ESH Partners in Solar Harvest & High Performance Building

We are proud to partner with and support the following organizations. These organizations are working tirelessly to advance zero net energy and high-performance home building/retrofitting. We encourage you to support them with your business and enthusiasm.


Hiring a licensed architect experiened in integrating the unique features of a zero net energy (ZNE) home is a critical part of ensuring the home’s success in achieving a zero net energy goal. We highly recommend the following architectural firms:

Bryan Bowen Architects / Bryan Bowen
Multidisciplinary design collaborative that explores how we may live more lightly upon our earth in beautiful, healthy environments.

DAJ Design / Andy Johnson
Specializes in green, environmentally friendly, and innovative residential design.

Doerr Architecture / Thomas Doerr
Offers beautiful, economical, sustainable design. They specialize in green building design, including solar homes.

Earth & Sky Architecture / Paul Adams, AIA, LEED AP
Specializing in evocative, compassionate, and environmentally responsible house design in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.

fuentesdesign / Brian Fuentes
Natural architecture and straw bale zero energy homes in Boulder, Colorado

Kyle Callahan & Associates / Kyle Callahan
A small team of design professionals, dedicated to excellence in the execution of design and architecture.

Sears Barrett Architects / Jeff von Breichtenfeld
Residential architects that specialize in solar and sustainable mountain home designs, and million dollar unique homes in Colorado.


Architectural Services firms are multi-disciplinary teams with expertise in many areas of building science. Many builders today are asking clients to hire a Quality Control Specialist during the design and development stage of home building to provide an opportunity for a peer-review of construction documents. This helps ensures that no critical details are overlooked by the builder or architect that may lead to failure in the home’s comfort, health, or energy systems. We recommend the following firms in the Boulder/Denver area:

 

Matrix IMA / Ian Mackinlay
Pioneers in forensic architecture, with unrivaled track records in pinpointing design and construction defects, devising cost-effective solutions, and helping to resolve disputes quickly and fairly. Longtime leader in designing buildings that withstand the hardships of snow and cold settings.

Professional Investigative Engineers (PIE)
Forensic Engineering Investigations and Consulting Services for Insurance Adjusters, Attorneys, Builders, Risk Managment Professionals, Property Managers, Homeowners, and Community Associations

The Architectural Alliance Group, LLC
Multi-disciplinary collaboration specializing in providing professional services unique to the design and construction industries including Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), expert witness and litigation support services, forensics, risk management and owner representation.

AgRefresh
Farmer-owned and –operated environmental accounting and carbon monetization services, helping clients to track their greenhouse gas emissions and receive payment for improvements through market-based mechanisms. We advise clients on carbon markets, project feasibility, and life cycle analyses.

Carbonfund.org
Making it easy and affordable for individuals and businesses to reduce their climate footprint and support climate-friendly projects. A tax-deductible donation of $5.50 can offset one ton of carbon, reducing the threat of global warming and supports outreach and action activities. Donations can benefit a wide range of projects including building zero-energy homes for low-income families in Chicago, reforestation projects in California, and wind farms in South Dakota, to name a few.


The following organizations provide annual and semi-annual daylong intensive courses and can demonstrate some of the major problems that result fromnotfollowing good building practice and present solutions.

Building Knowledge Consulting
Leading industry expert in residential green building, managing the USGBC’s LEED for Homes Program.

Building Science Consultant / Joe Lstiburek
Specializes in building technology consulting with a focus on preventing and resolving problems related to building design, construction and operation.

GreenBuilding.com
A website devoted to you. Whether you are a homeowner looking to remodel your home green or a building professional wanting to learn more about how to build green, this is the place for you.

Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET®)
Mission is to ensure the success of the building energy performance certification industry, set the standards of quality, and increase the opportunity for ownership of high performance buildings.

Saturn Resource Management / John Krigger
Books and trainings on energy conservation and efficiency for buildings to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

What’s Working / David Johnston
Sustainability consultancy that provides social, economic and ecological guidance to businesses, agencies and communities around the world.

ETC Labs
Providing diagnostic and forensic architectural services including testing for thermal, structural, weathering, fire and corrosion problems in existing buildings. Located in Rochester, NY with Boulder/Denver satellite offices.

Professional Investigative Engineers (PIE)
Forensic engineering investigations and consulting services for insurance adjusters, attorneys, builders, risk management professionals, property managers, homeowners, and community associations.


These firms stand above the rest in their dedication to creating the look and feel you desire for your home and doing so with healthy, sustainable materials.

