DENVER—June 1, 2023—Denver-based Thrive Home Builders (Thrive) is the proud recipient of three ENERGY STAR® High-Efficiency New Homes awards though Xcel Energy’s program. The ENERGY STAR® High-Efficiency New Homes (ESNH) program helps ensure homeowners are more comfortable at home and recognizes home builders that also deliver homeowners lower energy bills. Additionally, high-efficiency home builders like Thrive are committed to higher energy standards that deliver healthy, comfortable, and efficient homes with energy savings for a lifetime.
The three award categories that Thrive is the recipient of include the 2022 Best Individual Combo Home Builder, Best Individual Electric Only Home Builder, and Best Combo Builder Overall awards for the Xcel ENERGY STAR® High-Efficiency New Homes Program in Colorado. The individual awards are given to the builder of the house in each category with the highest percent better than code in the 2022 program year, and the overall award is given to the builder in that category with the highest average percent better than code. The “Combo” denotes a home that provides both gas and electric services through Xcel, and “Electric Only” denotes a home that only uses electric heating, cooling, and water and heating.
“We’re proud to have earned these accolades through Xcel Energy,” said Gene Myers, Chairman & Chief Sustainability Officer at Thrive. “It’s an honor as a builder to have our sustainability and green building practices that we’ve been focused on for last 30 years be recognized among more than 80 home builders across the state of Colorado participating in this program.”
Xcel Energy evaluates the following high efficiency home criteria for its awards:
- Tight construction that eliminates drafts.
- Tight ducts that keep the air circulating through homes without any unexpected detours.
- High-performance windows that block more heat and UV light than regular windows.
- Properly installed insulation that ensures homes are comfortable and quiet.
- Energy efficient HVAC systems that are the right size for homes to get the job done without wasting energy.
- Energy efficient water heating systems to make sure homeowners never run out of hot water, or waste energy when heating it.
- Energy efficient lighting systems to keep homes bright without generating unwanted heat.
- Independent inspection and testing to confirm that homes are at least 10 percent more efficient than the minimum energy standards for the state of Colorado.
Thrive proudly meets these standards and focuses on building healthy homes from the ground up by ensuring they are also Zero Energy Ready, LEED Certified, Energy Star Certified, and are EPA Indoor airPLUS Qualified. Thrive also uses Thrive Carbon-Wise® to build carbon neutral homes and Thrive E-PWR® to deliver all-electric, solar-powered homes in Colorado.
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ABOUT THRIVE HOME BUILDERS
Thrive Home Builders is a Denver-based company that has been building energy-efficient and healthy homes in Colorado for the last 30 years. Its building practices have made Thrive a leader in the industry for high performance homes that have provided homeownership for entry-level, income-qualified homeowners to luxury homebuyers. Thrive homes uses innovative building practices that incorporate the highest standards of energy efficiency and sustainability with the homeowner’s health in mind. Thrive’s Zero Energy Ready Homes are LEED Certified, Energy Star Certified, and EPA Indoor airPLUS Qualified.
Image 1: Vitality Collection Revive Model Home in Denver’s Central Park Neighborhood
Image 2: Interior of Vitality Collection Revive Model Home in Denver’s Central Park Neighborhood