Shane Aschan, owner of The Foamers Inc., which is based in Silverthorne, managed the insulation process for Breckenridge’s first custom Net Zero home. He sprayed a high-density closed cell foam insulation under the slabs of the home before the concrete was poured.

We wanted to ensure that the inside of the home was insulated to the highest degree possible and that the in-floor radiant heat will perform efficiently.

The exterior walls of the home were insulated with 3 to 3 ½ inches of polyurethane closed cell foam. The roof was insulated with 6 ½ inches of polyurethane closed cell foam.

Ashcan says: “One of the builder criteria we needed to meet was to produce an event flat surface of the finished foam to help the other subcontractors do their work efficiently.”

Colorado Building Co. insulated the exterior of the home using Dow Building Solutions Styrofoam Residential Sheating.

Karen Durfee with Dow Building Services, which is based in Denver, says that one square foot of properly installed Styrofoam insulation of one inch thick can avert more than 1 ton of CO2 emissions during a building’s average life.

Plenty of other publications and organizations are paying attention to going green in homes, and that includes National Geographic.

Here are few of the tips from National Geographic’s “True Green Home” book on how to limit the need for air conditioning in your home, and they’re things you should consider during the design process.

• Position your home in relation to daily sunlight and wind flow. That will help you use nature to your benefit, National Geographic says.
• Plant trees with a plan, on the sides of the house that get more sun, to reduce the need for artificial cooling.
• Embrace the openness, with patios, courtyards and fountains that can “help create a more comfortable, livable habitat without having to rely on artificial cooling.”

We worked with Joe Sundquist of Sundquist Design Group in Conifer to reduce the need for additional energy in the Breckenridge’s first custom Net Zero home.

“To address the owners and builder’s desire to make this building energy efficient, we wanted to minimize unnecessary framing, while allow for increased insulation wherever possible,” Sundquist says.

We used manufactured lumber products purchased through the Breckenridge Building Center.

• Heavy timer members create the structural framing system.

• Exposed wood beams function as structural support elements.

• Boise Cascade engineered wood products typically uses only half of the wood fiber compared to ordinary lumber. The increased stud spacing and greater insulation coverage, which allowed the home to have about 30 percent more insulation.

Next week we’ll be focusing on the insulation and other areas of the home.

The journey of building Breckenridge’s First Net Zero home by design-build firm Trilogy Partners didn’t ignore details from the inside and outside. The design needed to fit the upscale look of the homeowners in the Timber Trail neighborhood.

One of the first challenges was how to work with a beautiful and intricate architecture and meet the goal of a zero energy home.

One of our partners on the project was Andy Walker and Renee Azerbegi of Denver’s Ambient Energy, which provided an analysis of how much energy is needed to power the home’s lighting, heating, cooling and other daily living needs.

“Our greatest challenge was making a significantly-sized home energy efficient and renewably powered,” Renee says.

They determined how to reduce the life cycle energy use of the home and save more than $58,000 in energy costs over the life of the home.

They calculated how to provide 100 percent of the house’s energy use fro on-site renewable energy systems, with a combination of a large solar electric PV array and a geo exchange system for space heating.

Check back later this week for details about how the framing made the home as energy efficient as possible.

Home energy use accounts for 21 percent of the nation’s carbon footprint, which is twice the carbon emissions of passenger cars, according to a San Jose Mercury News article.

But as the movement toward sustainability in home design and construction is gaining steam, green-tech experts tell the paper they’re expecting a banner year. It notes that even President Obama has proclaimed insulation “sexy.” 

In fact, the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board has found that there are 100 million homes in America, and energy-saving measures like insulation, caulking, and heating and cooling system upgrades can reduce household energy consumption by 10 percent to 40 percent.

We are focusing on sustainability with our Breckenridge’s first zero energy luxury home, and we hope to inspire others to consider their impact on the nations’ carbon footprint in home design as well.

To follow up on our invitation to join us at Saturday or Sunday’s free seminar about Breckenridge’s first zero energy luxury home, here’s a few more details about a zero energy home.

A Zero Energy Home produces its own energy—as much or more than it needs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

It combines state-of-the-art, energy-efficient construction and appliances with commercially available renewable energy systems.

