Green Energy Futures

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401. Solar Included, Net-Zero, Boom Done! For Kassandra and Martin in Blatchford Mar 31, 2025

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Kassandra and Martin were looking for a new home in the core of the City and they hoped to include some green features in their home. But then they discovered Blatchford Carbon Neutral Community, and as Martin said "Boom Done."

They found Landmark Homes in Blatchford, and their home is solar powered, heated by a super energy-efficient air-source heat pump, and it's super energy efficient.

The big BONUS! This net-zero home has only one utility bill (electricity) and there's a good chance the cost will net out to zero cost over the year. And they're protected from heat domes thanks to their heat pump, future energy costs and more.

GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

BLOG - https://greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/solar-serendipity-discovering-our-eco-friendly-net-zero-home-in-blatchford

VIDEO - https://youtu.be/Oxm6nTABUtM

This is part 5 in our Blatchford, Carbon Neutral Community Series

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400. Landmark net-zero finds home in Blatchford Carbon Neutral Community Mar 25, 2025

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Landmark Homes pioneered the most affordable net-zero homes in Canada and now the company has found the perfect home for their homes in Blatchford Carbon Neutral Community in Edmonton, Alberta. Their unique combination of solar and air-source heat pumps mean homeowners can wind up paying little or nothing for their utilities, a boon in an energy uncertain future. We talk to the company founder Reza Nasseri, Micah Dueck of Landmark and Kassandra Starkell and Martin Martinyiak a young couple who made their first home purchase a net-zero home. Oh, these net-zero homes also come with a battery storage system that's part of a pilot program to create a virtual power plant out of a network of similar homes. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast BLOG - GreenEnergyFutures.ca FULL VIDEO STORY - https://youtu.be/UZUyme2nXIc SUBSCRIBE TODAY for more than 400 stories on people building a sustainable future.

399. Green Spaces, Green Energy & Green Homes landed Josh in Blatchford Carbon Neutral Community Mar 19, 2025

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Josh Culling was looking for a green home powered and heated by green energy in the heart of the city with plenty of green spaces. Sounds impossible? He found his new home in Blatchford, the largest planned carbon neutral community in North America. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast Episode 399 - also see blog and video https://greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/399-green-spaces-green-energy-green-homes-josh-blatchford

398. Solar and Community Energizes Urban Living for Heather and Justin Mar 11, 2025

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“What we love about Blatchford is that all of the homes here are heated with renewable energy,” says Heather MacKenzie," of their home in the largest carbon neutral community in North America. In Part 2 of our series on Blatchford Carbon Neutral Community we meet Heather and Justin, two of the early residents of this visionary community. Blatchford has a green building code, geo-exchange (geothermal) district heating and its located right in the heart of the city. Heather and Justin love the renewable energy heating, the downtown location of their home and the amazing amenities you would not expect in a downtown neighbourhood: a lake with wildlife, walking paths, green spaces, a pedestrian only street in front of their home, a playground, community garden and they really love that there is a light rail transit station right on site. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast Listen on CKUA.com Subscribe to our Podcast Check out our full length video in our blog at GreenEnergyFutures.ca

397. Blatchford The Largest Planned Carbon Neutral Community in North America Mar 04, 2025

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When Blatchford was announced as the largest planned carbon neutral community in North America it was seen as "wildly ambitious." "It's right in the heart of the city, connected to transit, and boasts short travel distances. There's a grocery store already, there's an LRT stop, it's all the things that new neighbourhoods often wait years and years for, uh, but they're already here in Blatchford," says Anne Stevenson City Councillor for Edmonton, Alberta. Today Blatchford people-centred urban design is attracting residents and near net-zero building standards are just what's needed to build the affordable, resilient and sustainable neighbourhoods of the future. In short this is where things are going and "We've got a great head start in Blatchford," says Stevenson. We talk to the city councillor, the developer and some residents who are now living in this super sustainable neighbourhood located right in the heart of the City. This is part 1 in a series we are doing talking to builders, home owners, heat pump companies about this amazing project in North America's most northerly big city. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast BLOG: https://greenenergyfutures.ca/episode/397-blatchford-the-largest-planned-carbon-neutral-community-in-north-america-is-wildly-ambitious VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3xsdx7V7rwc?si=01GryhWWp4kBDqf1

