New Town Builders recently won the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) top Housing Innovation Award for their Solaris II model home in the Conservatory Green neighborhood.

New Town Builders was among six builders nationwide to be finalists in the Production Builders category for “extraordinary level of excellence, quality and innovation leading the way to affordable, zero net-energy ready homes.”

The Solaris home, which represents the entire Solaris Collection, is the first Colorado home to receive this recognition. Every home in the collection is built to meet the DOE Challenge Home specifications and is available with a Zero Energy Option. New Town Builders says a Zero Energy home has four goals: to generate as much energy as it uses over the period of a year; to offer a zero energy home that is attractive and comfortable to live in; to offer the Zero Energy package at an affordable price; and to create a home that frees the owner from complicated systems that require monitoring and maintenance.

The winning home also received other energy-efficient certifications, including a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) score of three, meaning it is 97 percent more energy efficient than the standard code-built home. A building science center located in the Z.E.N model complex at 7909 E. Stoll Place, explains the HERS ratings and what it means for the consumer. Displays show wall insulation and window frames. According to Lisa Hall at Forest City, the sealant on drywall and framing in New Town homes eliminates drafts and helps save on energy bills.

To see the award-winning home from New Town Builders’ Solaris II Collection model homes, visit 4950 Uinta Street. To learn more about New Town Builders, visit www.NewTownBuilders.com.