Media Watch
KB to Create Microgrid Community
Los Angeles Business Journal -
Westwood-based KB Home will be launching the first all-electric, solar- and battery-powered microgrid communities in California. The homebuilder has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy; SunPower Corp.; the Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine; Southern California Edison; Schneider Electric; and Kia to test 219 energy-efficient new homes at KB Home’s Oak Shade and Durango communities within its Shadow Mountain master plan in Menifee. Read More
New SoCal neighborhood where power never goes out
KTLA5 -
At the latest KB Home community in Menifee, they’re putting a new twist on energy efficiency. Each home here is equipped with solar to collect power from the sun and stores it in a battery located in the home’s garage. … These all-electric homes use up to 40 percent less energy than similar homes. The partners involved, including the U.S. Department of Energy, SunPower, the University of California, Irvine, Southern California Edison and Kia, are eager to learn from the project in hopes of applying the concept to more neighborhoods in the future. Read More
Menifee is California's first solar- and battery-powered microgrid home community
Spectrum News 1 -
Topped with solar panels, each home in California’s first all-electric, solar- and battery-powered microgrid home community also has a so-called Sun Vault in the garage to store electricity. And each of those homes is connected, giving them the ability to collectively withstand power shortages induced by extreme heat, wildfires or earthquakes. … LA-based KB Home and SunPower, headquartered in San Jose, received $6.6 million from the agency to pay for the microgrid’s batteries and research that the University of California, Irvine and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab will conduct. Read More
First All-Electric Community Powered By Solar and Battery Microgrid Launches in California
EcoWatch -
In a collaboration between the University of California, Irvine, SunPower Corp., Southern California Edison, Schneider Electric and KB Home, a new collection of Energy-Smart Connected Communities — more than 200 homes powered entirely by solar energy — are being built in Menifee, California, and are the first of their kind in the Golden State. Read More
Study: Los Angeles’ major flood risk is much higher than previously thought
Salon -
When it comes to storm damage, Los Angeles County may not be the first place that comes to mind. But according to a new study, the area’s “hundred-year” flood risk is far greater than what the federal government currently estimates — and a disproportionate danger for Black residents in certain key areas. … “Across the U.S., we witnessed one city after the other get hit by flooding and be seemingly unprepared for the amount of flooding that happens,” said Brett Sanders, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Irvine and the study’s lead author. Read More
New Study Looks at Link between L.A. Infrastructure Fails and Flood Risks
Los Angeles Magazine -
A study published in Nature Sustainability on Monday is shedding new light on flood risks facing Los Angeles, particularly in lower-income and disadvantaged communities. The study, led by Dr. Brett Sanders [civil and environmental engineering professor] at UC Irvine, also explores the implications of underestimating flood risks at an institutional level …. “Improved risk awareness is crucial for protecting lives and livelihoods,” the study found, “and for planning and designing cost-effective and equitable flood adaptation measures.” Read More
Experimental Community Previews Possibilities of Future Electric Ecosystems
Newsweek -
An electricity incubator project in Menifee, California aims to break new ground in what it means to live, work and play in a connected, sustainable world. The planned community, 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles, is the result of a partnership between KB Home, SunPower, Kia America, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the United States Department of Energy. When construction is complete, the microgrid Shadow Mountain neighborhood will be solar- and battery-powered. Its design aims to reduce carbon emissions, cut energy costs and provide new ways at looking at electricity use. Read More
Solar microgrid community launched in California
pv magazine -
A new resilient solar-powered microgrid community has been launched by KB Home. The microgrid features interconnected solar, battery energy storage, and all-electric smart appliances. … KB Home is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy, SunPower, the Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine, Southern California Edison, Schneider Electric, and Kia to test the energy-efficient and resilient new homes at the Shadow Mountain master plan area in Menifee. Read More
Microgrid will let these Menifee homes keep lights on during outages
The Orange County Register -
UC Irvine has been quietly turning its entire campus into a microgrid for the past decade, using gas- and steam-powered turbines to provide 19 megawatts of power. “What sets a microgrid aside is (power) generation,” said Scott Samuelsen, a UC Irvine engineering professor and Menifee project researcher. “It can operate on its own in case of a grid outage.” [Subscription required, campus-wide access provided by UCI Libraries. Sign-up here: https://guides.lib.uci.edu/news/ocregister] Read More
What You Need To Know Today
LAist -
Researchers at UC Irvine found out that L.A. County is more at risk for major flooding than was previously thought. Black communities face the largest risk. Researchers pinpoint areas such as Compton, Carson and North Long Beach as being particularly vulnerable. Read More