Riverdale NetZero energy house update, and other events...

Just thought to send you a wee note updating you on the Riverdale NetZero energy house.

  1. Lots is happening. We put in 200 cubic metres of cellufibre insulation into the house before Christmas. The drywall is installed, the walls covered up. We are taping the drywall now. NAIT is constructing a model wall for us so that we can show the wall construction details when people come to visit the house. We expect to be turning on the solar power system this week. (We're wanting a nice clear day to commission it.) We're about to be doing the air leakage test rating on the house to see if we got down to our 1/2 air change per hour target -- which would be one of the lowest in Canada. We are about to start plumbing the solar heating system. We are heating the houses at this time with a tiny 1500 watt heater -- this is approx the same size as a toaster, equal to two 2-slice toasters or two hair dryers. We are now developing our monitoring plans.

    We are also now working on three more NZE houses in Alberta. Check out www.greenedmonton.ca and www.triciagreen.ca.

  2. Our next Riverdale NetZero open house will be March 15. We will send out details before then and post info on the web site at www.riverdalenetzero.ca . We will then be able to show the model wall, the solar power system working and the solar heating system working, and likely the heat recovery ventilator and the drain water heat recovery unit.

  3. The Eco-Solar Home Tour this year will be June 7. Keep tabs on www.ecosolar.ca for upcoming details. It will be a great tour. If you're interested in helping run it on the day (which is lots of fun), send us an e-message.

  4. Have you heard about the HEAT (Home Energy Alternative Trade) Show in Slave Lake on the weekend of March 1 and 2? See attached info file.

  5. I'd like to let you know about the Solar Energy Society's upcoming community seminar at the Telus World of Science (Edmonton Space and Science Centre). The seminar is called "Wind Energy in Alberta — Beyond Tokenism" and is on Jan 29 at 7pm.

  6. The Solar Energy Society and the Environmental Studies Institute at Grant MacEwan College are again offering their six-week evening course called Renewable Energy -- the Path to Independence. This is a great overview of the fast changing world of solar technologies. Students come away with a lot of information on solar hot water, photovoltaics, passive solar design and alternative transportation options. They also are able to analyze personal usage and options specific to our climate. A full class outline can be found on SESCI's website www.solaralberta.ca . February 6 - March 12 / Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9:30pm, Grant MacEwan College, City Centre campus, Registration Fee: $200, Instructor: Rob Harlan, Executive Director, phone 439-5608.

Keep in touch. Let me know if you have any Qs about solar energy.

Sincerely,
+Gordon Howell


D. Gordon Howell, P.Eng.
Riverdale NetZero Project
www.riverdalenetzero.ca

One of Canada's 1st 10 EQuilibrium Houses, with sponsorship from

See also: CMHC www.cmhc.ca and search for EQuilibrium.