Check out these pics of one of our new homes recently completed at The Farm at Woodridge. While modified, this new Colorado home is based on our very popular Maybell model and features:
2,861 main floor sq. ft. 1,680 sq. ft basement finished 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bath, study, sitting area, bonus space, covered patio, 3-car garage and more…
In addition you’ll notice one of our standard 16.8 kWatt solar array on the rear roof of the home. The system is capable of producing the majority of the power requirements. In our Colorado climate an average 15kW solar array produces approximately 23,000 kWh (kilowatt-hours) annually. The average U.S. household utilizes about 10,400 kWh per year.
If you want to learn more about high-performance Colorado homes contact Sopris. We’ll be happy to show you examples and discuss your options.
Sopris gets asked all the time what is net-zero actually? It has to be a bit more complicated than being just a modern home capable of creating more power than it consumes. Well, it’s both. It’s that simple and then there is more to it.
Many associate our green homes, net-zero or near-zero product as a particular type of home for a certain type of person willing to make sacrifices and pay a lot. Nothing could be farther from the truth. These homes are really for everybody and they are just like any new home you may purchase — except better.
Our high-performance green built homes all the way to our near or net zero homes combine advanced design and superior building systems with energy efficiency to produce a better home from the ground up. These homes are ultra-comfortable, healthy, quiet, and sustainable. They are also very affordable to live in over the long haul. Advances in technologies and aesthetics are making net-zero homes even more common and feasible in more of the communities we build in.
Sopris homes was featured in the July issue of Solar Builder Magazine for one of our recent net-zero new homes using CertainTeed’s Apollo® Tile II concrete-tile integrated solar roofing system—a first for the state of Colorado. In case you missed it here is an excerpt:
Boulder, Colorado-based Sopris Homes has been in the business of high-performance luxury homes for the past 25 years. According to Sopris Homes President John Stevens, as more communities desire and even require solar on new home construction, finding solar products that are both functional and attractive is a growing challenge for builders.
“In some areas, we’re mandated to use solar,” said Stevens. “In other areas, it’s a choice. Most people don’t voluntarily pay for solar on new home construction because for most, it’s not considered an aesthetic improvement.”
When Stevens was contracted to build a 5150 square-foot, five-bedroom net-zero home in the Portico Subdivision near Longmont, Colo., solar roofing was a very necessary part of the equation. Looking for a solution to complement concrete tile roof more subtle than the traditional rack-and-panel solar system, Stevens turned to CertainTeed’s Apollo® Tile II concrete-tile integrated solar roofing system—a first for the state of Colorado.
“I’m not aware of anything like it on the market here,” said Stevens referring to concrete-tile integrated solar systems. “You get the savings of solar energy generation and you don’t have to sacrifice aesthetic quality to get it.”
Unlike a traditional rack-mounted system, Stevens used solar tiles integrated among concrete roofing tiles, creating a seamless roof surface that also serves as a tool for energy generation. According to Stevens, the roof incorporated 229 solar tiles, each with power rating of 63 watts of per tile.
Along with energy-saving mechanical systems and insulation techniques, concrete-tile integrated solar helped the Portico Subdivision home win a Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) residential installation award. With on-site solar generation, the home achieves a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index score of -5. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the home’s estimated annual energy cost is -$392—meaning the home generates more energy than it uses.
Like any newer product, there is an installation learning curve. Stevens said installing concrete-tile integrated solar was “a new experience for everyone,” but that CertainTeed’s team of local installers and trainers worked closely with Sopris Homes to make sure the installation was a success.
“The solar installer hadn’t used the product before,” said Stevens. “CertainTeed worked hard to make sure the installation was smooth and was there to answer questions. It was a great learning experience for everyone.”
Stevens said there is a lot going on under and on the roof of the Portico Subdivision home. To the average passerby, however, it looks like any other similarly-priced home in the neighborhood, he said.
“The homeowner has gotten a lot of nice comments about the roof,” said Stevens. “From a distance, it looks just like a regular concrete tile roof. People are surprised to learn that it is generating energy.”
Congratulations to Argentina’s Nelson Ledesma for his win at the inaugural TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes. With his win comes his “Golden Ticket” in the form of a PGA Tour Card where he will be a rookie on TOUR during the 2019-20 season.
Our new model home will be open at Heron Lakes at the end of August. Maybe Nelson will return next year after and purchase one of our homes! Great event.
Wishing everybody a fun and safe 4th of July holiday. We look forward to seeing some of you at our new sales center opening in August at Heron Lakes in Berthoud.
Sopris Homes is excited to announce our new sales center coming in August. The plan will be our Masonville Model, a contemporary two-story plan with 4 bedrooms, study, 3.5 baths, study, great room, bonus loft, 3-car garage. The center is located within Heron Lakes community in Berthoud, Colorado.
We chose Heron Lakes for our new sales center for its central front range location in proximity to Boulder, Longmont, Loveland and Fort Collins. In addition, it is very near other great communities Sopris builds new homes including Longs Peak Farm (2 miles from Heron Lakes) and The Farm at Woodridge (10 miles from Heron Lakes).
