Building Net Zero Energy Homes

A new pilot project of 35 Net Zero Energy Ready homes built in 2020 located near Montreal, Quebec, with the option to add solar PV for Net Zero certification, leads the way in affordable green lifestyles in a cold climate zone.

Building Net Zero Energy Homes – A Case Study, Groupe TRÉMÄ©

How to build Net Zero Energy ready homes? Follow our example!

A high efficiency building envelope is the best place to start.From 2 bedroom homes at 1500 sq.ft. to 4 bedroom homes at 2400 sq.ft., this pilot project involves combining Net Zero Energy homes with electric vehicles for a zero-energy balance over one year for these outstanding high-performance houses. That's not an easy feat for family homes in this very cold climate, which shows that it is possible to build this type of homes affordably virtually anywhere in North America.

What exactly are Net Zero Energy Homes?

This pilot project, which is located 20 kilometers (or about 12 miles) north of Montreal in the suburb of Mascouche, is also close to the train station and major highways (highways 640 and 25) for easy and sustainable commuting by electric vehicle. There is a Net Zero Energy show home open to visitors that will only consume $2.50 CAD of energy per day for heating, lighting and charging an EV for transportation. Choosing this type of outstanding family home could save its owners around $1,500 a year!

这个社区以其大量的绿色空间、景观路径和自然区域而引人注目。该社区的中心将建设一所小学，并计划于2021年新学年开学。附近还有一所中学。对于我们这些有小人类的人来说，我们知道在附近有一所学校是一个很大的考虑，如果它在步行范围内，甚至对环境更好。

There is a preconception among new home buyers that a Net Zero Energy home is going to cost considerably more than a code-built home, but these models have been carefully specified and built to be financially more accessible than might be thought possible. Helped in part by various grants and financial aids, regardless of which areas new home seekers are looking in, it is definitely worth checking for incentives and new home developments that are built to Net Zero Energy standards as they are certain to attract a premium price in the years ahead.

So what exactly is a Net Zero home? It’s pretty simple; these are houses that produce as much energy as they consume. It’s expected that in Canada, all new construction will need to be Net Zero by the year 2030.

The goal of a Net Zero home is to design and build in a way that there will be zero energy consumed when factored over an entire calendar year. Energy will still be consumed of course for electrical needs and heating, but it would be compensated for by homeowner generation systems such as photovoltaic solar panels.

太阳能发电可以通过电网计量注入Hydro Quebec电网，或者注入个人家庭电池储能。即使这是第一种最受欢迎的选择，房主们也越来越希望获得自主权，因此，不用说，更多的储蓄。

Net Zero Energy homes - this project

What does a Net Zero Energy home look like?

An energy efficient home:Thanks to careful design, which is optimized for passive solar gain, Zero Energy homes consume much less energy because they have a high standard of insulation, weather-proofing and airtightness. They are also designed with high efficiency windows and efficient mechanical systems and heating.

Photovoltaic solar panels for electricity

To enable the house to produce energy on-site, solar panels are installed on the roof. This enables a home to benefit from 'free' electricity. The thing with solar panels, is that the amount of electricity produced completely depends on the surface area of the solar panels and the insolation (or amount of sun they get), among other things - which is something to bear in mind.

An electric vehicle - transport never looked better

Charging an electric car at home in Quebec is already 'clean'因为这里的大部分电力已经是可再生的了。然而，这些带有光伏太阳能电池板的净零能源住宅的想法是保持在40kWh以下的电网用电标志，以获得水电魁北克最便宜的电价，因此太阳能阵列被计算为汽车充电。

今天就成为生态家园的免费会员!

Being a member means special offers and hearing first about new products and construction techniques, and it only takes a minute...

Discover more

Imagine living in a Net Zero Energy home

In the green neighborhood of Les Jardins du Coteau, the Trema Group of Quebec are building these affordable yet top quality housing units. We believe quality of construction and energy-efficiency are the two most important criteria when buying a new property, of course after location, location and location.

So, it's good news for everyone when we say that these are the main qualities of these Net Zero Energy homes. These modern style houses are both Novoclimat Select certified, which is a Quebec specific new green home certification, and they also aim for LEED V4 certification.

These beautiful sustainable homes have also been designed specifically to provide greater durability, substantial energy savings, increased comfort, better indoor air quality, and greater resale value, which is an important consideration given that our homes are our biggest investment.

Discover more about net zero energy homes

More about electric vehicles

Following on from our last point, owning a Net Zero Energy ready home would be amazing with many advantages, but we thought it through a little further… pairing a Zero Energy home with an electric car is even better.

电动汽车正变得越来越普遍，我们大多数人可能都曾在某个时刻谈论过电动汽车。这样的话，节省下来的钱会非常可观。与一个普通的家庭和一辆汽油车相比，一个Energuide*评级为87的家庭和一辆电动汽车每年可以节省大约1596美元!

在我们看来，把你在家庭取暖上节省下来的钱再投资到电动汽车(和电动快速充电器)上是值得的。

电动汽车适合所有人吗?

That's hard to say, but to use Quebec residents as an example, they travel by car for an average of 39km per day (NrCan, 2008). Electric cars on this project will allow travelling a distance that meets the daily needs of Quebec motorists and more. EVs cost between $25,000 and $125,000, and with government incentives and legislation they are likely to be the most popular commuting vehicles in a few short years.

It’s also important to note that buyers of electric vehicles in certain areas can benefit from significant subsidies. The new subsidies on electric vehicles in California come to mind.

*EnerGuide is the official mark of the Government of Canada associated with the labeling and energy rating program of key consumer goods - homes, light vehicles and certain energy-using products.

Interested in discovering more?

呼叫所有的房屋建筑商!

There’s never been a better time to build Net Zero Energy ready homes…

With an increasingly demanding clientele, and in the age of climate change, builders must always push the quality of their homes to greater durability and efficiency. With demand rising sharply and the rise of ecological certifications such as Novoclimat, LEED, Passive House, Net Zero Energy, building sustainable homes is a surefire way to stand out from the competition.

In addition to this, choosing to invest in better housing always pay off. Many grants and financial incentives are available across North America, and with this exceptional housing project, the majority of Quebecers have shown they want high-quality and energy-efficient homes. Most say that they are willing to pay a little more for a sustainable home too as discerning home-buyers are starting to recognize that they make for a better investment.

Discover more about high performance home building:

Benefits for local government

Become sustainable neighborhood pioneers

For residents of Quebec where Les Jardins du Coteau are located, the quality of construction, energy efficiency and investment potential are among the most important criteria when buying a new property. It is also worth noting, that in many parts of Canada it is expected that all new construction will need to be Net Zero by the year 2030. So being an early-adopter and choosing a Net Zero Energy home now is an invaluable investment for the future.

Attracting owners to towns and areas by standing out with new building standards and regulations that require more durable, efficient, comfortable, and high-quality constructions is a very smart move to encourage growth. Likewise, being among the first cities to achieve climate goals in terms of reducing related GHG emissions by facilitating the shift to electric vehicles and efficient homes for residents is likely to attract a more dynamic community.

想了解更多关于如何建造零能耗住宅的信息，请联系我们!