As carbon emissions from the heating and cooling of buildings look to soon surpass tailpipe emissions from vehicles in Utah, some builders are cutting a path to energy efficient living that will benefit the both the pocketbooks of their customers and the city’s air quality.

One of those is Bishop Place, a 25-unit attached single-family home project Building Salt Lake first reported on in October 2019. The development is now beginning to take shape. Located off of 300 West, just south of the Marmalade Branch library, the project will eventually include five separate buildings, with one completed so far.

Notably, these homes will be offered for sale, with prices starting in the $550,000s.

Garbett Homes, a local homebuilder committed to sustainability, secured a grant from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity to help meet its efficiency targets for this project.

The development features all-electric appliances, water heater, induction cooktops, and a heat pump system instead of a traditional HVAC system. The homes meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Homes standards, with wiring ready for solar panels and EV charging.

The DOE defines a “zero energy building” as “1) highly energy efficient, 2) free of on-site emissions from energy use, and 3) powered solely from clean energy.”

Utah Clean Energy, the nonprofit advocacy group focused on clean air technology and policy, spearheaded the Low- and Zero-Emission Housing Initiative. This initiative aims to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of building low-emission housing, with the hope that other builders will follow suit.

Future residents can expect the homes to be up to 40% more energy efficient than traditional new builds in Utah, according to a press release.