3/23/07, 5:29 pm EST

Assignment Ten Finalist: Christina Poole on Round Hill West

Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.

Round Hill West

by Christina Poole
Age: 24

The new residents of Loudoun County are trading up by spreading out, bulldozing the historic farmlands of northern Virginia to make room for million-dollar mansions. And while the fastest-growing, richest county in the nation is undoubtedly an environmentalist’s nightmare, two businessmen are doing their part to change Loudoun’s rep as a suburban wasteland.

Carter Morrow, president of Bay Homes, and Alden Hathaway, director of EcoPower Programs for the Environmental Resources Trust, have teamed up to offer residents a greener option—the Round Hill West development in Round Hill, Virginia.

The homes are built with Hybrid Technology, and thus include solar power and landscaping, solar-heated water, environmentally-conscious design, energy-efficient appliances and a brand new Prius. Morrow also offers homeowners the option to retrofit their traditionally-powered residences with these features.

For $600-$700K, the homes cost a pretty penny. They take full advantage of solar power, though, and spare energy. Owners also save money over time because the homes use negative power in the summer months, which in the state of Virginia means electric companies must credit them for their conservation. Solar-powered homeowner Hathaway, for example, went nearly five months this winter without owing a dime in electric bills.

The “home’s value is also higher,” than the price reflects, notes Morrow, because “solar equipment has been appreciating as increased demand is driving panel prices up.”

The development was inspired by Hathaway’s home and Morrow’s increased awareness of global warming. But even in this post-Inconvenient Truth climate, where “green” is pseudo-synonymous with those who have it, will county transplants respond to the innovation? Hopefully, if they’re as Morrow says “driven by intellect rather than ego.”

Even if they don’t, the pair’s efforts are a model for county businesses to use their power for good and take responsibility for shaping the future of the area.