Energy tab: Zero – Futuristic homes rely on the power of the sun and high-tech construction

Eric Doub plans never to pay another utility bill after he moves next month into his new, $1 million Boulder home.

The house will produce at least as much energy as it uses, giving it the rare designation of being a "zero energy" home.

The specter of steeply escalating energy bills is helping push zero energy from a theoretical ideal to an achievable standard in new-home construction.

Zero energy uses a mixture of modern technology, energy-saving materials and the world’s oldest energy source, the sun, to keep houses warm and bright, with energy to spare.

By Steve Raabe
Denver Post Staff Writer

Full Story: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_3140569