School saved by influx of 30 students

186. Canada’s first net-zero church and social housing project

David DodgeNet Zero, Energy Efficiency, Solar 3 Comments

By David Dodge and Scott Rollans With very little money in the bank and an …

IPCC Cities conference in Edmonton

179. Cities are source and may hold solutions to climate change

David DodgeClimate Change, Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Net Zero, Renewable Energy, Solar Leave a Comment

By David Dodge and Scott Rollans How the heck did Edmonton, Alberta wind up as …

Net-zero reno

178. Renovating your home to net-zero

David DodgeNet Zero, 2017 Smart Home Series, Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Solar 6 Comments

By David Dodge and Scott Rollans Have you ever dreamed of living in a net-zero …

Getting in hot water efficiently

177. Water Heaters 101: Getting yourself in hot water

David DodgeEnergy Efficiency, 2017 Smart Home Series, Net Zero, Renewable Energy, Solar 13 Comments

Discover the best option for a high energy efficiency water heater. We check out tankless, electric heat pump and power vented conventional water heaters.

Funding the green in buildings

169. PACE financing created $3.4 billion in energy efficiency projects in U.S.

David DodgeFinancing, Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Geothermal, Net Zero, Renewable Energy, Solar 2 Comments

By David Dodge Currently, the biggest barrier to people and organizations investing in energy-efficiency upgrades …

Affordable net-zero

168. Dawning of the age of affordable net-zero homes

David DodgeNet Zero, 2017 Landmark, Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Energy Labelling, Renewable Energy, Solar 11 Comments

By David Dodge & Dylan Thompson  Welcome to the future, a time when your home …

154. Solar Thermal 101 – getting to net-positive

David DodgeSolar, Buildings, Energy, Net Zero, Renewable Energy Leave a Comment

By David Dodge and Dylan Thompson “Not enough!” That’s what Cornelius Koster told Tom Jackson …

Visiting the Kinney Earthship, in the dead of winter on the Canadian prairie landscape north of Lethbridge, Alberta does invite comparisons with the lunar landscape! So much so it inspired photographer Steve Nagy to create this selfie in the middle of the night on a fine winter day. And in fact the number one question the Kinney's get about their Earthship is how does this passive solar heated home work when it's -30 degrees celsius.

136. Earthship living in a cold Canadian winter

David DodgeBuildings, Energy Efficiency, Net Zero, Passive Solar, Renewable Energy, Solar 8 Comments

By David Dodge & Dylan Thompson  When we last visited the Kinney Earthship it was a smokin’ hot 30 …

Peter Amerongen is one of the acknowledged grandfathers of the net-zero home—a home that produces as much energy as it consumes. Using his secret formula for insulation you can make a net-zero home in the most northerly city in North America. Photo David Dodge, GreenEnergyFutures.ca

132. Insulation 101: One builder’s secret blueprint for a net-zero home

David DodgeEnergy Efficiency, Net Zero 3 Comments

By David Dodge & Dylan Thompson The era of net-zero homes is upon us. These super-efficient …

Reid's Heritage Homes is building five net-zero homes as part of NRCan's Eco-Energy program. Here's their first home nearly completed on the left. The only external signs are the solar on the roof and the air source heat pump heating system mounted on the side of the house. Photo David Dodge, GreenEnergyFutures.ca

114. Net-zero contagious: Five mini net-zero communities spring up across Canada

David DodgeNet Zero 1 Comment

By David Dodge and Duncan Kinney The race to build net-zero homes across Canada is …

Dave Spencer and Debbie Wiltshire in front of their net-zero home. They wanted to develop a green community in Calgary and started the process more than 12 years ago. The concept turns traditional suburban neighbourhoods on its ear. Photo David Dodge, Green Energy Futures

86. Echohaven: An environmentally friendly, energy efficient suburb

David DodgeEnergy Efficiency, Net Zero, Passive Solar, Solar 1 Comment

By David Dodge and Duncan Kinney To borrow a popular internet meme, what if I …

Landmark Solar Townhomes

81. Chasing Net Zero: Go big or go home

David DodgeBuildings, Energy Efficiency, Energy Labelling, Net Zero, Renewable Energy, Solar 4 Comments

By David Dodge and Duncan Kinney American poet, philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau once …

Shafraaz and Serena Kaba’s near net-zero home was inspired by the German concept of the Passivhaus, a super energy efficient home that requires very little energy for heating or cooling. The home is air tight, very well insulated and it gets half its heating from passive solar energy streaming through the windows. Photo Darren Greenwood

80: Chasing Net Zero: Net-zero evolution

David DodgeBuildings, Energy Efficiency, Energy Labelling, Net Zero, Passive Solar, Renewable Energy, Solar 8 Comments

By David Dodge and Duncan Kinney It’s a beautiful, livable, functional net-zero experiment – Welcome …

Spo'pi solar house

79. Chasing Net Zero: Net-zero beautiful

David DodgeBuildings, Energy Efficiency, Energy Labelling, Net Zero, Passive Solar, Renewable Energy, Solar 2 Comments

By David Dodge and Duncan Kinney Building a net-zero home is an intricate dance between …

Photo Garth Crump Chasing net-zero Part 1: Net-zero 101

78. Chasing Net Zero: Net-zero 101

David DodgeBuildings, Energy Efficiency, Energy Labelling, Net Zero, Passive Solar, Renewable Energy, Solar 10 Comments

By David Dodge and Duncan Kinney A net-zero home is more than just a place …

Photo David Dodge, Green Energy Futures Passive Solar Heating Belgravia Net-zero Home in Edmonton, Alberta

63. The power of passive solar and thermal mass

David DodgeBuildings, Energy Efficiency, Net Zero, Passive Solar, Solar Leave a Comment

By David Dodge and Duncan Kinney The Ancient Pueblo peoples got free heating and cooling at the Mesa …