Dennis and Christy Cuku are justifiably proud of their new home, designed and built by Habitat Studio & Workshop Ltd. Located just south of Spruce Grove, it's spacious, beautiful - and designed to produce as much energy as it uses over of the course of the year. In other words, it's designed to be a net-zero energy house.
For its impressive array of sustainable building features, it has earned LEED Platinum certification - the first home in greater Edmonton and only the second in Alberta to do so. LEED for Homes certification requires a comprehensive approach all aspects of green building: energy use and production, low impact, healthy materials, water use, indoor air quality, etc.
Powered by two photovoltaic (PV) solar electric arrays that track the sun - there is no gas hookup - its design and anticipated effects are unique in the area.
"We hope the project helps raise public awareness about the amount of energy we all use. Our ultimate goal was first to live in this type of home ourselves and, secondly, to use it to raise awareness about energy efficiency and sustainable building practices," said Christy Cuku.
The extraordinary energy conservation features were a key factor in achieving the LEED Platinum rating:
Passive solar energy will provide more than 50% of the remaining space heat needed. The house has extensive south-facing glazing. A beautifully finished 2 ½" concrete overlay on all of the floors provides thermal mass to store extra energy and control overheating.
This aggressive approach to energy reduction was applied to lighting, appliance and domestic hot water loads. The strategies used are projected to reduce the total annual energy requirements to about 23.5kilowatt hours per year. The grid tied PV system was sized to match this load over the course of the year. In summer, when the system produces more electricity than the house needs, the surplus will be exported to the grid. That surplus will be drawn back out during the winter when the system production falls short of the heating load.
The house achieved very high ratings for its performance in many other aspects of green building. Material choices were guided by the consultants at EcoAmmo. All products used were screened for factors such as the effects on occupant health, local manufacture, sustainable manufacturing and harvesting practices, recycled content and embodied energy.
Water is a big issue on a rural site. A great deal of attention was given to reducing water use, inside and out. Water for landscaping was reduced by using local and drought-tolerant plants and limiting grass areas. Rainwater is collected from more than 90% of the roof area and stored in two cisterns with a total capacity of 5,500 gallons.
Cost of the two-storey home, with 4,025 square feet of living space on the two main floors and 2,050 square feet in the basement suite, is estimated at $25,000 above a similar home with regular construction - but the homeowners anticipate the reduced operating savings to more than make up the difference over their mortgage period.
Energy and water use has been calculated based on two families occupying the dwelling.
The Cuku family and their neighbours aren't the only ones interested in the energy-saving potential of the new home. The home is located in Parkland County, and County officials are interested in working with the Cuku family and Habitat Studio to learn more about the technologies and strategies used in increasing energy efficiency.
Project Team:
Peter Amerongen, Habitat Studio & Workshop - Project Manager
Stephani Carter, EcoAmmo - LEED Accredited Professional
Brandy Burdeniuk, EcoAmmo - LEED Accredited Professional
Kim Chiles, Midori Spaces - Green Interior Design Specialist
Gordon Howell, Howell Mayhew - Electrical Engineer & PV Specialist
Learn more about the Cuku home and net-zero homes in general.
For its impressive array of sustainable building features, it has earned LEED Platinum certification - the first home in greater Edmonton and only the second in Alberta to do so. LEED for Homes certification requires a comprehensive approach all aspects of green building: energy use and production, low impact, healthy materials, water use, indoor air quality, etc.
Powered by two photovoltaic (PV) solar electric arrays that track the sun - there is no gas hookup - its design and anticipated effects are unique in the area.
"We hope the project helps raise public awareness about the amount of energy we all use. Our ultimate goal was first to live in this type of home ourselves and, secondly, to use it to raise awareness about energy efficiency and sustainable building practices," said Christy Cuku.
The extraordinary energy conservation features were a key factor in achieving the LEED Platinum rating:
- 16" cellulose-filled R56 walls
- R90 in the ceilings and attic
- careful detailing to control thermal bridging
- radical reduction of air infiltration (.58 ACH at - 50 Pascals)
- state-of-the-art windows
Passive solar energy will provide more than 50% of the remaining space heat needed. The house has extensive south-facing glazing. A beautifully finished 2 ½" concrete overlay on all of the floors provides thermal mass to store extra energy and control overheating.
This aggressive approach to energy reduction was applied to lighting, appliance and domestic hot water loads. The strategies used are projected to reduce the total annual energy requirements to about 23.5kilowatt hours per year. The grid tied PV system was sized to match this load over the course of the year. In summer, when the system produces more electricity than the house needs, the surplus will be exported to the grid. That surplus will be drawn back out during the winter when the system production falls short of the heating load.
The house achieved very high ratings for its performance in many other aspects of green building. Material choices were guided by the consultants at EcoAmmo. All products used were screened for factors such as the effects on occupant health, local manufacture, sustainable manufacturing and harvesting practices, recycled content and embodied energy.
Water is a big issue on a rural site. A great deal of attention was given to reducing water use, inside and out. Water for landscaping was reduced by using local and drought-tolerant plants and limiting grass areas. Rainwater is collected from more than 90% of the roof area and stored in two cisterns with a total capacity of 5,500 gallons.
Cost of the two-storey home, with 4,025 square feet of living space on the two main floors and 2,050 square feet in the basement suite, is estimated at $25,000 above a similar home with regular construction - but the homeowners anticipate the reduced operating savings to more than make up the difference over their mortgage period.
Energy and water use has been calculated based on two families occupying the dwelling.
The Cuku family and their neighbours aren't the only ones interested in the energy-saving potential of the new home. The home is located in Parkland County, and County officials are interested in working with the Cuku family and Habitat Studio to learn more about the technologies and strategies used in increasing energy efficiency.
Project Team:
Peter Amerongen, Habitat Studio & Workshop - Project Manager
Stephani Carter, EcoAmmo - LEED Accredited Professional
Brandy Burdeniuk, EcoAmmo - LEED Accredited Professional
Kim Chiles, Midori Spaces - Green Interior Design Specialist
Gordon Howell, Howell Mayhew - Electrical Engineer & PV Specialist
Learn more about the Cuku home and net-zero homes in general.
RSS Feed