Columbiana houses first nano grid community in the U.S.

A housing development along Arrowhead Lake in Columbiana is making history as the first fully solar-powered nano grid community in the United States.

Arrowhead One, a five-acre residential development built by Master Plan Homes, features 19 freestanding villas powered entirely by solar energy and battery storage without any connection to a traditional electric grid.

"It lit a fire in us to do something nobody's done," said Rob Struharik, principal developer of Master Plan Homes.

The homes use a nano grid design, where each house can borrow or share electricity from neighboring units as needed.

Struharik said some of the homes are equipped with solar panels, while a powerhouse system on-site includes seven inverters and nine HomeGrid battery stacks, each storing up to 40 kilowatts of energy.

He added the homes are designed to run seamlessly through outages or weather disruptions, with battery backup providing uninterrupted power at all times.

"This is a nano grid style community where each home is borrowing electricity from its neighbor when it doesn't need it," He said. 

Residents pay a flat-rate monthly solar fee comparable to a standard electric bill, and the community is fully equipped for electric vehicle charging.

Two villas are currently available for lease.

Initial fees range from $20,000 to $70,000, with monthly rent between $2,500 and $3,000.