The Department of Energy identifies four major advantages:

Improved comfort: An energy-efficient building envelope reduces temperature fluctuations

Environmental sustainability: The home saves energy and reduces pollution

Energy security: A home that produces energy protects from spikes in energy prices

Reliability: The home can be designed to continue functioning even during blackouts

We look forward to seeing you this weekend!

If you started out strong by hitting the gym during January, but are now finding you just don’t have the time to drive to a gym before or after work or to exercise during your lunch hour, the best thing may be to create a space to workout at home.

Exercise rooms can be located in all different places in your home, from basements to bedrooms, and we can discuss what type of space you may need depending on how you work out.

But consider this: Experts tell the Associated Press to put the gym in an area that will keep you active, engaged and coming back for more.

Would this set-up inspire you to workout at home?

Some home gyms have steam rooms, remote lighting and sound, tilt-mounted TVs, ballet bars, refrigerators and several types of equipment, the AP reports.

Having a home that fits with your workout routine can help you remain fit, too.

"Sun, Earth & Science" - Creating a Zero Energy Home

We are pleased to invite you to a free environmental seminar entitled…

“Sun, Earth and Science” – Creating a Zero Energy Home

Join us for a free workshop on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 2 to 4 pm with Apres Ski Reception following, and Sunday, Feb. 28th from 1-3 pm at 238 Timber Trail Road, Breckenridge. This private custom home will be open to visit on Feb. 27 & 28 from 10 am till 5 pm.

Preview the energy saving systems inside Breckenridge’s First Zero Energy Luxury Mountain Home before the drywall goes in.  Through the collaborative efforts of an experienced team of building, design, and engineering professionals, we are pleased to invite you to see first-hand a variety of creative solutions that reduce the expected energy footprint of this 8,000 squae foot Custom Mountain home to zero!

• Learn how renewable energy systems integrate and support one another, e.g. how solar electric energy can power the pumps for a geo exchange space heating and cooling system.
• See the high performance insulation inside and outside the walls that increase heat conservation by 40%
• See various examples of engineered lumber that use 30% less material and allow for increased insulation capacity.
• Understand how to transform lighting control systems into energy management systems.

Meet the team of installers and suppliers to ask questions regarding application for your home, business or client.

Hear short presentations from:

• John Rath – Trilogy Partners, Colorado Building Company
• Joe Sundquist – Sundquist Design Group – Engineering
• Jeff Sexton – Boise Cascade – Engineered lumber package provide by Breckenridge Building Center
• Shane Aschan – The Foamers, Inc. – Insulation Technologies
• Barry Engleman – George T. Sanders – Heat calculations, piping and control layouts for mechanical systems
• Eric Atcheson – EWA Mechanical – Installation of space heating back up systems and domestic hot water
• Jim Dexter – Summit Professional Services – Geo Exchange for space heating and cooling; interior environmental control
• Dave Parker and Dave Lyskawa – SolSource,Inc. – Solar PV design and installation
• Ryan Rewitzer – Electronics by Design – Integration of whole house controls
• Chad Ballard – Paradigm Systems – Vantage energy management and lighting controls

Please join us for an Apres Ski Party directly after the Saturday seminar.  To get an accurate food count, we would appreciate your RSVP.  Please RSVP by leaving a comment on this blog, send an e-mail to  melindaf@trilogybuilds.com or by call us at 970-453-2230.

DIRECTIONS: From Frisco follow Hwy 9 South to Breckenridge.  Highway 9 will turn into Main Street after the round-about.  Go to the 2nd stop light this will be Ski Hill Road. Turn Right on Ski Hill Road and continue up the mountain for 1.3 miles to 4 O’Clock Run Road.  Turn left on 4 O’Clock Run Road.  Turn Right on Timber Trail Road and the home is located on the Right.

We look forward to seeing you Saturday, February 27th or Sunday, February 28th.

Building materials for this project were purchased from Breckenridge Building Center, Trilogy’s preferred supplier.

If you’re ready to build your dream home, but need to sell your existing residence first, there’s definitely a strategy required to sell a home these days.

That’s why we love the tips offered by local real estate professionals in a Mountain Living story. Here’s two of them:

“Be willing to work and willing to listen, rather than turning your nose on an interested party.” —Joshua Saslove, Joshua & Co., Aspen, Colo.

“Listen to your realtor and make improvements to your property that won’t cost you a lot of money but will make your property look its best.” —Pam Vanatta, Prudential Steamboat Realty, Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Let us know if your home sells and how we can help you as you look to your next residence!