Thrive Home Builders constructed this 3,322-square-foot home in Denver, Colorado, to the performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program.

Energy- and water-saving measures incorporated in this home are estimated to save $1,644 per year and $85,569 over a 30-year mortgage.

The drought-tolerant plants were chosen for landscaping and have individual drip irrigation to conserve water.

A 3.64-kW solar electric system installed on the roof of the home brings the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score down to 28; a typical new home built to code has a HERS score of 100.

Well-placed windows in this home provide natural daylighting and 100% compact fluorescent lighting minimizes energy use.

ENERGY STAR-rated appliances save energy and money in the kitchen.

The home’s comfort is maintained by an efficient central heat pump with a seasonal energy efficiency ratio of 16. A gas furnace is installed for backup heat during very cold days in this cold-climate location.

This home is constructed using low-VOC paints and low-formaldehyde wood products to help with indoor air quality.

The home has ENERGY STAR-qualified double-pane, vinyl-framed windows with an argon gas fill that increase the insulation value to U=0.22.

This home is equipped with water-saving, EPA WaterSense-rated fixtures and a hot water recirculation loop to speed hot water to the tap from the tankless gas water heater.

The home complies with all of the requirements of the EPA Indoor airPLUS program, which promotes healthy indoor air. The basement slab was poured over a 4-inch crushed rock base, wrapped in a 6-mil vapor barrier, and fitted with a passive radon vent stack to help keep soil gases out of the basement living space.

Good site water management practices help ensure dry leak-free basements.

This home’s double-wall construction provides a 9-inch wall cavity that is filled with blown fiberglass insulation to provide a continuous R-40 thermal blanket around the home. All framing materials were locally harvested from standing beetle-killed trees in the Colorado mountains.

Spray foam is carefully applied around electrical boxes and wall penetrations and at the joints between bottom plates and subfloors as part of a complete air barrier system.

Open window headers allow for more blown-in insulation around windows and doors.

The well-sealed ducts are placed within the conditioned space between the floor joists to minimize energy loss while spray foam insulates and air-seals the rim joists.