An Energy Trust trade ally contractor since 2008, SolAire Homebuilders has been building homes for residential and multifamily customers in the Bend area since 1995.

SolAire builds homes that help buyers save money with green construction and net-zero building practices. A net-zero home is designed to use very little energy and generate as much energy onsite as it consumes averaged over the course of a year.

One reason the builder joined Energy Trust’s Trade Ally Network was to be able to offer customers homes with EPS™ ratings, an energy performance score from Energy Trust. As a trade ally, the company also receives cash incentives for qualifying energy-efficient and solar energy features, which help bring down the cost of its homes.

“We love using EPS,” said Cindi O’Neil, president and co-owner, SolAire. “Our buyers want to know what their energy costs will be per month and that they’re getting a fair deal. They also care about the environment. EPS is a reliable, third-party verification of the energy efficiency and carbon footprint of a home compared to other homes on the market.”

In 2012, SolAire constructed a home with a best possible EPS of zero, the lowest score Energy Trust has seen. Thomas and Patty Loder purchased the home, which is built with a high-efficiency ductless heating system, high-efficiency windows, a well-insulated building envelope and a ventilation system for healthy indoor air quality. “We moved from a house that was considered state-of-the-art in terms of energy efficiency when we bought it 20 years ago, but it was nowhere near as energy efficient as this new one,” Thomas said.