Local industry and government come together to work towards emissions-neutral buildings in Calgary
The first ENBIX Calgary Community of Practice took place on Feb. 28, 2024, at the Calgary Construction Association.
Communities of Practice are one of the key ways ENBIX collaborates with government and local professionals working in the building, construction, and renovation industry, to accelerate the transition to an emissions-neutral built environment for new and existing buildings across Alberta.
The term “emission-neutral building” refers to a building that is highly efficient and uses only renewable energy for its operations. These buildings use less energy, have a lesser impact on the environment, and are more comfortable for occupants.
The ENBIX Calgary Community of Practice will help the building industry identify Calgary-specific challenges and opportunities for emissions-neutral buildings. It will work to overcome barriers, foster innovation, and share success stories.
Professionals in the building, construction, and renovation industry gather on February 28, 2024 at the Calgary Construction Association offices.
At the inaugural event, Jyoti Gondek, Mayor of Calgary, as well as Bill Black, President and Chief Operating Officer of Calgary Construction Association brought welcoming remarks. They were followed by presentations from two residential builders who shared their journey to building toward emissions-neutral standards in Calgary.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek shared welcoming remarks at the Calgary Community of Practice Event.
From Left to Right: Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Councillor Evan Spencer, Andrea Linsky, Neil Hawkins, Bill Black, Steve Norris.
Neil Hawkins, Development Manager at Avalon Master Builder, has seen the company go from a 2003 vision to build all homes to be net zero, to effectively building their first net-zero multi-unit residential building in 2022, at no additional cost to the customer. Through trial and error, Avalon learned new techniques and methods and lived by the mantra “net zero for zero dollars.” (Net Zero refers to homes that produce as much clean energy as they consume, according to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association.)
Neil Hawkins, Development Manager at Avalon Master Builder shares Avalon’s Path to Net Zero Emissions story at the Calgary Construction Association.
Their journey didn’t come without challenges, however. Customers often didn’t understand the terminology of “R values” or “heat pumps.” Avalon found it wasn’t easy to gain acceptance by the trades when asked to learn a new skill. They also faced a perception that net zero projects were higher cost, when in practice the operational savings offsets additional upfront costs.
Steve Norris, owner of SNAP Building and Development Manager at Plaid Shirt Developments, has faced similar challenges in his residential retrofit and inner city new construction projects.
Steve Norris of SNAP Builder / Plaid Shirt Developments presents his high-performance developments in Calgary.
Despite these hurdles, both builders are building cost-effective, energy-efficient, and comfortable residential buildings in Calgary. Partnerships, knowledge sharing, and positioning their companies with a good team are all key reasons for their success.
Through the ENBIX Calgary Communities of Practice, participants can learn from the experience of local participants such as Avalon Master Builder and SNAP Building and share their own barriers and accomplishments. While the topic was residential buildings this time, ENBIX focuses on all types of buildings, including commercial and institutional ones.
The ENBIX Calgary Community of Practice will continue to share stories and highlight successes like this, and provide a forum for professionals in Calgary to:
- Keep up to date on policy, regulation, and local examples
- Coordinate local activities, like meetings or site tours, to share knowledge and build capacity
- Facilitate targeted discussion between industry and decision-makers
- Identify potential areas for research and development
From Left to Right: Katie Gusa (City of Calgary), Claire Beckstead (City of Calgary), Andrea Soler (AEF), Mayor Jyoti Gondek, Andrea Linsky (AEF), Bill Black (CCA), Frano Cavar (CCA).
Calgary professionals interested in joining the Community of Practice can do so by sending an email via enbix.ca/get-involved or by visiting us at https://www.enbix.ca/communities-of-practice/.
This post was brought to you by ENBIX – the Emissions Neutral Buildings Information Exchange – an initiative of Alberta Ecotrust.
