Saintly construction

In Farmington, Utah, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints last week unveiled plans for five Mormon meeting houses in three states: Utah, Arizona and Nevada.

A prototype in Farmington has 156 solar panels and parking designated for electric cars. There are xeriscapes triggered by underground sensors that decide when water is necessary. It also includes tankless water heaters that produce hot water immediately instead of storing it. (Similar devices have been used in Europe for many years, though they tend to produce lukewarm rather than hot water.)

Future church structures are expected to follow similar guidelines. The LDS church builds 200 a year. Among those planned are two in Nevada, at Logandale and Pahrump.