Have you wondered what it looks like to make a commercial property net zero energy? 

Join us in a tour a net zero office building and see what it looks like to disconnect the gas meter and power a building entirely by solar energy.

We'll provide light food and beverages to enjoy in the company of GBC members and others interested in environmental sustainability. 

About the event host

Jim Smith purchased this building in 2007 to house his real estate brokerage, Golden Real Estate.  One of the slogans on every GRE sign is “Promoting & Modeling Environmental Responsibility,” so Jim got right to work installing solar panels, improving the building’s insulation and energy efficiency in numerous ways.  By 2017, 20 kilowatts of solar panels were powering the building and charging the five Teslas owned by Smith and his agents, at which point he replaced the gas forced air furnace with a heat-pump mini-split system, and the gas meter was removed. Since the solar power was enough to power the new HVAC system too, the building then became “net zero energy.”

 Golden Real Estate moved to a storefront in downtown Golden in November 2021, and Jim had planned to create a new business called The Net Zero Store to sell products and services related to “going green.”  However, that plan was scrapped, the building is vacant, and Smith is looking for a new owner who values the building’s net zero energy qualities.