396B. Anatomy of an Amazing Net-Zero Straw Bale Dream Home Feb 18, 2025

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This week in part 2 we return to see the straw bale dream home 8 years after filming a story on the Making of the Straw Bale Dream Home. This home features some of the most innovative features we've seen in any green home. Lance and Wendy Olson lead us on a tour of their version of a passive house that is heated mostly by passive solar energy. The home has many innovative features including passive solar energy storing rammed Earth walls, a solar thermal in floor hydronic heating system and solar PV modules to provide the electricity. Then there are recycled materials in the form of cupboard doors made from hardwood seat backs from the Jack Singer Concert Hall and many other quirky features too. Get ready to be inspired! This is our 4-minute CKUA Radio feature. You can see these and more features in our full length video: https://youtu.be/38akJEh2j4A GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Audio Podcast Check out our blog for more in this amazing story. Subscribe today on the usual podcast services.

396. Deep Dive summary of Anatomy of a Straw Bale Dream Home Feb 14, 2025

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Here is an AI deep dive summary of Green Energy Futures' David Dodge interviews with Lance and Wendy Olsen about their unique straw bale home. The Olsens, seeking to downsize and minimize their environmental impact, built a net-zero home incorporating straw bale insulation, rammed earth walls, and solar technology. The home features innovative elements, such as reclaimed concert hall seatbacks repurposed as cupboards and a toilet paper storage system built into a wall. Lance discusses the home's heating and water systems, as well as artistic details like a custom handrail he is building for the spiral staircase using reclaimed farm material. The video highlights the home's energy efficiency and sustainable design, offering inspiration for anyone interested in green building practices. Let us know if you find this a helpful addition to our coverage of the Straw Bale Dream Home. GreenEnergyFutures.ca Episode 396 - Anatomy of a Straw Bale Dream Home

396A. Making of a Net-Zero Straw Bale Dream Home - Part 1 Feb 13, 2025

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In part 1 of our series on a Net-Zero Straw Bale Dream Home we meet Lance and Wendy Olson as they were building their straw bale home. They wanted to downsize, reduce their footprint and build the most energy efficient home they could. After a lot of research they landed on the idea of building a straw bale home. But they didn't stop there, this straw bale home has loads of innovative features in it from the rammed Earth walls, to solar thermal heating and solar PV for electricity. Their goal was to reach net-zero. We were there when the Olsons worked with partners at SAIT and Habib Gonzalez, the guru of straw bale building in Canada. In part one we see how the home is built and some of the unique features of this amazing and sustainable homes. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast PART 1 - Making a Straw Bale Dream Home ✅ BLOG - GreenEnergyFutures.ca ▶️ YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/greenenergyfuture/

395B. Worst case scenario - An air-source heat pump at -41 Feb 04, 2025

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In Part 2 of our series on the worst case scenario for an air-source heat pump, improvements were made, the post reno energy audit is done and we check back a year later after installing an air-source heat pump in a cabin with 2x4 walls and R12 insulation in the cold Canadian north. Full story GreenEnergyFutures.ca VIDEO story https://www.youtube.com/greenenergyfuture/ GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast Subscribe to hear new stories every week - check back on our more than 400 stories!

395A. Worst Case Scenario - Installing an air-source heat pump in a 2x4-walled cabin Jan 26, 2025

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Energy efficient heat pumps are revolutionizing home heating. So we wanted to know, can we install an air-source heat pump in a cabin with energy inefficient 2x4 walls? This is part 1 of that story that starts with an energy audit. Energy efficient builders hold tight to the maxim "envelope first" which means focus on improving insulation and other measure that reduce your energy needs first before looking at your mechanical systems. But what if you are on a budget? What if its a seasonal cottage? What if you can't spend tens of thousands of dollars on those improvements? We set out to answer these questions and to determine the limits of air-source heat pumps that are taking the world by storm these days. Learn more in our blog and video story and watch for part 2. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

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