By Marissa Luck, Staff Writer
A group of recently completed homes in the Third Ward appear to be typical of new construction in Houston — high ceilings, walk-in closets, modern fixtures.
Step into their garages, though, and there’s something a little more unique.
That’s where the developer installed a battery backup generator that automatically kicks in during an outage to run critical appliances and air conditioning for up to two days, according to Whitestone Development.
Whitestone, in partnership with the nonprofit Empower Community Development Corp., plans to include these battery generator systems in all of its new homes. Across the Houston area, Whitestone is building 30 homes around Houston priced from $280,000 to about $570,000, a price point that typically doesn’t include generators or similar backup power systems.
While the number of homes in the region sold with an installed generator has been rising in the wake of recent power outages, most are priced above $400,000. For example, since 2018, fewer than five newly built homes priced under $600,000 came with a generator installed, according to HAR.
