The St. George owner of a housing and development company plans to combine advanced building techniques and technology with traditional construction materials and practices.

His goal: to produce an energy-stingy house especially adapted to the different geographical and climatic conditions in Cedar City.

One of his experimental houses is nearly ready for sale in a Cedar City subdivision. If certified, it could help set standards for other Utah builders to follow when building a so-called zero-energy structure.

Such homes, like dual-fuel automobiles, are called hybrids.

"Each state has different requirements for the hybrid home," Needham said. Utah has not set such standards, "so what we are doing is inventing the formula. What is good for California may not be so for Utah."

The 1,880-square-foot house nearing completion is one of 10 Needham hopes to build in the subdivision. Their cost: $200,000 to $800,000 each.

"People won't mind paying a little more when they see how much they save on utility costs," he predicted.

Needham said he has studied research conducted by the Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory that set the federal standards for the special certification of energy-efficient homes.

Requirements include sealant on the foundation and a polyurethane mist applied to walls for sealing holes and cracks before special insulation is put in.

Special lighting fixtures, windows, doors, tankless water heaters, air conditioning, highly energy-efficient appliances and solar panels also are used.

Kim Ewers, one of a handful of consultants in the state qualified to rate the energy efficiency of houses, said Needham is taking on a challenge by building a house to meet such a high standard.

Many Utah builders already construct homes to meet criteria set by the Environmental protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program, but Ewers believes Needham is the first to build a zero-energy home.

The Energy Star program requires a house be at least 15 percent more efficient than a house built to regular code. A zero-energy house is required to be at least 60 percent more efficient, and Ewers said some have been built in Nevada and California at 90 percent efficiency.

Construction steps can be unique. For example, Ewers uses Tupperware containers to seal ceiling vents. He then pressurizes the duct work to test it for leaks by noticing drops in the pressure.

The same method is used for checking rooms in a house. First a door is covered with a fabric containing a fan used to achieve a certain pressure that then is monitored for any drop that would indicate a leak of air from the room.

According to the ENERGY STAR Web site, the program in 2005 saved homeowners $12 billion in utility costs and reduced energy consumption equivalent to greenhouse-gas emissions from 23 million cars.

Needham believes his designs would add to that bottom line in energy savings and conservation.

Jim Gilroy, residential program manager for Rocky Mountain Power, said the power company encourages projects such as hybrid homes.

"Projects like Needham's offset our costs for developing new energy sources," he said.

He said Needham and power officials have scheduled a meeting to discuss inspection requirements.

Not only does such a home use less energy, any excess electricity produced can be absorbed back into the commercial power grid, and the homeowner can get energy credits for when the house needs to draw off the grid.

Sara Baldwin, who works for Utah Clean Energy, a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit that educates the public on energy-efficient housing, compliments Needham's designs.

"It is really beginning to take off in Utah in terms of new-home construction," she said. "In Nevada and other states, the [zero-energy housing] market is booming."

To gauge how much can be saved, Needham said those who buy a zero-energy house will be given $500 and asked to keep track of their utility bills for a year - and then compare them to what they were used to paying.

"The homes save energy, are more comfortable and healthier to live in, and demand less maintenance than regular homes," said Needham.

mhavnes@sltrib.com