Our good friends Paul and Danica from Riverside Energy had been responsible for the installation of the Solar Photovoltaics in the Kamloops Equilibrium home and set up a private tour for Mark and I (your eco friend Terry). This home had many partners as you will see in the information below.
The Equailbrium show home in BC
The Equilibrium Dream Home in Kamloops was created by a partnership between the Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) and Thompson River University (TRU) Training House. The builder-developer is a consortium of the Canadian Home Builders Association Central Interior (CHBA CI) and students from a wide variety of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) programs.
This is a quote from the Kamloops Tourism website:
EQuilibrium™ strives to balance our housing needs with the needs of our environment by bringing the private and public sectors together with the goal of developing homes and communities that are designed to address occupant health and comfort, energy efficiency and renewable energy production, resource conservation, reduced environmental impact and affordability.
This net-zero home opened to the public as a demonstration project and was raffled off in a lottery to raise funds for the local YWCA. Until the home was won, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) utilized the home as an eco-friendly example for build green, net zero homes and systems.
Unique Features of the Green Dream Home:
| • Rubber Tile Roofing | • ICF Logix Blocks |
| • Soapstone counter in bathroom | • Cast Iron Tub and Sinks |
| • Cork Flooring | • Bamboo Cupboards |
| • Recycled Rebar Interior Railing | • Home Automation System |
| • Dryer Room for Laundry | • High Efficiency Washer and Dryer |
| • Interior Water Feature | • Electric Fireplace |
| • LED Lighting | > ECO Tile Floor, Backsplashes and Shower Walls |
| • Plug for Hybrid Vehicle | > Triple Glazed Windows |
| • 36 Solar PV Panels on Roof | > 6-8 Bifacial PV Panels on Front Deck |
| • 2 Solar Thermal Panels | > Xeri-scape Landscaping |
| • Drip Irrigation | > Medicinal and Healing Plants in Garden |
| • 2 Hot Water Tanks | > Heat Recovery Ventilation |
| • Outdoor Portable Composting Unit |
This home was raffled off with tickets costing $100 and proceeds helped the local YWCA. The video of this home is no longer available.
A proovcative insight! Just what we need!
I am happy to learn that despite our cold winters and our many overcast days it is possible to have a house that can meet its energy needs by sun and careful energy management alone.
Great looking house too!