Eco Solar Tour provides inspiration for energy efficient and net zero housing

© Provided by Edmonton Journal Heat energy entering through south-facing windows is absorbed by concrete floors and slowly released to help satisfy the home's heating needs in the Idylwylde net zero passive solar home featured on the Eco Solar Tour. French doors and no flooring transition from the deck accommodate wheelchair access.

Net zero homes are making their mark in Edmonton.

That’s a big difference from 2008, when Edmonton saw its first net zero home — a home that generates as much energy as it consumes in a year.

“Since then, from that inspiration (home in Riverdale) we’ve seen a lot of net zero energy homes being built,” said Andrew Mills, president of the non-profit Eco Solar Home Tour Society of Alberta. “We’re quite pleased to say that many of them have been on our Eco Solar Tour.”

The society, holding the 2022 edition of the Eco Solar Tour this weekend, knows there are at least 50 net zero energy homes here now and said the number could be much higher, possibly near 100.

“It’s been growing quickly and we believe the Eco Solar Home Tour has been part of that by showing that it’s not rocket science,” said Mills. “It’s something that is possible.”

Leading the way initially, said Mills, were custom builders like Effect Homes, Rosecrest Homes and Habitat Studio. “But now, yes, we’ve started to see the major home builders get in there,” added Mills. “The first one in there was Landmark Homes … and now recently it’s Jayman Built.”

There are 16 homes on this year’s tour, with eight viewable Saturday, June 4, and another eight on Sunday, June 5, with homes open to in-person visits between noon and 5 p.m. each day, with the exception of Site 1, a Drayton Valley offering on June 4 that opens at 10 a.m.

The Drayton Valley home is a 1963 retrofit. The home was wrapped in straw bales and is now net zero.

Overall, 10 of the 16 Edmonton sites are net zero.

This year, the tour also returns to Calgary, on June 11 and 12, and Lethbridge on June 18 while adding a new destination, Canmore, on June 25.

The Banks

Peter Neufeld grew up learning that nature will provide more than we need if we take care of the environment. And the idea to use “free” natural resources was a definite attraction.

Searching for a builder to build a custom home, one designed as a retirement home to allow all family members to age in place, Neufeld selected Rosecrest Homes.

While the initial emphasis was to maximize views — the Banks at Keswick provides stunning River Valley views — once Rosecrest entered the picture the decision was made to build this house, Site 2, as close as possible to net zero.

“This was achieved via an abundance of insulation, and air source heating and hot water,” said Heiko Lotzgeselle, owner of Rosecrest Homes, pointing to a wood-burning built-in stove type of fireplace as the main fireplace, where people see the burn with a large portion of the heat emitted into the house, further enhanced by additional hot air pipes (fan assisted) to two other rooms in the house. House cooling, added Lotzgeselle, is assisted by piping house air through underground pipes, which get cooled by the clay surrounding the pipes and then ducted back into the air distribution system.

The home, said Mills, has what’s likely the largest solar array the tour’s seen on a single-family home; it’s able to generate 30 kilowatts.

“Having a house with an independent source of energy (solar) and having backup heat sources (wood-fireplace) provides ‘security’ and a good feeling of done enough/all possible,” said Neufeld.

Idylwylde

Also designed as an age in place space, Site 6, saw the construction of a new home on an old site.

The previous home was in poor shape and the homeowners wanted to live in an established neighbourhood, loving the idea of a mature canopy of trees.

While the home was designed to take into account potential mobility issues in later years, including installing wide entries into and within the home and limiting the number of steps where possible, eco efficiency was also important.

Optimizing energy from the sun was a priority for the homeowners who selected Effect Home Builders, known for building net zero homes.

“To conserve energy the home was constructed with a well-insulated, air-tight building envelope,” said Les Wold, Effect’s marketing manager. “It uses free passive solar energy from the sun, which enters through south-facing windows to heat the copper-brown acid-stained concrete floors. This heat energy is absorbed by the concrete and slowly released to help satisfy the home’s heating needs.”

The result was an award-winning home, disconnected from natural gas, with 52 photovoltaic solar modules that generate all the electricity needed to heat and run their home and two electric vehicles.

Now Showing

To take part in the 2022 Edmonton Eco Solar Tour, head to the ecosolar.ca website to find out about the homes and to choose which ones to visit. The tour, Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5 — includes 16 sites. It’s a free event.