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Old 08-21-2011, 02:57 PM
 
Location: Texas Hill Country
297 posts, read 896,431 times
Reputation: 145

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Howdy. Are there developments/neighborhoods that are built as net zero homes, passive solar designs, etc? Or builders that specialize in these very energy efficient methods?

On a related note ... I tried searching but can't figure out how to constrain my search to all words, or to all words in a phrase. For example, a search for "net zero homes" listed every thread that had the word "home" in it.

It would seem to me, from afar, that Pueblo is ideally suited to passive solar design ... 5400 heating degree days, high percentage of sunny days, low humidity, etc.

But a general Google search did not find much listed/advertised in Pueblo either ... now Boulder is another matter
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Old 08-21-2011, 03:14 PM
 
26,212 posts, read 49,038,592 times
Reputation: 31781
I know you can get such homes in COLO SPGS, but you have to get a custom builder. I'm not aware of any such developments here.
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Old 08-21-2011, 03:45 PM
 
9 posts, read 20,481 times
Reputation: 18
this link has a few green homes available in the pueblo and pueblo west areas ..

Colorado Green Homes for Sale - Find a Green Home - Browse Listings
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Old 08-21-2011, 07:15 PM
 
Location: The 719
18,013 posts, read 27,456,617 times
Reputation: 17330
Good find Chris... and welcome to City-Data.
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Old 08-21-2011, 08:27 PM
 
Location: Texas Hill Country
297 posts, read 896,431 times
Reputation: 145
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisziggy View Post
this link has a few green homes available in the pueblo and pueblo west areas ..

Colorado Green Homes for Sale - Find a Green Home - Browse Listings
Chris ... thanks for the input. I had seen the site before (still thanks for your thought) unfortunately the houses tend to the very large and very expensive, some over a million dollars

A bit out of my price range (as an understatement!). Some of them of rather impressive though. Thanks to all. Trust everyone had a good weekend.
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Old 08-21-2011, 08:41 PM
 
9 posts, read 20,481 times
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Thank you McGowdog .. I called CO home for 7 years, and had to move away for 7 more, but the second my house in the burbs of this h*ll hole known as Houston sells, I'm coming back home to CO!!!

Aggie, are you wanting to get a place that is already built or are ya thinking of getting land and then building some sort of green home on it? I'm doing a LOT of research on green building, and feasible modifications to existing homes, etc .. if ya tell me what you're seeking I may have already got a link to some useful info

Don't really have much about green builders and communities of already made green builds, but I've got some great links about DIY solar panels (done right, not wrong lol) and made in the usa DIY windmills .. geodesic home designs and kits, straw bale house building, etc .. Us "not rich" seekers of a green home living experience have to stick together!
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Old 08-21-2011, 09:44 PM
 
Location: The 719
18,013 posts, read 27,456,617 times
Reputation: 17330
Interesting. I've got a neighbor whose first home is in Monterey Ca and wants his third home to be "off the grid".

He talks about roof tiles that serve as solar panels, the advent and perfecting of low energy led lighting, etc., a propane tank for backup, and you can be off the grid.

The Empire State Building was not created by some construction company. It was created in some Architect's mind.
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Old 08-23-2011, 08:20 AM
 
Location: Texas Hill Country
297 posts, read 896,431 times
Reputation: 145
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisziggy View Post
Thank you McGowdog .. I called CO home for 7 years, and had to move away for 7 more, but the second my house in the burbs of this h*ll hole known as Houston sells, I'm coming back home to CO!!!

Aggie, are you wanting to get a place that is already built or are ya thinking of getting land and then building some sort of green home on it? I'm doing a LOT of research on green building, and feasible modifications to existing homes, etc .. if ya tell me what you're seeking I may have already got a link to some useful info

Don't really have much about green builders and communities of already made green builds, but I've got some great links about DIY solar panels (done right, not wrong lol) and made in the usa DIY windmills .. geodesic home designs and kits, straw bale house building, etc .. Us "not rich" seekers of a green home living experience have to stick together!
Chris ... Howdy. Sorry for the delay here ... First, good luck on your quest. I built a house, off-grid, rainwater as sole water source, and lived in it for 10+ years, as little background. I'm just fishing right now, trying to determine what's available, and what builders might be in the Pueblo/Colorado Springs area. At my age with a couple health issues/limitations I don't believe I have another DIY house in me

I see that there is a straw bale builder out in Salida. There are the Earth Ships down in New Mexico and some passive adobe builders. A couple "Green" developments in Denver and Fort Collins, although I believe the one in Fort Collins is on hold, due to the downturn.

Although I generally support the "Green" building movement, it can get a little carried away, particularly with concerns over "out-gassing." And they can get carried away with local sourcing to the extent that the price is really driven up. I guess my main interest/desire is energy efficiency; hence my post about net zero energy houses. Some of what I have read (and I can generally separate out factual, data based information from the uninformed internet guru information) indicates that in the SE Colorado climate a properly designed house can supply 90+ % of it's heating needs with passive solar. Since this type of design has to be tight and contain some mass ... it should also be rather efficiently cooled in the summer when needed.

With the prevalent sunshine in the region a solar PV system should be very efficient also and prices for the panels are falling to about $1 per watt so the pay-back period with a grid-tied system would probably occur within my shortened life expectancy (just saying I'm not young!).

Concrete, ICFs, adobe would offer the mass and airtight shell ... done right. SIPs offer the airtight shell and excelllent insulation but the mass would have to be inside with a concrete floor for example as a "heat-sink" for the sunlight.

All of this for <$175,000 ... just to prove I'm probably delusional

Thanks for the interest, and again good luck on your quest. Any information you have additionally would be very much appreciated. And GOOD LUCK getting out of Houston ... I'm a native Texan, and like many, don't even acknowledge that Houston is part of the state ...
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Old 08-23-2011, 09:19 AM
 
Location: Pueblo - Colorado's Second City
12,262 posts, read 24,457,538 times
Reputation: 4395
Wait about 5-10 years. From what I read solar technology will be at the point where it will be cheaper then fossil fuels so every house will be able to have solar strips on them causing every neighborhood to be more environmentally friendly.
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Old 08-23-2011, 09:46 AM
 
Location: Texas Hill Country
297 posts, read 896,431 times
Reputation: 145
Quote:
Originally Posted by Josseppie View Post
Wait about 5-10 years. From what I read solar technology will be at the point where it will be cheaper then fossil fuels so every house will be able to have solar strips on them causing every neighborhood to be more environmentally friendly.
Yes, patience is a virtue ... just not one of my virtues. Also, from an economic standpoint, if everyone waits than the prices probably will not come down ... sort of a chicken and egg thing I guess. Take care.
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