Powering up a net-zero-energy enclave

A West Grove community-in-the-works will unveil images and schematics of its future homes and neighborhood, Three Grove Ecovillage, on Saturday.

The event will occur at the corporate headquarters of Dansko, a footwear firm known for its innovative environmentalism, from 2 to 5 p.m. Three Groves Ecovillage is an organization of local people seeking to build and reside in an environmentally and socially sustainable neighborhood of about 37 individually-owned one- to four-bedroom homes.

Those interested in seeing the 7.5-acre tract in London Grove Township - homes are still available - are encouraged to join a walk starting at 1 p.m. at the corner of State Road and Prospect Avenue in West Grove. The Ecovillage founders are looking for partners in what they foresee as a model for smart residential development in the 21st century.

Small group tours will be offered of Dansko's corporate headquarters (33 Federal Road, West Grove), which was designed  with many green building principles and awarded a gold rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)by the U.S. Green Building Council. Gold is the second highest rating, after the relatively uncommon LEED platinum rating.  Three Groves Ecovillage will be seeking to earn platinum.

For more information, visit http://www.threegrovesecovillage.org.