Thrive Home Builders built this 5,142-square-foot production home in Denver, Colorado, to the high performance criteria of the U.S. Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

Covered porches provide multi-season outdoor living while reducing unwanted solar heat gain from high overhead summer sun.

A 9.92-kW PV system and a 7-kW battery will help bring this efficient home’s electric bill to below $17 a month.

ENERGY STAR appliances help keep energy bills low.

All LED lighting minimizes power usage while supplementing day lighting.

A high-efficiency tankless gas water heater provides endless hot water. EPA WaterSense-labeled fixtures and a manually operated hot water recirculation loop reduce water usage.

An energy recovery ventilator runs continuously to provide fresh air throughout the home.

Thrive Home Builders constructs 9.5-inch-thick exterior walls and stuffs them with R-40 of blown fiberglass insulation.

The garage houses the inverters for the home’s solar electric power production system as well as the batteries to store excess power produced. These features together with exceptional energy efficiency helped the home achieved a Home Energy Rating System score of 8.

The utility room houses the home’s high-efficiency comfort system, which includes a 12.5-HSPF, 18-SEER central air source heat pump and 0.95 AFUE gas furnace. It also houses the home’s ERV, which is connected to sensors throughout the home to provide homeowners with a smart and responsive indoor air quality system.