Canada’s first 100 per cent solar condo opens in Montreal
June 10, 2010
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EcoCité Developments recently completed Abondance Montréal: le Soleil, Canada’s first 100 per cent solar condominium building. The net-zero energy, three-unit project has Quebec’s largest solar array.
The units incorporate an array of green building practices, including certified sustainable wood products, low-VOC finishes, solar hot water and geothermal heating.
“We’ve created apartments where people will never pay for energy use, and we didn’t use unproven or experimental techniques,” says Christopher Sweetnam Holmes, EcoCité founder and le Soleil conceptor. “While everything used in le Soleil is readily available, we worked hard to find the most innovative ways to assemble these approaches and technologies into one building. We look forward to sharing the lessons of this project so that others can accomplish similar, affordable results.”
The triplex needs only 20 per cent of the energy required by equivalent homes and features energy-efficient appliances and triple-glazed windows. The building’s 60 solar electric panels will produce all of the 14,500 kilowatt hours of electricity needed annually to power the building. R-45 wall and R-70 roof insulation reduce air leakage to a minimum and save energy.
More than 90 per cent of the building’s materials and technology are locally sourced from Quebec, and the design of the building includes ample sunlight and fresh air circulation to promote well-being.
The project is expected to receive a LEED Platinum rating from the Canada Green Building Council and has won the “Closest to Net Zero Production Builder of the Year” award by the Net Zero Energy Home Coalition.
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