LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- The largest solar powered community in the U.S. with 384 units completed its first phase and opened to the public Tuesday in Santa Fe Springs, Southern California.

    California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent his representative Alexander Kim to congratulate on the opening.

    Schwarzenegger is an active advocator of solar powered homes. He has set a goal to have 1 million homes with solar roof. He said the Villages at Heritage Springs is a model for California and also for the whole country.

    Named the Villages at Heritage Springs, the 50-acre community is now offering the first 18 single-family homes and 19 town homes for sale.

    When fully built-out, the community will include 384 residences. All of these homes feature the latest in solar power and energy-efficient technology that is expected to reduce homeowner's power bills by up to 60 percent.

    "Villages at Heritage Springs is a look at the future of home building," said Tabassom Ayazi, Vice President for Comstock Homes Sales and Marketing.

    "Making homes more energy-efficient and giving them solar power should not be an after thought. Conserving energy and saving money should be a consideration before the house is built," said Ayazi.

    Comstock Homes has partnered with San Jose, California-based SunPower to install its SunTilea solar roof tiles on each of the new residences in the community. The solar tiles look like ordinary tiles so the houses will remain an elegant style.

    These homes also incorporate other energy saving features including dual pane low energy windows, high efficiency heating and air conditioning, tankless water heaters, energy efficient lighting and special cool roof tiles. Homes in Villages at Heritage Springs will exceed the national energy standard by 50 percent.

    The gated community, including both single-family homes and town homes, is built around a private recreation area with pool, spa, barbecue, picnic area, and playground and basketball court.

    In addition to their energy saving features, these homes will have gourmet kitchens with granite counters, luxurious master suites with walk-in closets and many other special attributes that have become the trademark of Comstock Homes.

    "This kind of home construction is a win-win situation for everyone," added Ayazi.

    "For the developer it adds value to the homes, buyers get a tax rebate and long-term savings on energy, and of course, our environment benefits as well," he said.

    The single houses and town homes are priced between 385,000 dollars to 576,000 dollars, with square feet ranking from 1,390 to2,166.

    California has prided itself as being a leader in alternative energy innovation. Driving through the hills around Livermore, Palm Springs, or between San Diego and Yuma bring skylines full of wind turbines.

    The California Energy Commission claims that wind turbines generated 6,802 gigawatt-hours of electricity -- about 2.3 percent of the state's gross system power.

    By the end of 2009 California actually expects to hit nearly 5 percent energy production from renewable sources.

    While the wind turbine program has slowed down due to animal rights groups objecting to bird casualties due to propeller strikes, California has not slowed down in its aggressive goals for green energy production.

    California's Energy Commission has set a goal of hitting 20 percent by the end of 2010, and 33 percent by the end of 2020.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress has set a goal for 20 percent renewable energy production nationwide by 2010.

    California's program falls under "The California Energy Commission's New Solar Homes Partnership" (NSHP).

    California also offers financial incentives to homebuilders to design energy efficiency and the potential of renewable energy planning into the new home.

    Solar energy is one of the most significant personal actions one can take to cut air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, while helping to conserve precious energy resources for future generations. Plus, it reduces the need for costly new power plants, according to the NSHP.

    All California homeowners implementing solar panels in their homes also qualify for the federal tax credits up to 2,000 dollars.