"Villa Trieste is the next logical step in our pursuit to build a better, more energy-efficient home," said Scott Wright, Las Vegas division president for Pulte Homes.

With homes starting in the mid-$200,000s, plans measure from 1,487 to 1,960 square feet.

Each home will feature a SunPower SunTile roof-integrated solar-electric power system that blends seamlessly into the roof and features the most efficient solar technology available on the market, Wright said. A wall-mounted "touch-screen dashboard" will connect to a solar and energy meter that will allow homeowners to see how much energy they are generating and using in real time.

The UNLV Center for Energy Research, in partnership with Pulte Homes and NV Energy, received $7 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop the model neighborhood. Villa Trieste was designed to significantly reduce peak residential energy demand, which creates strains on the electrical grid resulting in higher energy costs and even brownouts and blackouts during the summer months.

"In the midst of this most difficult home-building environment, this is a shining example of how partnerships between public and private market players will accelerate the green movement within the production home-building market," said Nate Kredich, vice president of residential market development for the U.S. Green Building Council.

Kredich said Pulte garnered support from governmental agencies and corporate partners to reduce the incremental costs of program offerings.

"The end result is a product of the highest-quality, delivered more affordably to residents who seek a home that delivers greater comfort, lower operating costs, and a healthier environment for their families," he said.

The Summerlin neighborhood is the first residential development in the Southwest to provide a combination of solar power, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification and Environments for Living building methods as standard features in every home.

Wright said all Pulte neighborhoods in Las Vegas are committed to the EFL building methods.

"As energy prices increase in the future, homeowners will have security in knowing that they will be less affected than most others," Wright said, adding that all of Pulte's homes come with a three-year heating, cooling and temperature comfort guarantee. "Villa Trieste is kind of like our version of the Toyota Prius; we like to refer to Villa Trieste as being a neighborhood of hybrid homes."

The 185-home neighborhood has access to freeways and is near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, dining, shopping, entertainment venues and employment centers. As part of Summerlin, Villa Trieste homeowners will have access to more than 150 miles of community trails, more than 100 neighborhood and village parks and 23 public and private schools. Homeowners also can play on nine world-class golf courses, including Nevada's only two TPC courses.

In addition, residents will have access to private neighborhood amenities including a pool, spa and park - amenities they will share with other residents of the West Park neighborhoods located in Summerlin Centre.

"Environmental preservation has always been a top priority in Summerlin," said Tom Warden, senior vice president of community and government relations for The Howard Hughes Corp., developer of Summerlin. "Pulte Homes is redefining the standard for innovation with the opening of Villa Trieste, the first LEED-certified neighborhood in Nevada and one of the few by any production home builder in the United States.

This is a true milestone in residential development and a point of pride for us here in Summerlin."

To visit Villa Trieste, take Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway, to Charleston Boulevard and travel west. Turn left on Plaza Centre Drive, then left on Sagemont Drive. Proceed through the round-about. Make a left into Villa Trieste.

For more information, call 834-5677, or visit pulte.com/solarhomes.