We have our first families involved. What an enormous volume of information they are willing to give. Surprisingly none of the participants are hesitant to talk about any aspects of their daily life and habits, and definitely not hesitant to relinquish opinions on materials, water temperature and unit design. It's like the cliche, A picture tells a thousand words. A tank-less water heater, an inverter, a shade trellis, and a snowman in the desert- how does it all play out?
Ray is a single mom with 2 daughters. She has lived in Vista Dunes for over a year, with the last 9 months in a 2-bedroom rather than a 3 bedroom, where she previously lived. Before moving to Vista Dunes, she lived with her mother. She does not own a car, she does not work outside the home, and she walks or takes the bus everywhere she goes. Her electricity bill is currently $11 per month, while her mother's whom is local to her, just paid $220. She appreciates the difference. According to Ray, her thermostat is set to 79 degrees all day and night in the summer, but the concrete floors help. "It's better than going swimming in the pool. If you need to cool off (in the summer), just lay on the concrete floor". She told me how she grows her own vegetables outside in a baby pool in the spring and summer.
Dr. Turf is likely to be the most difficult to improve upon, because he's already in tune with what is going on in his home. He lives alone in a 3-bedroom, and used 748 gallons of water in the month of November. He's budgeted 7480 to remain in the Excellent Service Charge range. He owns a vehicle, travels out of Vista Dunes for work with varying mileage, and uses the bus to travel some.
Jane has lives in a 2-bedroom alone, as his youngest daughter just moved out. He does not work because he became disabled on the job several years ago. He chooses to drive his vehicle everywhere noting that walking or the bus are too hard on his back. Jane enjoys comparing habits, particularly showering habits of men vs. women. His electrical consumption has gone up since his daughter moved out a month ago, but he checks the solar inverter every day to make sure it is generating. My favorite line; "the (warm) water in the kitchen sink travels to Paris, then to Mexico, before it comes out in the sink".
