Green housing isn't just for the rich.

The Denver Housing Authority unveiled a green program Tuesday that will benefit 7,700 of some of the poorest people in the city.

The DHA has signed a $16 million contract with Honeywell, which eventually will include the state's largest geothermal heating and cooling facility.

The system will serve the Hirschfield Tower high-rise, a public housing apartment building at 333 W. Ellsworth Ave.

In addition, all 3,700 DHA housing units will receive energy-saving upgrades associated with upper-end homes, such as high-efficiency appliances, low-flow water faucets and toilets, and weatherstripping.

Together, the program will cut the DHA's energy usage by 25 percent, saving $1.8 million annually.

"The best part is that the program essentially pays for itself," said Ismael Guerrero, executive director of the DHA. "We'll use the annual energy savings to pay for the upfront investment in new equipment."

The $693,293 geothermal system calls for sinking 37 to 42 cylinders filled with concrete 425 feet into the ground. The cylinders are 8 inches in diameter.

The system, with pipes connecting to boilers and pumps, will act like a giant battery, using the Earth to cool units during the summer and provide heat during the winter.

"It's leading-edge technology, but not bleeding-edge," said Quincy Sharp, the Honeywell account representative for the program. "This technology has been around for a long time and is proven."

Only a handful of public housing projects across the country have geothermal systems, officials said.

Mayor John Hickenlooper said the DHA program is a "perfect example of the triple bottom line" because it reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, saves money and improves the quality of life for residents.

Hickenlooper said energy savings is especially important for low- and middle-income people because they spend a disproportionate amount of income on utility bills.

"True sustainability should ensure the economic opportunity flows out into all neighborhoods," Hickenlooper said.

For Salina Newman, a 23-year-old with two young sons, the green program and associated savings mean that she will be able to move out of public housing sooner.

Newman is the first to move into an energy-efficient DHA apartment.

"I plan to buy my own house, and this will allow me to save more money and put it away faster to do that," she said, standing in front of her unit at the Quigg Newton Homes, in the 4400 block of Lipan St.

She said that saving energy comes naturally to her, because growing up in Oklahoma, her father drilled into her energy- and money-saving things such as turning off lights when she left a room and using a minimal amount of water when brushing her teeth.

And when she buys a house, Newman said, the more green features it has, the better.

"It's very important to me," she said.

Denver paints itself green

The city of Denver has made a number of environmentally friendly moves by:

• Operating the first "green fleet" of city vehicles in the nation.

• Pioneering LED traffic signals.

• Planting 65,000 trees last year.

• Requiring all municipal buildings to meet green-building standards.

• Building the state's largest landfill-gas- to-energy plant.

• Using fuel cells at Red Rocks Visitors Center.

• Exploring major solar plant facilities at the Colorado Convention Center and DIA.

• Planning a geothermal heating and cooling facility for the proposed Hirschfield Tower high-rise apartment building.Source: Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper

rebchookj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5207

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