The fifth annual Boulder Green Home Tour happens Saturday.

The home tour will highlight the “greatest and latest” in the green building industry, particularly the sustainable aspect, said Kath D’Souza, executive administrator for the Colorado Green Building Guild, which organizes the event.. It will be an educational and aesthetic experience for visitors, she said. Industry professionals and home owners will be available to answer questions about their particular projects, and visitors will be able to glean insights about what’s possible, she said.

The self-guided tour will showcase eight homes, from do-it-yourself ranch remodels to ultra-luxe new homes, according to a news release. The home tour, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., aims to highlight innovation and collaboration in green building projects in Boulder County.

The homes feature a “variety of sustainable strategies and products,” including passive solar design, ground source heat pumps, solar photovoltaic systems, alternative insulation materials, the latest in window technology, water-conserving plumbing and landscaping and more, according to the release.

Passive solar design gathers and distributes heat from the sun when it’s cold and protects from the sun when it’s hot, said Scott Rodwin, of Boulder’s Rodwin Architecture. method of compacting earth in forms to create beautiful and thermally massive walls. The tour is an opportunity to increase public awareness about the need to build green to stop climate change, Rodwin said.”]

Boulder is focused on reducing the amount of energy residents use through energy efficiency efforts, said Emily Sandoval, a city communication specialist. The EnergySmart Program has 11,304 participating units in Boulder.(Countywide 18,490 residences are enrolled.)

The program provides rebates for energy efficiency upgrades, Sandoval said. The program (from 2010 through June 30, 2019) has invested $1.9 million in rebates, and leveraged more than $18 million in private investment, she said. “The upgrades installed reduced almost 9,000 metric tons of carbon, the equivalent of taking 2,300 cars off the road,” she said.

The city also has established a baseline energy efficiency standards for rental units, Sandoval said. The number of rental units in Boulder is 23,000, of which 22,029 units are compliant with the city standards. Most common upgrades to reach compliance, include improved insulation in attics, crawlspaces and walls, and installation of energy efficient light bulbs, shower heads, faucet aerators, weatherstripping and programmable thermostats, according to the SmartRegs Program, which helps in achieving Boulder’s energy efficiency goals.

If you go

What: Boulder Green Home Tour

When: 10 a.m .to 4 p.m. Saturday, with after-party from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Where: Eight locations; a map for self-guided tour is provided with ticket purchase

Tickets: In advance, $20 plus fee available at bit.ly/2mpkyqK. Day of, $22 at Resource Central, 6400 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. Ten percent of  proceeds will be donated to Attention Homes, a nonprofit that provides housing and support services to youth facing homelessness.

More info: bit.ly/2mpkyqK



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