Canadian Immigration Life: In a world where everyone is advocating for energy conservation, wouldn't it be a cool idea to own a house that is energy self-sufficient, eliminating the need to pay for electricity and gas? In Canada, a country with long and cold winters, building such energy self-sufficient homes presents a significant challenge. However, a company in Canada has indeed designed such a remarkable house.
BuildABILITY is a consulting company in Canada that specializes in promoting the construction of energy-neutral homes. This company has developed the technology for energy self-sufficient houses and is working to bring this technology to market. The concept of zero energy consumption homes originated in 2006. From a practical application perspective, a zero energy consumption home relies solely on solar panels on the roof to provide all the energy needed for household use, which is also the highest standard for energy efficiency in homes. Building energy self-sufficient houses in Canada is a significant challenge due to the cold and lengthy winters, as well as the large temperature fluctuations; summer temperatures can reach 30 degrees Celsius, while winter temperatures can drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius. Another challenge is how to reduce the costs of these zero energy consumption homes, which are critical considerations for designers. To achieve zero energy consumption, this company employs various sealing technologies. In addition to using special materials for the walls, the windows are also unique; while typical Canadian homes have double-glazed windows, these homes utilize triple-glazed windows filled with gas that provides insulation against cold and heat. Furthermore, they have implemented new heat pump technology to enhance the sealing of the homes. To conserve energy, even hair dryers are used as a source of heating in these homes. According to the company's design, over the course of a year, their zero energy consumption homes may require electricity from the grid during winter, but these homes can also feed electricity generated by the rooftop solar panels back into the grid during summer, resulting in a net electricity consumption of zero.
The company has also provided specific details about their design of a two-story independent zero energy consumption house. They envision this house being built in Guelph, Ontario, with a total usable area of approximately 170 square meters, featuring three bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a selling price of about 530,000 Canadian dollars. According to current market prices, the price of 530,000 Canadian dollars is not beyond the normal price range for typical homes. The company is currently preparing to promote this new technology for zero energy consumption homes nationwide. Currently, five construction companies in four provinces of Canada—Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia—are collaborating with this company. In response to this new challenge, these five companies are constructing a variety of homes, including single-family homes, four-plexes, and apartment buildings that can accommodate six families. The first "energy self-sufficient" home is expected to be completed in November 2015.