Photo by Bryan Bowen

Photo by Bryan Bowen

For starters, a renewable retrofit is not only economical and promotes energy efficiency but in Boulder Colorado, it is also trendy.  Picture an older home built in the 50’s or 60’s with its original appliances, outdated insulation, and air leaks.  In addition to adding solar panels, retrofitted homes include programmable thermostats, energy efficient appliances, icynene insulation, and heat recovery ventilators.  These photos are of a pop-top home in South Boulder Colorado that converted its 40’s built property to double the size while reducing overall utility bills.  Continue to read about home energy efficiency.

Energy Audit

According to Molly Rettig of Home and Garden magazine, rising energy costs make it essential to target residential emissions.  Buildings for example, account for about 50% of Boulder’s total carbon footprint, with nearly 1/3 of that from homes.  Boulder County adopted one of the nation’s strictest building codes in spring 2008 with Build Smart.  However, only about 100 new homes are built in Boulder every year so it’s the city’s 51,000 existing homes that represent the bulk of the problem. 

Ken Regelson, owner of a Boulder Retrofitted home, further explains that we need to figure out what to do with these older homes and that insulating, sealing leaks, and upgrading appliances only reaps about 30% of energy savings.  If you want to get to zero net energy, he suggests further insulation and solar electric roof panels. 

Because these panels can be over the budget of some homeowners, have an energy audit first.  If you are losing a good percentage of energy due to leakage, first seal the foundation, weather strip the doors and insulate the walls.  These improvements run about $2000 and can save the owner around $360/year in energy bills, paying for themselves in less than 6 years.  I have to agree with many Boulder locals however, it’s not about the money  and what your payback will be.  It’s about choosing a quality of life that supports environmental sustainability and doing the right thing.

In conclusion, a retrofitted home is one that makes changes by re-using materials rather than buying new ones.  It means insulating or updating the insulation, replacing the thermostat, upgrading the windows, and sealing leaks.  It is a practical and affordable way to reduce building emissions and cut energy costs.  And from a real estate perspective, the resale of a retrofitted home could increase dramatically due to lower fuel costs.  And most importantly, a renewable retrofit for your older home is the right thing to do! Contact me to talk more about retrofits.

Last week, was the Boulder Tour of Solar and Green Homes and I was reminded of how lucky I am to live in Boulder Colorado. Where else can you tour green built or re-modeled homes all in one day – I was in heaven! You never would have found something like this in the town I grew up in. The morning of the event, I went downtown to register and pay the reasonable $10 fee, then I walked along the vendors booths checking out the eco-friendly companies of Boulder. As a real estate agent, I found great resources for my clients before I even left for the tour. Click here to get an overview of what I learned.

Hosted by the Center for ReSource Conservation, the Tour of Homes ranged from newly-built and remodeled net-zero-energy homes to a community that collectively financed 32 of 40 homes with solar, and a 1902 home originally designated the most inefficient home in Colorado, which was remodeled to be 28% more efficient than a new home built to code in the city of Boulder. 

One of my favorites was the Home Energy Makeover House because it demonstrates how to turn an older home into a more energy efficient one.  Many homes in Boulder are older and this home is a great example of what we can do.  Some of their makeover included energy efficient window replacement, duct cleanings, natural shading, ceiling and wall insulation, and a high-energy tankless water heater. 

Another great home on the tour was the Garland Tree House which was a extensive remodel from the 1960 ranch it once was.  Following the USGBC LEED for Homes program, they installed active and passive solar, widening of walls to incorporate installation, and a heat recovery ventilator with an air filter to provide fresh air during the winter.

Ever heard of a retrofit?  If homes were retrofitted to consume net zero energy, greenhouse gas emission would be greatly reduced.  The Zero-Energy Retrofit was part of the tour and after an Energy Audit, they decided to install a flat-plate solar collector for domestic water heating with tankless high-efficiency electric boiler for backup.  By replacing the domestic hot water, the home’s energy consumption reduced.   Get this – to cover costs, Sean Geiger received a “green” home equity loan which covered most upfront purchases! 

The Boulder Tour of Solar and Green Homes was just a small part of Solar Week, which was sponsored by Lighthouse Solar and Astralux.  Solar Week also included a week full of workshops including Home Energy Improvements Made Easy, which my husband attended.  So, this weekend he is busy weatherizing our home.  Adding insulation around exposed pipes, sealing holes, and caulking around our windows are just a few of the helpful ideas he got from the workshop.  I’m hopeful that this will help reduce our energy bill during the winter. 

Buyers, builders, sellers, real estate agents, and environmentalists all could learn something during Boulder Solar Week and the Tour of Solar and Green Homes.  Boulder is indeed a progressive town and I feel proud of my earth conscientious community.  Luckily, Boulder isn’t the only community involved in the American Solar Energy Society’s National Tour of Solar Homes.  It is one out of 422 communities in 44 states that participate.  Check out one near you and be a part of this vital, global movement.

Are you a green buyer in Boulder Colorado? No…I don’t mean gullible or easily duped. I mean… are you looking to buy real estate that is green built? 

  Wouldn’t you like to know for sure that the home you are buying meets environmental standards?  Well, look no further than LEED, giving you the first national rating system to certify new build properies as “green”.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and like other organizations they want to eliminate those builders that only claim to be building green. 

So, how do you know for sure?    There needs to be proof or in this case – certification.  According to Home & Garden, The LEED for Homes Certification is awarded to homes that achieve a minimum number of points in eight building categories.  These are as follows: 1) innovation in the design process, 2) location and connection to the larger community,  3) sustainable use of the site, 4) water efficiency, 5) energy efficiency, 6) efficient use of materials, 7) indoor air quality, the level of education and awareness of the resident or building manager about the home’s green features. 

Building using eco friendly practices means more than solar panels and incandescent light-bulbs.  It means buying locally, using recycled materials, and disposing of waste conscientiously.   It also includes energy efficiency such as good insulation and double pane windows which reduce environmental impact.

LEED Certified homes are more expensive.  2 – 3% more expensive says Built Green (another rating program).  However, in my opinion, this makes up for itself in the long run for several reasons.  First, resale will be better as this movement becomes more and more popular.  Secondly, you can save up to 30% on your energy bills.  And the most important reason is that you are taking care of your health and the environment.

 If you’d like to know more about the LEED or Built Green rating systems, let me know.  Or if you’d like to know more about buying, remodelling, or building green; I can help!