Boulder County launches Rebuilding Better website for Marshall Fire-impacted residents

New financial support opportunities and resources for building high-performance homes now available

Boulder County, Colo.- In collaboration with the City of Louisville and Town of Superior, Boulder County has launched RebuildingBetter.org, a new website for builders and Marshall Fire-impacted residents. The website can be viewed here. The Rebuilding Better site provides resources for planning, designing, and constructing high-performance homes that are cleaner, more comfortable, and more resilient to climate change impacts. The website is produced and maintained by EnergySmart, Boulder County’s residential energy advising service, and will be updated as more resources become available.Editor’s Note:

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The Rebuilding Better website features clear, easy-to-follow guidance on subjects such as:

Building a healthy and comfortable home
Building a more resilient home
Identifying incentives, discounts, and financing
Finding a design and construction team
Choosing materials and equipment
Implementing water and wildfire resistant landscaping and other outdoor elements

“One of the greatest advantages of building to a high-performance standard, is the built-in resilience and durability that comes with an airtight, well insulated home,” said Mark Attard, a green builder who was evacuated during the Marshall Fire. “My home was very close to others that burned in the Marshall Fires. Because of the air sealing strategies that were employed during my energy retrofit, I had no smoke damage or even smoke smell after the fires. Because we had a whole house ventilation system installed in the home, after we returned from the fires, we were able to live in our home with filtered fresh air, even when the outside air was still heavy with smoke.”

The Rebuilding Better website also feature incentives, discounts, and financing available for high-performance home elements. EnergySmart is pleased to announce new discounts on heat pumps, air sealing materials, and heat recovery ventilation for homeowners affected by the Marshall Fire. EnergySmart is in discussion with other vendors who wish to provide discounts and will add them as they become available. Xcel Energy announced the following direct-to-homeowner rebuilding incentives for homes that were a total loss in the Marshall Fire:

$7,500 for meeting International Energy Conservation Code 2021 standards, where adopted by the municipality and if the homeowner does not opt out
$10,000 for meeting ENERGY STAR® Home v3.2 standards
$12,500 for meeting Department of Energy “Zero Energy Ready” Home v2 standards
$17,500 for meeting ENERGY STAR® New Certification Program standards
$37,500 for meeting Passive House standards

Rebates are also available for new residents moving into new homes on parcels destroyed by the Marshall Fire:

$1,250 for meeting ENERGY STAR® Home v3.2 standards
$2,500 for meeting Department of Energy “Zero Energy Ready” Home v2 standards
$5,000 for meeting ENERGY STAR® New Certification Program standards
$15,500 for meeting Passive House standards

“After losing our home in the Marshall Fire, we plan to rebuild with a goal of constructing a net-zero energy home,” said Greg Harms, a Louisville resident who lost his home in the Marshall Fire. “The last thing anyone needs are construction hurdles and added expense 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.”