Photo: Contributed
The first results of a housing test in Kelowna’s Wilden district show considerable energy and greenhouse gas savings.
The two houses that are part of the Wild Living Lab project may look similar from the outside but are very different.
Researchers have documented both house energy usage patterns over the past 18 months, and the results have shown that the “house of tomorrow” uses 67 percent less energy than the “house of today,” which is 40.8 gigajoules less per year. This equates to 99 percent lower CO2 emissions – the CO2 offset is equivalent to removing 16 gas-powered vehicles from the streets of Kelowna.
For comparison: one GJ of electricity can produce 1,000 pots of coffee or leave a 60-watt light bulb glowing for six months.
This data was analyzed by a team from the UBC Okanagan School of Engineering, which includes FortisBC, Wilden, Authentech Homes, Okanagan College and Science, and the Engineering Research Council of Canada.
The goal of the partnership is to show home buyers the real-life comparisons of materials and equipment when buying an energy efficient home, said Carol Suhan of FortisBC. This experiment is part of FortisBC’s journey to advance its goal of reducing its customers’ emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
“We are excited about these results. Our shared vision is to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral living, especially in new homes. We believe it can be done competitively and cheaply, and research so far shows it, ”she says.
The Home of Today was built by Authentech Homes in 2017 and has a 92 percent efficient natural gas stove, an electric hot water tank, double-glazed windows, R40 insulation in the ceiling, light bulbs and standard appliances. It complies with the standard requirements of building regulations.
The Home of Tomorrow, also built in 2017 by Authentech in 2017, has a geothermal heat pump with natural gas support, solar panels, a heat pump water heater, water-saving toilets and taps, triple-glazed windows and R50 insulation in the ceilings, LED lighting and highly efficient devices.
The Home of Tomorrow is 52 percent more energy efficient than the Home of Today and has an excellent EnerGuide rating of 47 GJ per year.
This rating shows how much energy a house will use in a year, similar to a usage rating of kilowatt hours per year for appliances, miles per gallon for cars, or even calories per serving of groceries. The lower the number, the better the performance.
LED lighting in a home costs less than $ 1 a month compared to an incandescent lamp, which costs around $ 10 a month.
“That alone means significant savings in energy costs for the homeowner,” says Suhan.
The Home of Tomorrow geothermal heat pump generates almost four times more heat than the energy it contains, making it 400 percent efficient. Today’s standard natural gas stove is only 92.1 percent efficient in generating heat.
More results will be released over the next year as more data becomes available.