Of course beauty and recreation is the main attraction at Heron Lakes which frames TPC Colorado – an 18-hole championship golf course. In addition, the master planed community offers lots of recreation packed activities including hiking, biking, fishing, boating and wildlife viewing amid abundant protected open space.
Directions To Heron Lakes
From Denver, take I-25 north to Exit 250. Head west through Berthoud and then take a right onto Berthoud Parkway. Head north until you get to Grand Market Avenue and take a right to enter Heron Lakes at TPC Colorado.
Sales center address:
2839 Heron Lakes Parkway Berthoud, CO 80513
Note: This address is in a new community and may not be pinned on all GPS map overlays yet. Once the sales center is open, please contact Sopris Homes for specific directions if you are unable to locate the address in your navigation.
Sopris is committed to building 100% Energy Star Certified Homes which acknowledges our continued commitment to design, quality and performance in every way. Come check out this model this summer to see for yourself the Sopris Difference in everything we do.
For more information contact John Stevens, Sopris Homes at (303) 527-0000 or email [email protected].
Come see our new home at Heron Lakes Thursday, April 11th – 4:00 to 7:00 PM
Come see our recently completed Masonville model at Heron Lakes. This master planned golf community in Berthoud will also be the home to our new sales center coming in July.
Sopris Homes Masonville Model at TPC Colorado
Heron Lakes is the epitome of active Colorado living with majestic mountain views and miles of lakeshore, this unique setting offers unrivaled beauty to pair with its abundant recreational features including hiking, biking, boating and fishing in addition to championship golf at TPC Colorado.
In addition, a community clubhouse offer homeowners a private pool and workout facility when the lures of the great outdoors relent.
This model is an Energy Star Certified Home. Learn more about Energy Star and our commitment to high-performance homes built for the way you really live.
For more contact John Stevens at Sopris Hoes at (303) 527-0000 or [email protected]. More about our Masonville Model or more about Heron Lakes
Tour Directions: Directions I-25 to Berthoud Exit. Hwy 52 west through cute little Berthoud, Right on Berthoud Pkwy Left on Grand Market Avenue (at the round-a-bout) Follow Open House Signs.
Sopris Homes is pleased to officially announce our 100% commitment to ENERGY STAR in 2019. All of the homes that we will build earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification. In fact, Sopris Homes is currently one of only three 100% Energy Star Builders in the Boulder area (the other two being large production builders).
ENERGY STAR certified homes are at least 10% more energy efficient than homes built to code and achieve a 20% improvement on average, while providing homeowners with better quality, performance, and comfort. By making this commitment, we have earned this special EPA recognition.
We see this 100% ENERGY STAR commitment as a true mark of leadership among elite American home builders. It’s also reinforces our commitment to excellence and green building we have had for more than 25 years not to mention lower utility bills and greater home comfort for our clients and protecting our environment.
Homes earning the ENERGY STAR label are designed and built to standards well above most other homes on the market today. When ENERGY STAR’s rigorous requirements are applied to new home construction, the result is a home built better from the ground up, delivering better durability, better comfort, and reduced utility and maintenance costs. Features of an ENERGY STAR certified home include:
• A Complete Thermal Enclosure System — Comprehensive air sealing, properly installed insulation, and high-performance windows work together to enhance comfort, improve durability, reduce maintenance costs, and lower monthly utility bills.
• A Complete Heating and Cooling System — High-efficiency systems that are engineered and installed to deliver more comfort, better moisture control, improved indoor air quality, and quieter operation.
• A Complete Water Management System — A comprehensive package of best building practices and materials protects roofs, walls and foundations from water damage, provides added protection, and reduces the risk of indoor air quality problems.
• Energy-Efficient Lighting and Appliances — ENERGY STAR qualified lighting, appliances, and fans are commonly installed throughout ENERGY STAR certified homes, helping to reduce monthly utility bills, while providing high-quality performance.
More About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the simple choice for energy efficiency. For over 25 years, EPA’s ENERGY STAR program has been America’s resource for saving energy and protecting the environment. Join the millions already making a difference at energystar.gov. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.
Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Together, since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped save American families and businesses over $450 billion and over 3.5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity while also achieving broad emissions reductions—all through voluntary action.
For more information about the Sopris Homes Commitment to building 100% ENERGY STAR Homes contact: John Stevens, President (303) 527-0000.
Spring 2019 marks a milestone in the timeline of Sopris Homes. We are very happy to be celebrating our 25th anniversary in March which marks the start of our very first home in 1994. John Stevens, President, laments how it all started and where we are headed.
Q. When did you start Sopris Homes?
A. We started our first home in March 1994. It was completed seven months later in September 1994. (see featured image)
Q. Why/how did you start?
John Stevens, President of Sopris Homes in Boulder, Colorado celebrating 25 years of high performance custom homes.
