A groundbreaking energy efficiency research project in Kelowna, B.C. will measure the impact of sustainable building materials in residential construction.
Known as the Wilden Living Lab, the project will see two homes constructed on separate building lots.
The lots are valued at about $200,000 each and were provided by the Blenk Development Corporation.
One home will be built to current building code standards. Features will include a natural gas furnace, standard plumbing fixtures and appliances, double pane windows, incandescent lighting. Insulation levels will be R-22 in the walls and R-40 in the ceilings.
The Home of Tomorrow will incorporate a number of additional features, including a geothermal heat pump, water-saving toilets and faucets, triple pane windows, photovoltaic solar panels, net metering, ICF wall construction, LED lighting. Insulation levels nclude R-24 in the walls and R-70 in the ceiling.
“For our company, the Living Lab is a groundbreaking partnership that will greatly contribute to the future of home building,” says Wilden director Karin Eger-Blenk.
“As a company that has long invested in renewable energy, we’re very proud to work with our partners to give the next generation of engineers and tradespeople first-hand experience in sustainable homebuilding.”
FortisBC will provide funding, assistance in selecting energy-efficient appliances and lighting, advanced metering for accurate and timely consumption monitoring and net metering to credit the homeowner for the electricity produced by the solar panels.
The homes are being constructed by AuthenTech Homes and Residential Construction students from Okanagan College.
Both the developer and builder feel it is critical to have student participation in construction, representing significant support to Okanagan College’s Residential Construction program.
“With a province-wide skills gap on the horizon, we deeply appreciate the way Wilden and AuthenTech Homes have stepped up in support of the next wave of tradespeople,” says Okanagan College President Jim Hamilton. “The Wilden Living Lab presents a tremendous opportunity for our students to receive hand-on training and work with local industry leaders.”
Once the homes are completed and sold, UBC researchers will use sensors built into the homes to monitor the energy use of both dwellings for a period of three years.
