You will want to take a look at Pringle Creek's Path to Net Zero in the September/October issue of Solar Today magazine (to read it all you just click the page-turn buttons at the top of each page). Written by James Santana, the article features photos by Pringle Creek's favorite photographer, Visko Hatfield (including the cover photo. Here are some choice quotations from the text:
Under a rooftop covered in solar panels, Pringle Creek neighbors sit on the deck of Painters Hall community center, sipping iced tea, bird watching and looking out over acres of open space. It’s a modern vision of a sustainable future — integration of the built and natural environments, innovative design and technology — as well as a reminder of simpler times, when community and resource conservation were ways of life.. . .
The center demonstrates the potential for existing building stock to be renovated in a way that outperforms conventional new construction, saves money, preserves history and inspires beauty and creativity.
. . .
When it came to selecting PV panel manufacturers, the team looked for quality, reliability and efficiency, and if possible, local manufactur- ing. Sanyo Solar (us.sanyo.com/solar), one of the world’s leading solar panel producers, had recently opened a new solar ingot facility just 6 miles away, bringing 200 new jobs to Salem.... For inverters, the team chose the PV Powered (pvpowered.com) PVP4800 for its 96 percent California Energy Commission-weighted efficiency rating, 10-year warranty and manufacturing plant located in Bend, Ore., just 130 miles away.
. . .
The building is, once again, a signal of health and prosperity, and also of a new direction — toward a smart future rooted in innovation, respect for nature and love of community. In this way, Painters Hall, and the entire neighborhood at Pringle Creek, is ready for the next 80 years of new challenges and opportunities.
Solar Today is a publication of American Solar Energy Society, a nonprofit established in 1954. Their mission is to change how American's think about solar, bring the solar community together, and create a sustainable energy economy.
Come out to Pringle Creek anytime between 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to look around and enjoy a cup of espresso, coffee, or iced tea in the Community Café. See for yourself what all the buzz is about. 
