Starting January 1, 2023, the Town of Crested Butte will be enforcing new building codes to ensure the health and safety of our citizens, as well as contribute to meeting the Town’s Climate Action Goals of promoting energy efficiency and facilitating renewable energy. These new provisions apply to building permits within the Town of Crested Butte. For all information on the building code, visit chapter 18 of the municipal code.
Residential Construction – Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) Program
All new residential construction must achieve Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certification, administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. Here’s how to get started:
Step 1. Contact a HERS rater.
Choose a verified rater from the Department of Energy’s ZERH Partner List to help you meet performance pathway requirements. A ZERH Modeling of the Construction/Permit Set is required and shall be submitted to the Building Department
Step 2. Sign up to be an Energy Star and ZERH partner.
If you're the general contractor, you must register as both a:
Note: Registration is required before a building permit will be issued.
Step 3. Review Program Training
Learn more about the ZERH program with the following webinars and resources provided from the Colorado Energy Office.
- Building Science 101 – Colorado Energy Office
- ZERH Webinar Series: Program Overview
- ENERGY STAR & ZERH Foundation
- Indoor airPLUS
- Cold Climate Assemblies
- All Training Videos – Colorado Energy Office
Step 4. Familiarize yourself with ZERH program documentation.
Use the ZERH Program Checklist to understand documentation requirements and review all program checklists.
Step 5. Submit your development application to the Town.
Once you are familiar with the ZERH program, follow the submittal requirements on the “New Construction” pathway to apply for your BOZAR approval. Once BOZAR approval is granted you may proceed with obtaining a Building Permit.
Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) - Best Practices
The ZERO Ready Homes Best Practices Guide is to help owners, architects and general contractors navigate the Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) certification process for new homes and multi-family structures to be built in the Town of Crested Butte.
The Town of Crested Butte and Gunnison County worked with Robby Schwartz from BUILDTank, Inc. to deliver three webinars about Gunnison Valley Building Code 101 and HVAC energy efficiency requirements. These free webinars provide regionally relevant code and energy efficiency information for contractors serving the Gunnison Valley. These trainings were made possible by grant funding through the Colorado Energy Office.
Energy Code 101: Compliance Paths
- Energy Code 101: Compliance Paths Webinar Recording
- Debido a problemas técnicos, el archivo de audio en español no está disponible para la grabación de este seminario web. Nos disculpamos sinceramente por esta inconveniencia.
Energy Code 101: Requirements Applied
- Energy Code 101: Requirements Applied Webinar Recording
- Código de Energía 101: Requisitos aplicados_Grabación de seminarios web (en inglés)
- Código de Energía 101: Requisitos Aplicados_Audio interpretación en español
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