A. I grew up in a developing neighborhood of about 75 homes of which we were one of the first residents. I literally grew up with homebuilding all around me. I enjoyed architecture classes in high school and competed well in the Illinois state HS Industrial Arts architecture competition. I framed house in summers during college. After college and grad school (MBA) I went into corporate management. I tired of that and wanted to out on my own and build houses.
Q. How many homes did you build your first year in 1994?
A. We built two homes.
Q. How were you trying to differentiate yourself? What were you mainly building and where?
A. We focused on 4-BR family homes. Many of the established builders in our first neighborhoods were building 3-BR homes. I saw the opportunity for selling 4-BR homes. The Creekside neighborhood in Longmont.
Q. How have things changed in Boulder custom homebuilding?
A. Building in Boulder today is much more difficult with a much higher level of government regulation. Building science has progressed greatly. The homes built now are of much higher quality and energy efficiency than those built in the past.
Q. How are things the same?
A. First and foremost we still must offer value. We still focus on behind the paint quality, not just the finishes. We have long led the way in the construction energy efficient new home and still do.
Q. What are a few things you see for the future?
A. I see a market that more than ever demands energy efficient homes. The trend is for smaller homes, particularly ranch style homes with fewer formal spaces. Overall the market is trending to smaller home sites. We still focus on larger ones.
As a leader in high-performance energy efficient homes in Colorado for over two decades, Sopris Homes is often asked what’s up with the much hyped Tesla Solar Roof Shingles that Elon Musk promised us back in 2016?
If you ask ask around, including inquiries to Tesla you’ll get many answers. We have yet to use the Tesla Solar Shingles, but we have used the Apollo® II by CertainTeed on an award-winning new home in Boulder, CO last year.
One advantage of the CertainTeed solar roofing shingles its Apollo II solar shingles have been available for about five years now. New products are great, but they are better when they have been tested outside of Southern California or their test homes. CertainTeed is an old company with a new name; it was originally (in 1904) General Roofing Manufacturing Company. Now, it’s a subsidiary of building product company Saint-Gobain, and it specializes not just in roofing but other building products as well.
Apollo II Solar shingles by CertainTeed
Apollo II also functions as your roof, generating clean power while protecting your home from water intrusion. Features include:
• Efficiency: 14 high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells provide a power rating of 60 watts per solar shingle.
• Simplicity: Apollo II solar shingles are installed directly into the roof sheathing using standard deck screws.
• Lightweight: The Apollo II system weighs about as many pounds per square foot as a typical asphalt shingle.
• Durable: Even though Apollo II shingles are lightweight, they are designed to be strong. The solar shingles have been tested and rated to withstand 250 pounds per square foot.
• Wind resistant: The Apollo II system achieves the highest wind rating available for roofing materials and can be installed in wind zones of up to 150 miles per hour.
• Watertight: Water channels and raised fastener locations provide added protection against water intrusion. CertainTeed was a roofing company before a solar company so they can manufacture a system that doesn’t leak.
Sopris Homes knows that there will be many advancements in solar technology in the years to come and as an innovator in energy efficiency and home building we’ll keep you posted on the latest trends as what works best for us.
Before and After photos from The Farm at Woodridge, a gated community in north Longmont. If you are interested in a custom home in a small neighborhood surrounded on all sides by pastures, conservation easements and open space, visit our communities page or call (303) 527-0000 for a personal tour.
For additional information about the Farm at Woodridge, visit a recent article from At Home Coloradohere.
Here are some reminders from the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office on ways to save energy during the winter months. It will not only save you some money for more lift tickets, it’s the right thing to do.
• Start by setting your thermostat to 68°. Your heating system will operate less and use less energy. Program your thermostat to be down 5° at night or when leaving your home for an hour or more. Also remember to turn your thermostat down when you are leaving for the weekend or extended stay.
• Set your water heater to 120°. It’s simple. Your water heater won’t have to work so hard if it’s set at a lower temperature. In fact, each time you lower the temperature by 10°F you’ll save 3–5% on your water heating costs.
For a small investment consider adding a water heater blanket to your water heater tank to insulate the tank and reduce the amount of energy used to maintain warm water in the water heater tank. Be sure to follow your manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Make the most of Mother Nature’s sunlight by opening window coverings on south-facing windows to warm your home. Also, consider closing window coverings in rooms that receive no direct sunlight to further insulate from the cold. At night, close window coverings to retain more heat. Up to 15% of your heat can escape through unprotected windows, but the solar heat gain from the sun during the day can conserve valuable energy.
• Wash your clothes with cold water when you can. According to ENERGY STAR, washing clothes in cold water will save you about $40 a year with an electric water heater and about $30 a year with a gas water heater.
• Replace your furnace or heat pump filter regularly. Dirty filters reduce airflow, making your equipment work harder and use more energy.
• If you don’t already, install water-efficient shower heads and faucets. It really helps! 1.8 gallon per minute showerheads can reduce your hot water consumption by as much as 10%.
• Switch to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. They cost a little more, but you can save about $40 over the life of just one bulb.
Make sure your appliances are ENERGY STAR® rated. The savings really add up over the life of the appliance.
