In The NoCo

Inside one of Colorado’s first energy-smart homes, inspired by Jimmy Carter’s push for renewables

By In The NoCo,

Published August 8, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

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John Avenson, a man wearing a red polo shirt, khaki pants and tennis shoes, stands on the patio of his home talking with Paul Kriescher, a man in a light blue button-down shirt, a dark blue blazer and light brown slacks. A film crew is recording their conversation for a PBS documentary about his energy-efficient home. — "My first winter season, which was 1981 and 1982, I didn't have to use the furnace. And so I knew from the first winter that this is a model home that works — and I've been bringing the public in ever since." says John Avenson, pictured on the left. Avenson's net-zero home was featured on an episode of the PBS series "Heart of a Building," hosted by Paul Kriescher (on the right).

After the death of President Jimmy Carter last December, many of the tributes mentioned his environmental legacy and push for energy-efficient development. And one unusual part of his plan was focused here in Colorado.

Carter’s administration had backed the design of some experimental homes along the Front Range. They were warmed by the sun and fueled by renewable sources – an exciting idea in the late 1970s.

John Avenson was paying attention back then, and wanted to live in one of those homes. He got the plans, hired a contractor and built his very own Carter home in Westminster in 1981 – even as Carter’s successor in the White House, President Ronald Reagan, scaled back renewable energy development.

Avenson still lives in that home today. It’s featured in an episode of the PBS series Heart of a Building, which focuses on innovative building construction.

Erin O’Toole spoke with John Avenson and Heart of a Building host Paul Kreischer in February to learn about life in one of Colorado’s first energy-smart homes. We’re listening back to that conversation today.

Here’s where to watch the Heart of a Building episode featuring Avenson’s home.

In the months after this interview, President Trump rolled back many clean energy incentives and tax credits for homeowners and developers with the passage of his budget bill.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Ariel Lavery

Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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