A cool solar community in the town of Okotoks, Alberta Canada has been successfully designed that incorporates Canadian energy efficient technologies with a renewable, unlimited energy source, the sun.
The Drake Landing Solar Community (DLSC) is the first of its kind in North America. DLSC is heated by a district system designed to store ample amounts of solar energy underground during warm months and distribute the energy to each home for space heating needs during colder months.
The system is unprecedented in the World. It’s the largest subdivision of R-2000 single-family homes, (energy efficiency standards are registered with the Built Green Alberta program and Gold level highest standard). Each home is 30% more efficient than conventionally built homes, plus a first in the world for 90% of residential space heating needs, which will be met by solar thermal energy, (resulting in less dependency on limited fossil fuels). The community will help with the reduction of approximately 5 tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per home, per year.
The Government of Canada and its Canadian industry partners are proud to showcase Canadian solar thermal and energy efficient technologies in this “one of a kind” community
Solar energy began to flow into the borehole thermal energy storage system as of sunrise on June 21, 2007, (summer solstice) and performance results indicate that the solar energy system is performing as expected.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
olivier 07.27.08 at 1:57 pm
You first say in your article “the first of it/s type in North America” and then “unique in the world”.
Well, the Germans built a solar community of this type and this scale (even larger) 10 years ago around 1998.
There are now 5 such schemes in the Germany and one in construction.
Olivier
Jason 10.04.09 at 5:56 pm
A solar community that is the coolest thing ever. I want to live there lol. Truly smart people the ones that take advantage of the powers of solar energy, turbines, etc… these are the saviors that help keep our environment safe, and their saving money in the long run also. Props to this blog thanks!