Associates III
Transforming interiors into home for nearly 40 years, they are the premier interior design firm of Colorado. Their passion is to bring your vision to life by creating spaces that are as healthy, earth-friendly and life-enhancing as they are beautiful. They even wrote a book, titled “Sustainable Residential Interiors.” We encourage you to get yourself a copy before embarking on a home remodel or build.

American Council for An Energy-Efficient Economy
Dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic prosperity and environmental protection.

Architecture 2030
Crafted the 2030 Challenge, which asks the building and architecture communities to make buildings carbon neutral by 2030 through achieving a series of target fossil fuel reductions over the next 25 years.

Boulder Green Building Guild (BGBG)
An association of building professionals dedicated to promoting healthier, resource-efficient homes and work places.

Built Green Colorado
The largest green building program in the nation with over 100 builder members across the state, Built Green Colorado provides resources to encourage green building practices and green home ownership.

Center for Resourceful Building Technology (CRBT)
Started by Montana homebuilder Steve Loken back in 1990, when he saw the environment around him declining due to the overuse of natural resources. At the same time, he was frustrated by the shortage of quality lumber available. This inspired him to gather information on environmentally-responsible and resource-efficient building materials and technologies. Through research, education, and demonstration, he’s been distributing this information to both the building industry and the general public.

Center for Resource Conservation (CRC)
Leads, educates, and empowers Colorado residents to live a more sustainable life and hosts the annual Boulder County Tour of Solar & Green Homes.

Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES)
Increases the awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and energy efficiency technologies.

Colorado Straw Bale Association (COSBA)
Colorado’s network of straw bale builders, designers, and educators offering conferences and events throughout the state.

Energy & Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA)
Provides education and resources to transform the residential design, development, construction and remodeling industries to profitably deliver energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildings and communities.

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT)
Promotes green building and green technology through programs in sustainable agriculture, rural development, renewable energy, and low-income housing.

ReSource Yard
Best local resource for quality used building materials with stores in Boulder & Ft. Collins.

Rocky Mountain Institute (Colorado)
Think-and-do tank™ that drives the efficient and restorative use of resources established in 1982 by Amory and Hunter Lovins.

Southface Energy Institute (Georgia)
Tips, publications, and resources for homeowner-do-it-yourself efficiency and conservation measures.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
Community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation.

Boulder Green Properties / Stu Galvis
One of the foremost authorities in green real estate in Colorado. They’ll help you with all the latest technologies, market research, business strategies, and environmental know how to exceed your expectations in real estate.

Christie’s Great Estates
Your best source for international luxury real estate. Whether you want a metropolitan penthouse, a ranch or mountain home, a charming equestrian estate, an island retreat, a private villa, or a historic mansion to call your own, Christie’s Great Estates has a distinctive property to suit your dreams.

Simple Solar / Joe Callahan
Colorado’s only NABCEP-certified PV Installer and Ecofutures’ renewable energy partner.

Sunnyside Solar Colorado / Gary Price
Expert design and installation of home energy monitoring equipment.

ACH Foam Technologies
Our primary source for Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) as insulating sheathing, including below-grade applications. View the environmental benefits to using EPS.

Continental Control Systems
Manufacturer of pulse-output meters used for data monitoring in Solar Harvest and our other zero net energy (ZNE) homes.

Coolerado
Manufacturer of the most efficient air conditioners made, using renewable atmospheric energy to provide cool, dry, healthy air.

SeriousWindows
Boulder-based window manufacturer leading the way in high efficiency window design & production.

Building America Program
Supports research and development of energy-efficient solutions for new and existing housing that can be implemented on a production basis; some funding/support available for new home projects.

E-Star Colorado
Home of Colorado’s Home Performance with Energy Star (HPWES) program, provides guides to local home performance auditors and regional energy efficiency events.

New Home Choices Program / City of Fort Collins, Colorado
One of the best guides to choosing and designing new homes with energy efficient, high performance home features.

GreenerBuildings.com
Resource center for environmentally responsible building: articles, product reviews, great email newsletter, covers all topics of green buildings.

Green Building Advisors
The complete source for building, designing, and remodeling green homes. Note: Due to a special affiliate relationship with GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, colleagues of Ecofutures founder, Eric Doub, are entitled to a 33% discount off the price of a GBA Pro membership, which provides full access to the GBA site.

iGreenbuild
The Voice of Sustainable Design & Construction: forums; huge amount of articles, great resources for green builders

SolarBuzz
Solar Energy research group tracking advances in policy & technology of solar photovoltaics. Valuable information on this site includes analysis of current prices per kWh of electricity, both from solar panels and power plants.

Interested in partnering with us? Click here.