Solar Verde Estates is the Midwest's first zero-energy community comprising of 20 green single-family homes on the southeast side of Chicago. During the ribbon cutting ceremony in August 2008, the developer Bernie Schmidt of Schmidt Luxury Homes showcased the development’s green features. The two-story, 1,595-square-foot homes feature 4.0 kW of BIPV solar tiles on the roof. The PV system relies on the Illinois-mandated “net-metering” agreement that feeds excess energy back to Commonwealth Edison for credits and allows the homeowner to bank this energy for later use. Energy is produced during daylight, banked with the utility company for credits and used when the sun is not shining.