HuffPost Canada closed in 2021 and this site is maintained as an online
archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our
FAQ or contact
support@huffpost.com.
net-zero-energy-building
Geothermal, also called geoexchange, has one big weakness: high upfront cost. And while our first episode concentrated on residential systems, this time we've found a more appropriate sweet spot for these systems -- commercial buildings.
The gap from net-zero house to net-zero commercial building has now been bridged. This 30,000 square foot building cost $10.5 million dollars. It's three months ahead of schedule and five per cent under budget. It's bright and roomy with beautiful exposed wood beams, feature stairs and a three storey living wall in the foyer.
A net-zero home reimagines the house not as a burden on the planet but as a regenerative node. Net-zero homes only started being seriously considered about a decade ago, but once proven, the idea took off.
Over the course of a year a net-zero home will generate as much energy as it consumes. They've been around for less than 10 years, but these buildings and the thinking behind them are taking North America by storm.
The Ancient Pueblo peoples got free heating and cooling at the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings in what's now Colorado and they did it without electricity, insulation, natural gas, air conditioning or modern building techniques. Contrast that with modern homes built in Edmonton, Vancouver or Toronto today.
When it comes to net-zero homes it too is an idea that seems more science fiction than anything, especially in the cold climes of Edmonton, Alberta. A home that produces as much energy as it consumes -- well that's just crazy.
It wasn't very long ago that the whole idea of a net-zero home seemed exotic, futuristic and, oh yes, expensive. Well, they don't have to be. By 2015, the Landmark Group of Builders says all of its new homes will be net-zero ready.
