# OAKWOOD HOMES, UNIVERSITY OF DENVER STUDENTS deliver net-zero energy home price for home buyers

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2013/04/oakwood-homes-university-of-denver-students-deliver-net-zero-energy-home-price-for-home-buyers/
- Published: 2013-04-24T21:44:26-04:00
- Author: greenguruguides

Pioneering the delivery of Net-Zero technology to the first-time home buyer, homebuilder**
Oakwood Homes** and students at the **University of Denver** have built an affordable
net zero home with the goal of selling it for under $200,000.

The single family home at 4793 Ceylon St., Denver, CO, may be the first Net-Zero
home to be built for affordability. The home quickly sold for $189,000.

Colorado’s largest privately held home builder partnered with students from DU’s**
School of Real Estate and Construction Management, **on this ambitious project, 
finally delivering the green revolution to new home buyers for less than $200,000.

Enlisting a combination of solar-panel technology and energy efficient building 
techniques, the home will produce as much energy as it uses in a given year. Until
now, Net-Zero Energy was unavailable at this entry-level price point.

For sixteen years **Oakwood Homes** and the **University**** of Denver**** **have
teamed up on a home-building projects, where students help manage every aspect of
the construction project as their capstone class. This is the second Net-Zero home
built in partnership between Oakwood Homes** **and the University of Denver. The
team’s first Net-Zero home sold for $315,000 in 2011.

This year’s home reduces energy costs with features including a hybrid tankless 
water heater, complex fluorescent light bulbs, double-pane windows with added e-
film, extra insulation under the concrete pad, an additional exterior shell of rigid
insulation, and a whole house fan to increase comfort while lowering air conditioning
usage. The team also included environmentally conscious building materials such 
as recycled carpet, 12-inch-thick walls, and green guard laminate wood floors, proving
the home is built green from the ground up.

“For the past 15 years we have been working with students at the University of Denver
on home-building projects and the [Net-Zero Energy homes](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/12/net-zero-home-mistakes/)
are an innovative way to work together and represent Oakwood’s ongoing efforts to
build the most energy-efficient homes,” says **Frank Walker**, Vice President of
Oakwood Homes. “These projects allow us to take the latest in building-science technology
and apply it to our other homes.”

The students have been involved in the entire construction process including writing
the schedule, calling subcontractors, and monitoring the subcontractors on site.
Each student is involved in a small group, in which they deal with donation acquisition,
public relations, events, subcontractor relationships, and finances.

“Being able to work alongside industry professionals is one of the greatest experiences
a student can have,” says **Nicole Haselden**, DU Student and the Practicum Class
President majoring in Real Estate Construction Management. “Through this project,
we are able to make decisions such as those made by superintendent managers in the
field while still having the support of Oakwood employees to guide us as necessary.”

**Source: Oakwood Homes, ****Denver (Apr. 12, 2012)**

![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4841837f2a0756d69aeaa2877e5646549fc845ec2f0ffc2804839152c38ba332?
s=300&d=monsterid&r=g)

 greenguruguides

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman, is recognized as a green living guru and electric
car expert. The Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the 
green guru guides, green business and electric vehicles.

 [See Full Bio](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenguruguides/) [  ](https://greenlivingguy.com/author/greenguruguides/)