April 23, 2019
On a bright and sunny Earth Day, let’s celebrate solar energy at #evolv1
We opened the doors to evolv1, Canada’s first Zero Carbon Building – Design Certified under the Canadian Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building Standard, seven months ago. In less than one year we’ve accomplished a fantastic feat – we’re operating a commercial building that, along with our other sustainable buildings, innoTECH, and The Cora Building in the David Johnston Research and Technology Park, consume 60% less energy than a standard building. And we’re generating more than double the energy at evolv1 than we originally predicted.
In the month of January alone, our solar panels (PV system) that cover the roof of evolv1 and are visible from over our parking lot, along with our solar wall generated enough energy to charge your cell phone 3,226,388 times! Pretty amazing results for one of the coldest months of the year.
Our solar wall on the north end of evolv1 generates enough energy to heat the entire building. In February, our live reporting data from the wall helped us better understand our energy needs. Outside temperatures were -13 C and the solar wall warmed the air to 16 C as it entered the building. Because of the solar wall our heating system only needed to warm the air and an additional four degrees to 20 C, creating more energy efficiency for the building.
Our construction partner, VCT Group, has played an essential role in developing and maintaining this solar energy system. Together, we’ve created a solution for sustainable energy production that’s easily replicable by others in our industry.
In the months to come, we’ll continue to monitor and learn from the performance of the evolv1 energy efficient features – Geothermal, HVAC System, Triple-glazed exterior windows, and our building cistern. We’re committed to sharing the performance of this building and how it affects our local environment, our community of Waterloo Region and our tenants as they consciously operate in a sustainable building.
So today, on Earth Day 2019 we’re celebrating solar energy at evolv1 and how it’s become an early marker of success for us – demonstrating what’s possible when we challenge conventional thinking, collaborate with industry leaders and innovate, right here in Waterloo.
This post originally appeared on LinkedIn, written by Adrian Conrad on April 22, 2019.
