Visit energy-efficient, climate resilient homes across BC
by flipper935
1998 built 1575 sq.ft. 2-storey home. Bumped attic insulation to R50. Got rid of need for natural gas by installing a cold climate heat pump for heating/cooling and a heat pump water heater. Electricity monitoring device helps keep tabs on electricity used. Annual electricity used is around 6000-7000 KWh total with zero natural gas. Home owner is an experienced volunteer energy conservation and renewable energy advocate.
by flipper935
by flipper935
The St. George Net Zero Home in Mount Pleasant is Vancouver’s first single-family residence to achieve Net Zero status using Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), blending energy generation directly into the building’s roof design. This groundbreaking home sets a new standard for sustainable living in the city. Built with advanced materials and technique such as high-performance windows, airtight envelope construction, and increased insulation—it significantly minimizes energy consumption while maximizing comfort. Residents enjoy consistent indoor temperatures, quieter living spaces, and improved air quality.
Powered primarily by solar energy, the home uses renewable sources to meet its heating, cooling, and electrical needs during the sunny days, selling excess electricity back to hydro for credits to use when solar energy is not available. The goal is to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels for heating and cooling and to achieve carbon neutrality.
Under the City of Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Building Bylaw, homes like St. George’s may qualify for up to 19% more floor space until December 31, 2025—translating into larger, more functional living areas. For example, a duplex on a standard lot could expand from 2,812 to 3,346 square feet. With added space, long-term energy savings, and strong resale potential, the St. George Net Zero Home represents the next evolution of high-performance urban housing. This unique Net Zero home, currently under construction and set for completion in September 2025, offers a rare opportunity to connect with the builder and the solar provider to see the build process firsthand—including the innovative techniques, materials, and systems that make a Net Zero home possible in Vancouver.
by flipper935
A 1940 Tudor-look home on a corner lot. It’s high on the banks of the Fraser River, on the high side of the street and facing southeast. The back garden is high. The front garden is on two terraces above the street. The footprint of the home is 40 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The basement level is 70% finished with a furnace room / shop / winery in the unfinished area. The main floor has a large living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, den and bathroom. There are gas fireplaces in the living room and den. The top floor has three bedrooms and a bathroom. The 23 windows are triple-glazed. The three doors are fiberglass insulated. The sliding glass door is double glazed. The basement and attic are freshly insulated. The high-efficiency gas furnace, tank less, gas water-heater and ventilation system are new.
by flipper935
Built in 2019
Energy Net Zero including power for EV
Walls are triple the insulation of conventional houses
Will withstand long periods of power outage
Even though it is connected to the grid it puts back as much as it takes
Has a zero energuide rating from Natural Resources Canada. This means it does not need any outside energy to operate
NOT connected to gas and does NOT use any fossil fuel
Increased usable floor area as a result of a design that focuses on high performance
The average Canadian home uses 85,000 kWh per year of equivalent energy but this home uses 14,000 kWh per year and it is all from sunshine
by flipper935
We built our new Net Zero Home (to Step 5+ of the BC Building Code) on an urban infill lot and moved in during August of 2019. We designed the home from the top down to include a full array of energy efficient features:
We have no gas BBQ or natural gas service so have no GHG emissions.
Our EV (Chevy Bolt) is usually charged at our 32 Amp level 2 charging station. We are signed up with the BC Hydro Net Metering Program so we put power into the grid for 8 months per year, building up credits and draw back from the grid for the remaining 4 months. Last calendar year (2024) we ‘owed’ BC Hydro about $0.50 for 4.64 Kwh of electricity.
In the spring, we plant a green screen of scarlet runner beans along the south side of the deck which grows up to shade the deck from the summer sun while attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. It also provides us with beans for winter soups. Our home has both an indoor and ‘outdoor’ workshop, a green house, roof-top terrace and an outdoor shower which is used year round.