A development under construction – an 1,800-lot subdivision in Louisville’s Norton Commons – will be the largest geothermal community in the U.S.
“The project is a Traditional Neighborhood Development, a type of development which includes a variety of housing types and commercial buildings,” Green Building Advisor reports. “[It] is designed so people who live there can walk to many of their destinations.”
Requiring ground-source heat pumps makes the homes more expensive than others within Norton Commons that don’t have this requirement. However, a 30 percent tax credit, good through the end of 2016, will alleviate some of the cost burdens.