New Town Builders has broken ground on the company’s first net-zero energy home in the Stapleton Neighborhood.
Upon completion in early November, the net-zero energy (NZE) home will be so well insulated and so efficient in its use of energy, the residents will find that they average “no payment due” on their monthly utility bill. New Town Builders plans to begin making the net-zero capability a regular add-on feature for all its single-family homes upon request.
New Town Builders’ average HERS score of 59 over the last three years and recent scores in the low to mid 40s puts the company at the top of Denver home builders. In the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star measurement, lower scores are better.
Now New Town Builders has accepted the ultimate energy-efficiency challenge, building a 2,204-square-foot house at 8146 E. 35th Ave., that will collect energy via solar panels, retain heat in the winter, and cool air in the summer via “super” insulation, and use all energy sparingly.
New Town Builders’ secret is in the design. While typical “energy efficient” homes have thick exterior walls with 2x6 studs, New Town Builders has designed an innovative concept of “double walls,” using 2x4 studs and a half-inch thermal gap between them. The staggered 24" space between the studs provides even greater insulation.
Other energy efficiencies in the New Town Builders NZE home:
- 4" increase in the heel height of the roof’s trusses (allowing more space for insulation
- Blown fiberglass insulation in all exterior walls
- Additional insulation at the foundation wall system
- Hybrid tankless water heater
- Solar power system with 8-9.5 kilowatt panels
- Whole-house ventilation system
- EnergyStar appliances
“Years ago, we believed we could set the standard in energy efficiency for new homes, and this net-zero project is further confirmation of our success,” says Gene Myers, chief executive officer of New Town Builders. “While we have consistently averaged single-family Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scores in the 50s, we are not content to rest there; and we are excited to be approaching the day in which our customers will save hundreds of dollars a month on their energy bills.”