By Mark Samuelson
Has solar energy reached the point that solar homes are actually selling? The answer’s yes–and builder John Keith can show you why, in a soon-to-be-finished home near Stapleton’s Central Park, that uses practically no energy at all.

John Keith of Harvard Communities in front of his model in Stapleton, close to his newest home expected to use practically no energy at all.

Nobody would imagine 2008 to be better for builders than last year, but Harvard Community’s Architect Collection increased its sales over 2007 as Keith added even more attention to his environmental package. That push reaches a climax this month as Harvard nears completion of its latest Near-Zero-Energy Home, with a solar component so great that its carbon footprint will be around 50,000 pounds less-per-year than an average new home. more »

WHERE: Grand opening, Arbors at Lowry by Harvard Communities, ranch-style patio home, solar system free with purchase thru July. From Quebec St. south of First, take Lowry Blvd. east 1 mi. past ball fields and ice rink, to traffic circle, south on Yosemite.

PRICE: From high $400s
WHEN: 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
PHONE: 303-366-2555 WEB: www.arborslowry.com

Builder John Keith was first to bring patio homes to Lowry…first to bring solar homes to Stapleton…and now he’s all by himself once again with a new ranch-style, low-maintenance patio design, and you can see it at a Lowry grand opening.


Project Manager Mario Mendoza and Sales Rep Judi Phillips inspect Harvard Communities’ new ranch patio model at Lowry, for today’s opening.

Harvard Communities’ Arbors at Lowry ranks as the only new patio homes being built in the city of Denver today…a design difficult for builders to do, at a time when, despite the slower market, more and more buyers in places like Hilltop and Crestmoor are looking for them.

Keith knows how well patio homes work at Lowry. He created four Harvard enclaves of patio plans in Lowry’s earlier areas and quickly sold out. Harvard’s trendy energy efficiency, meanwhile, grabbed the attention of the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Golden——and they’re spotlighting Harvard and some large-scale energy companies in a permanent exhibit for the Colorado Convention Center.
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