 per month on electricity.
There are tours available to the general public by appointment. For more information about the home, contact: sustainable.ssf@ssf.net or (650) 829-6634
By Jennifer Alcaraz
