Effect Home Builders showcases an innovative way to generate power

OFF THE GRID OFFICE SPACE 

Mike Holmes, a professional contractor and TV host will join Mayor Don Iveson and Effect Home Builders to tour media and VIP guests through Edmonton’s first workplace completely disconnected from the electrical grid. The Holmes Approved Homes builder managed to reduce the building’s CO2 emissions by 80% when they turned an old, energy-guzzling apartment into one of the most energy-efficient offices in the city.

“This project is very exciting as it’s much more than a renovation,” said Les Wold, Managing Partner at Effect Home Builders. “It enhances the neighborhood and showcases an innovative way to generate all power on-site while drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions”.

ATCO provided Effect Home Builders two AISIN micro combined heat and power (mCHP) units as part of the building’s retrofit. The technology, which is new to the Canadian market, is an economical way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using natural gas to produce heat and electricity on-site. mCHP also captures wasted heat and uses it to heat the building. “When using the mCHP unit in a home, CO2 emissions have the potential to be reduced up to 31 percent or 3.5 tonnes per year,” says Greg Caldwell, Director,  Development, and Innovation at ATCO. “To put this into perspective, this would be similar to you driving 13,000 kilometers less per year.” The mCHP unit works together with the solar panels and battery storage to provide enough power to allow this building to become independent of the electrical grid.

The building envelope was given a high-performance makeover to ensure the new office space consumes as little energy as possible. With an R-value of 40, the exterior assembly features a Neopor® graphite-enhanced exterior insulation system. Also adding to the envelope are energy-efficient Innotech triple-glazed windows. The highly-insulated building envelope contributes to year-round comfort, improved indoor air quality, and reduced operating costs.

Effect Home Builders’ new office (8819 – 92^ndstreet NW) will be available for media and VIP guests to tour on Friday, March 22 from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm. Participants will be able to see these energy-efficient technologies up close to understand how they each contribute to a reduced carbon footprint.

About Effect Home Builders

Effect Home Builders is a custom home builder based in Edmonton. As both a Built Green and R2000 certified builder, they remain a leader in environmentally friendly design by providing the latest, most practical green solutions. Effect Home Builders is also certified by Mike Holmes’ Holmes Approved Homes Program. This partnership certifies that they use only the best practices and technologies in their homes and that each home built undergoes home inspections approved by Mike Holmes-approved inspectors. For more information, visit https://effecthomes.ca

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Amanda Heath

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