In the southern San Joaquin Valley, the cooling season is long. Summer afternoons regularly climb past 100 degrees, and air conditioning runs for months rather than weeks. That makes how a home is built — its windows, its roof, its mechanical systems — a practical question, not just a technical one.

Every home at Vista Montaire includes a set of energy features as standard rather than as upgrades. Here is what each one is and what it actually does.

Solar Energy System

A solar energy system is included with every home. California’s building energy standards have required solar on most new single-family homes since 2020, so this is now a normal part of new construction statewide — but it is worth knowing it is included here rather than something you add later.

How a solar system affects any particular electric bill depends on the size of the home, how much electricity the household uses, the rate plan, and the time of year. Your sales agent can walk you through how the system is configured on a specific home.

Dual-Pane Low-E Windows

Dual-pane windows use two panes of glass with an insulating space between them. The Low-E coating is a thin, largely invisible layer that reflects part of the sun’s radiant heat while still letting light through.

In a climate with long, bright summers, that combination does two things at once: it reduces how much heat comes through the glass during the hottest part of the day, and it cuts down on the temperature swing near large windows.

High-Efficiency HVAC

Heating and cooling is where most of the energy in a Central Valley home goes. Every Vista Montaire home includes a high-efficiency HVAC system, sized and installed as part of the build rather than fitted to an existing house.

"In a valley summer, the cooling system is the hardest-working thing in the house."

Because the system is installed new with the home, it also starts its service life with you — no inherited maintenance history, and covered under the 12-month fit and finish warranty the builder provides after close of escrow.

EV Charger Prewire

Every home comes prewired for an electric vehicle charger. Prewiring means the electrical groundwork is run during construction so a charger can be added without opening up finished walls later.

Worth being precise about: prewire is the electrical preparation, not the charging unit itself. If you are planning for an EV, ask your sales agent exactly what the prewire covers on the plan you are considering and what adding a charger involves.

Concrete Tile Roofing

Every home is finished with durable concrete tile roofing. Tile stands up well to sustained sun and heat, and it is a long-service roofing material — which matters in a place that delivers a great deal of both.

Landscaping and Irrigation

Front yards are professionally landscaped with full irrigation already installed. Beyond the curb appeal, it means the watering system is designed and in place from day one rather than pieced together later.

A Note on Estimating Your Costs

We do not publish estimated utility savings figures, because actual energy costs depend on household usage, utility rate plans, and how a home is lived in — variables no builder can predict for you.

What we can be specific about is the rest of the monthly picture. Our post on what a new home really costs in Bakersfield breaks down base price, options, taxes and HOA dues, and each home’s page includes a payment estimator with current HOA dues built in.

Seeing the Features in Person

The full list of what is included in every home — energy features, kitchen, primary bath, exteriors, interior finishes and more — is on our floor plans page. To see how the features come together in a finished house, browse available homes, or read about what semi-custom means and which choices are yours to make.

The most direct way to understand any of this is to stand in one. Schedule a tour and our team can show you these features in a completed home.

Features and specifications are subject to change without notice.