Mike Ambrose used to live in a historic home in downtown Golden that was built in 1874 and was horribly inefficient. But Mike saw that some older houses in the area were equipped for solar, and something clicked for him. Eventually, Mike was offered an opportunity to buy the lot across from his old house, which he purchased in 2012 and began planning his new home. Mike worked with well-known high-performance home architect Peter Ewers to design two identical townhomes. Mike originally wanted to install gas fireplaces in the homes, but Peter explained to Mike that he had an opportunity to completely avoid fossil fuels by building all-electric homes.
Mike said working with Ewers was invaluable. His process is rooted in a commitment to greener energy, and he is creative, imaginative and knows not just heat pumps, but all of the aspects of the home construction industry.
Benefits
“I love the cost benefits,” Mike said. “My monthly costs for heating, cooling and electricity are less than half of what my costs were in other homes I’ve lived in.”
Mike has three sons and says that they’re concerned about climate change. His 14-year-old twin boys both appreciate the level of energy efficiency in their dad’s home compared to their mom’s house, which still operates using gas. They especially love using the induction stove.
“Living in a very efficient, zero fossil fuel home helps me to know that my kids and I are doing our part to lower fossil fuel usage,” Mike said.
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Love Electric aims to accelerate the adoption of heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and other efficient electric technologies in homes and businesses across Colorado, to lower consumer energy costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and provide improved health, comfort and other benefits. Love Electric is an initiative of the Beneficial Electrification League of Colorado (BEL-CO).