One of Reid’s Heritage Homes’ company core values is “we are world-class innovators.” And make no mistake about it – the company takes this credo seriously.
Case in point: Back in September 2014, Reid’s Heritage Homes became the first builder to break ground in a national net-zero energy homes’ demonstration project. Then, less than a year later, they opened the doors to the Net Zero Discovery Home and over 400 interested members of the public lined up for a tour. Any way you look at it, that’s an example of innovation at work.
The Net Zero Discovery Home is the first to be completed as part of the national demonstration project to prove that net-zero energy homes can be built on a community-level scale. The goal is to make net-zero energy homes – which can produce as much energy as they consume on an annual basis – fully accessible and affordable to all Canadians.
Reid’s Heritage Homes is building five homes as part of this project. Overall, five builders were selected to participate in the national project that will see the construction of at least 25 net-zero energy homes in four provinces—Nova Scotia, Québec, Alberta, and Ontario. This total will almost double the number of net-zero energy homes currently in Canada. The project is funded in part by the ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative (ecoEII), with contributions from each participating builder, industry suppliers and Owens Corning Canada.
While many agree that net zero is the future of the home building industry, a past barrier saw net-zero energy homes as custom-built projects, using elaborate designs, with complex and expensive heating, cooling and generating technology. This project, however, aims to make net-zero energy homes accessible to more consumers than ever before, using existing, often “off the shelf” high-performance equipment, insulation and building materials that are readily available to the average builder.
The back roof of Reid’s Heritage Homes’ Net Zero Discovery Home features 33 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels from Bluewater Energy which will produce the energy required for the home to achieve net-zero energy status. More importantly, the technologies underneath the façade are what make this net-zero energy home innovative and affordable.
One of the critical technologies is the insulated and airtight design providing an advanced envelope system made possible by the Owens Corning CodeBord® Air Barrier system, which significantly reduces air leakage of the home. The triple-pane windows by JELD-WEN Windows enhance comfort and insulation while providing noise reduction. The home also incorporates the latest air source heat pump space heating technology from Mitsubishi Electric and a leading-edge hybrid air source heat pump hot water tank from Rheem Canada.
Due to the volume of information coinciding with the net-zero energy home and overall initiative, Reid’s Heritage Homes recently released a collection of informative technical videos on its designated YouTube channels. A video – About Net Zero by Reid’s Heritage Homes – provides a detailed overview of exactly what a net-zero energy home entails, with appearances by company executives and industry partners. The videos then break into more detailed focus on net-zero energy features, covering topics such as advanced building enclosures, home comfort systems, fresh air systems, ultra-efficient electrical, high- efficiency water solutions and renewable solar power.
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Built in the Westminster Woods community of Guelph, Ontario, the project’s inaugural home will be used as a show house for the remaining four net-zero energy homes to be built by Reid’s Heritage Homes.
The second home is currently under construction and was recently listed for sale. The home features the popular Fairmeadow Craftsman floor plan and has three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and offers 1,775 square feet of living space.
Some of the features include:
* Insulation in foundation walls and under slab, improving the efficiencies of heat loss through the basement floor;
* Flex ducts providing the home with improved air circulation;
* Comfort zoning on the main and second floor to allow separate temperature controls;
* Drain water heat recovery system;
* Battery back-up rough-in;
* LED spotlights, energy monitoring, and over $42,000 in upgrades.
The home is currently priced at $554,382 and will be move-in ready by February 2016. For a limited time, the builder is offering a discount of $35,000 off the sale price. The remaining three homes will be completed by spring of 2016.
About Reid’s Heritage Homes
A modern approach to traditional homebuilding. Built on a solid reputation of quality, integrity and service, Reid’s Heritage Homes is one of Ontario’s leading builders, with a history of homebuilding that dates back to 1947. The same enduring values that motivated our founder, Orin Reid, inspire our many diverse communities today. Our commitment to these values applies across the Reid’s Heritage Homes’ family of companies, including Williamsburg Homes in Kitchener and Sherwood Homes in Collingwood.
