Not far from one of Denver's most recognizable historic structures - the original 12-story control tower from the old Stapleton Airport - you'll find one of the city's most futuristic buildings.

It's a new solar-powered, 2,700-square-foot home that's so energy-efficient the utility bills are about $46.90 a month, or $563 a year, according to the builder. That's the home's No. 1 coolest feature.

Another cool feature, in my opinion and those of many others I observed ooh-ing and ahh-ing at an open house last Saturday, is the Vetrazzo Alehouse Amber kitchen countertops. Made of recycled beer bottles, they looked as much like jewelry drawers as they did surfaces on which to slice onions. The countertops aren't cheap, but they're eco-friendly and pretty.

The floor plan includes a great room, 9-foot ceilings, a center island in the kitchen, a butler's pantry, a sprawling bath, a library, three bedrooms, a second-floor laundry, an enclosed courtyard and an impressive number of tall windows, especially in the main living area.

Altogether, the home at 9126 E. 35th Ave. is cozy and lovely, but frankly, it doesn't look much different from the other two-story production homes surrounding it in the burgeoning Stapleton community.

What sets its apart is its state-of-the-art greenness. It's reportedly 75 percent more energy-efficient than standard new homes. Yearly utility bills are estimated at $68 for water heating (gas), $11 for electric cooling, $369 for gas heating and $115 for lights and appliances, for a savings of about $2,850.

Built by Harvard Communities, a 2008 Built Green Home of the Year winner, it's designated a Near Zero Energy Home and Stapleton's first LEED-H (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design - for Homes) Gold-certified home.

I have only a vague understanding of what all those titles mean, but when I took a tour, I was surprised to find the place crawling with neighbors and looky-loos. A few reporters were also there, thanks to a news release issued by the Colorado Renewable Energy Society. The governor also stopped by to tout the home as a model of Colorado's future.

Some of the features that make the home so efficient, according to Harvard:

* Roof-mounted solar panels from Namaste Solar, of Boulder, supply 100 percent of the home's electricity in most cases. Surplus can be sold back to Xcel.

* A supertight building envelope keeps outside air out, inside air in. In other words, no leaks. The home has airtight drywall and world-class insulation.

* A high-efficiency heat pump heats and cools the house. When the temperature drops below 35 degrees outside, a high-efficiency gas furnace kicks in.

* A whole-house fan system provides passive cooling and reduces need for AC.

* Energy Star appliances

* LED and CFL fixtures reduce energy demand for lighting by more than 80 percent.

The price tag on the Stapleton home is $748,000. Of that amount, $50,000 is for the energy-efficient features.

But according to Harvard, what that extra $50K will cost you in bigger monthly mortgage payments will be offset by your savings on utility bills, and that upfront investment in energy efficiency will make your house much more valuable down the road when you go to sell it.

I couldn't find anyone to rebut or challenge those figures, but let me know if you do.

Living in a near-century-old brick house, as I do, I couldn't help but be intrigued by a place that has no leaks - or at least very few. I didn't even think that was possible.

mwinte@aol.com