WEST OAKLAND, CA—Denver/Fort Collins are growing into renewable clusters with clean tech companies flourishing in the region. In fact, Colorado has the highest concentration of wind manufacturing jobs in North America. California is not far behind in the solar energy sector, GlobeSt.com learns in this exclusive.

“Similarly, California and Arizona are emerging as top markets for solar energy,” said Eli Gilbert, vice president of research at JLL and leader of the energy research group. “With the highest concentration of solar company headquarters in the continent, California may become the next renewable energy hub.”

Combine this with the common knowledge that San Francisco real estate prices are out of this world, by most estimates. One alternative comes from a somewhat unlikely source, West Oakland. Not only is this city filling the real estate need, but in an out of this world way, with solar.

One of the newest West Oakland townhome projects, Station House, consists of 171 all-electric, solar-powered two- and three-bedroom townhomes. The first all-electric, no-gas homes, these residences run on advanced solar power, and combine the most efficient appliances and materials under one roof. Advanced integrated solar energy is generated and used onsite, and, powers everything in these homes, even when the sun doesn't shine.

The project, bounded by Frontage Road, 14th, Wood and 16th Streets, is the first major ground-up construction in the area since 2008 and is one of the only major for-sale market-rate projects under construction in the entire Oakland MSA. Station House is in walking distance to the West Oakland BART Station, which provides a 7-minute nonstop trip to San Francisco. It also has easy access to the Interstate 880 onramp and Interstate 80/Bay Bridge into the city.

The West Oakland transformation is already well underway in other projects—historical landmark, the American Steel warehouse is now American Steel Studios, home to large-scale artists, which neighbors the Station House community. In addition, many of the surrounding old Victorian houses are being bought up and refurbished. The Hive, Zephyr Gate, Pacific Cannery Lofts, Mandela Gateway are all successful residential communities next to or near Station House. All of this adds up to an unprecedented construction boom in West Oakland. The city's plan includes the construction of nearly 5,000 residential units, 3.85 million square feet of new business and industrial space, and 800,000 square feet of office and retail space.

Instant Insights /

All-Electric Townhomes Join Successful Residential Communities

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