Energy-positive townhouses power Boston’s grid with renewable energy

Interface Studio Architects (ISA)’s LEED Platinum Roxbury E+ townhouses are paving the way toward more energy-efficient housing in Boston.

Completed in collaboration with local developer Urbanica, the energy-positive townhouses were created as part of the city’s E+ Green Building program, an initiative to pilot net-zero energy housing prototypes. The energy-positive homes include many green technologies, such as solar panels, green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and triple-glazed windows.

Roxbury E+ comprises four townhomes, each topped with 39 solar panels that can produce more energy—close to 10,000 kilowatts a year—than the homeowners are likely to need. The homes are also designed with passive solar principles to minimize energy consumption. High-efficiency windows, double insulation, and Energy Star-rated appliances also reduce the building’s reliance on electricity. Homeowners can sell surplus power back to the city grid.

The three-story townhouses’ smart and contemporary facade are clad in metal and timber panels. Each house includes three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, generous backyards, and third-level terraces. The development was completed in 2013; the market-rate units sold for $550,000, while the affordable housing unit sold for $215,000. The site surrounding the townhouse includes rain gardens and permeable paving.