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Zac Swank is not surprised that a record number of residents torched by the December 2021 Marshall Fire are choosing to rebuild high-performance homes that use less energy and scant fossil fuel energy.
In fact, 41% of the homes that have been permitted to rebuild after the Marshall Fire are adhering to standards that qualify for energy efficient rebates that total into the thousands of dollars, Swank said this week. Swank is Boulder County’s Build Environment Coordinator.
The low adoption rate of similar programs after other disasters — including the Advance Energy Rebuild after the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County, which only achieved a 6% adoption rate — indicate residents outside of Boulder County don’t have the same grasp of how climate change can harshly impact the local environment, Swank said.
“We have a high awareness of climate change and climate literacy,” he said. “The community is well aware that the Marshall Fire wouldn’t have happened or was exacerbated by high temperatures followed by record winds without climate change.”
“Those are the things that happen more with climate change,” Swank said. “I think the connections are clear.”
The 41% milestone comes after financial incentives from the state of Colorado and Xcel Energy developed programs to reduce the costs of rebuilding high-performance and electrified homes, according to a Boulder County news release.
An August report from EnergySmart and the Energy Efficiency Business Coalition reported that, with incentives, actual home building costs for certain types of high-performance homes being rebuilt after the Marshall Fire can cost less to rebuild than homes built to code minimum standards. Homeowners facing underinsurance issues may be able to reduce upfront building costs, the news release states.
“High-performance home” is a general term without a specific definition but Boulder County is using it to refer to homes that meet the Xcel Energy and/or Colorado Energy Office incentives for energy efficiency and electrification, Swank said via email.
These homes are less costly to operate, have better indoor air quality due to absence of gas combustion appliances and presence of mechanical fresh air ventilation, are more air tight and less prone to wildfire smoke infiltration, and are less drafty, Swank said.
Residents can find more details on the principles of a high-performance home on the county’s website.
Valerie Brown, deputy executive director of United Policyholders, said in the news release that traditional insurance limitations and budget constraints can make it hard for homeowners to reach energy efficient goals for their new homes. That’s why the 41% mark for the Marshall Fire rebuild was remarkable, Brown said.
“We commend the residents and local government officials for the extraordinarily high number of rebuilds that are succeeding at meeting them,” Brown said. “We believe 41% is a record among all the communities we've served since 1991.”
Louisville resident Greg Harms said in the news release that a package of financial incentives offered by the state and Xcel Energy providers will make building a zero-energy home pay off in the long run.
“After losing our home in the Marshall Fire, we plan to rebuild with a goal of constructing a net-zero energy home,” Harms said. “The last thing anyone needs are construction hurdles and added expenses during the rebuilding process, however, I am confident that after rebates, incentives and discounts, we will be able to reach this goal with no, or nominal incremental expense. And the resulting reduction in utility costs will pay dividends for years to come.”
As of late September, in total, 39 homes in Louisville, Superior and Unincorporated Boulder County are building to 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), ENERGY STAR, Zero Energy Ready, ENERGY STAR Next Gen, or Passive House Standards, according to Boulder County.
Incentives that are being offered to homeowners can range from $7,500 to $17,500, Swank said. Most are only standalone packages.
He said he expects the resale value of the energy efficient homes will not force prospective buyers to seek more conventional homes. Many are looking for a place to live that is less likely to be affected by climate change. “There are plenty of people who want to harden their homes,” Swank said. “They also want to live in homes that contribute less to climate change.”
