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Sustainability at Co-op Casa is not a certification target or an add-on. It is the economic foundation — the reason permanent affordability is possible.
Year building lifespan — Passive House ICCF construction
Of household electricity from rooftop solar, including EV charging
Utility costs for residents — the co-op fee covers everything
Built to last 200 years
Co-op Casa uses Passive House ICCF (Insulated Composite Concrete Form) construction — no wood to rot, no thermal bridges to fail, no reason to replace what doesn’t wear out. A 200-year building amortizes construction cost across generations, making the numbers work permanently.
Passive House is the most energy-efficient, resilient, and comfortable way to build — with clean indoor air, draft-free temperature control, and dramatically lower energy use.
Solar power — residents pay nothing for electricity
Rooftop arrays are sized for 100% of household electricity including EV charging. Battery backup provides power overnight and during outages. The solar system is cooperatively owned — residents pay nothing for power.
- Solar power stored in batteries for lighting, appliances, and car charging
- Solar-powered hot and cold water for cooling and domestic hot water
- Cooperatively owned — no utility bills for residents
Water — harvested, filtered, and reused
We are actively developing a system to maximize on-site water harvesting for domestic use. The goal is near-zero water costs for every resident.
- Rainwater harvested and filtered to the highest standards
- Greywater filtered and reused for showers and laundry
- Earthen basins and underground storage capture street runoff for irrigation
- Smart meters per unit — residents see exactly what they use
Native landscaping that restores the ecosystem
Zero potable irrigation. Mesquite, palo verde, desert willow, agave, and other native species belong here — they need no watering once established, lower surrounding temperatures, and provide wildlife habitat woven into every courtyard.
- Native ironwood, mesquite, and desert plants — zero irrigation after establishment
- Earthen rain basins that recharge the aquifer
- Shade that reduces surrounding street temperatures
- Wildlife habitat in every courtyard