FRISCO — Folks attending Tuesday's Cafe Scientifique talk may learn to noticeably reduce home-energy costs without having to purchase alternative energy equipment.

“We will be going more into the guts — insulation, caulking, triple-pane windows and just the envelope as a means to accomplish substantial energy savings,” said Don Sather, the event's speaker.

Sather said his home in Frisco Heights was built in 1962, when sustainability wasn't as high a priority, but that recent improvements made have reduced energy consumption by 50 to 60 percent between January and May.

Sather owns Bighorn Home Improvement Center in Silverthorne, another structure to be discussed on Tuesday.

The award-winning building's eco-friendly attributes range from a translucent skylight that runs the length of the warehouse to computer-controlled compact fluorescent lamp fixtures.

Numerous groups have come to visit the business and study its design, he said.

Sather's home also includes paints, stains and other chemicals with little to no output of toxic volatile organic compounds. The carpets, furniture and other parts of the home are free of toxic chemicals as well.

“We've got a couple grandkids now who come visit often, and it's a relatively easy thing to do,” he said of the improvements. “We can now feel comfortable spending time in our home.”

The presentation will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Summit County Community and Senior Center in Frisco.

Anyone considering renovating a property or starting commercial or residential construction — as well as anyone curious about energy-saving building designs — is encouraged to attend.

The discussion is also to include incentives available from the federal and state governments as well as local utilities, according to a press release from Dr. Elmer Koneman, who organizes the Cafe Scientifique meetings.

Robert Allen can be contacted

at (970) 668-4628 or

rallen@summitdaily.com.