Scroll down or click the images below to learn more about Ecofutures' Net-Zero Energy Homes to date:

Solar Harvest	Broomfield NZEH	South Boulder NZEH Retrofit
Indian Hills NZEH	Evergreen NZEH

Interested in building or remodeling your own net-zero energy home?  Visit our zero energy home design & construction website for more information!

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Net-Zero Energy Home in Evergreen, Colorado
The Evergreen Net-Zero Energy Home is designed in a traditional southwest / adobe style, but boasts the latest in construction techniques for energy efficiency.  From finely-tuned fiberglass windows with orientation-specific combinations of advanced Heat Mirror glazing to the use of natural and reclaimed products, this home is as green and high-performing as we could make it.  Located at 8,000 feet in Evergreen, Colorado, the cold and windy site conditions challenge high performance home construction, but according to preliminary HERS reports, the home will achieve a HERS zero - or lower!

Visit the following pages to learn more about the Evergreen net-zero energy home:

• Construction photos
• Computer renderings
• Ecofutures ZEH comparison chart

The Evergreen Net-Zero Energy Home was beautifully designed by Thomas Doerr of Doerr Architecture

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Net-Zero Energy Home in Indian Hills, Colorado
The Indian Hills Zero Energy Home is evidence that zero-energy does not necessarily mean zero-style.  From the home's beautiful architecture with complex roof lines, intricate interior woodwork and high-end custom finishes it is difficult to see that the home is solar-powered; but it is. In order to achieve net-zero energy, the home is oriented for optimal passive solar gain with a large expanse of Loewen windows on the south side.  180 Thermomax evacuated tubes are mounted on the south roof, providing 100% of the homes domestic hot water and hot tub needs.  To provide all supplementary electric power, the home also boasts a 10 kW ground-mount structure on its south lawn.

Visit the following pages to learn more about the Indian Hills net-zero energy home:

• Finished photos! updated June 2008
• Builder's Challenge Energy Rating Certificate updated July 2008
  **despite the HERS 12 rating shown here, it is projected that this home will perform at net-zero energy (HERS 0), or lower!
  
• Detailed mechanical system controls schematic
• Construction photos
  
• Ecofutures ZEH comparison chart

The Indian Hills Net-Zero Energy Home was masterfully designed by Jeff von Breichtenfeld of Sears Barrett Architects

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City of Broomfield's First Net-Zero Energy Home

Oriented to capture the western views of the magnificent Front Range, the Skinner net-zero energy home presented an interesting challenge to our designers on how to achieve a net-zero energy goal with limited "free" energy in the form of passive solar gain.  As a result, the home is being outfitted with a 10-kW photovoltaic system installed by Simple Solar Systems, and 240 evacuated tube hot water collectors mounted at a 65 degree tilt for maximum efficiency.  This luxury custom home is set to be completed in October-November, 2007.

The Broomfield Net-Zero Energy Home proves that a zero energy home does not need to be constrained by architectural style, size, or site conditions.  Mechanical engineers who designed the heating and cooling system set out with a goal that residents will experience ideal indoor environmental conditions - 68-70 degrees year-round indoor temperatures - without ever having to think about the renewable energy systems powering their home. 

Visit the following pages to learn more about the Broomfield zero energy home:

• an article published in the Daily Camera
  
• Construction photos
  
• Ecofutures ZEH comparison chart
  

The Broomfield Net-Zero Energy Home was skillfully designed by Robert Rosenthal of Rosenthal Associates

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South Boulder Net-Zero Energy Remodel

**CORRECTION: Please note that on previous versions of the poster available for download below, the carbon offsets at power plants was incorrectly listed as 1,080 lbs CO2.  Recalculated using the latest figures from Boulder County, should read: 17,472 lbs CO2 offset at power plant.  This correction has been made on the poster below.

BEFORE

AFTER

The first ZEH remodel project in Boulder, Colorado was designed with the overarching goal of creating a home capable of producing enough energy to satisfy domestic needs, power a future electric car, and still have a net-negative annual energy balance.  Challenged again with a building site with relatively low passive solar gain, the mechanical systems engineers had to design a building that could "charge" up during sunny days by solar hot water-heated radiant floor systems, and could "coast" through cloudy cold-snap days without needing more energy.  

With the addition of a 6.15-kW solar array installed by Namaste Solar Electric, the home is expected to achieve 120-130% of it's net-zero energy goal within the first year with a net excess greater than 1,500 kWh.

This home was featured on the 2007 Tour of Solar Homes. 

Click these links to learn more about this net-zero energy retrofit:

• Finished photos
  
• Construction photos
• A poster created for a summit on Moving Homes Toward Carbon Neutrality
• Have Sketchup?  Click here to download our interactive model of the Scrub Oak ZEH 
• Ecofutures ZEH comparison chart 
  

The Boulder net-zero energy home retrofit was gracefully designed by Andy Johnson of DAJ Design

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