Solara Apartments

Residential

Affordable housing 2-story apartments with detached surface parking consisting of 56 dwelling units on 2.45 acres. California’s first affordable housing project designed to be fully independent of the power grid. In practice, its photovoltaic panels provide 90 percent of electrical needs to 56 units of rental multi-family apartments in two-story wood buildings and a small community center. Located on 2.5 ground-leased acres adjacent to a floodway that has a recreational relationship to the development, Solara overcame a myriad of entitlement, financing, technical, and community challenges to become a fully-leased community of households committed to a green program.

Structural EngineerBWE
OwnerCommunity Housing Works
ArchitectRodriguez Associates
Completion Date2007
Construction Cost$16.2 Million
AwardsGold Nugget – Grand Award
SDG&E Energy Efficiency Award
San Diego Housing Federation Award
ULI Award of Excellence