March 30, 2022
evolv1’s Energy Production Skyrocketed
What does work from home (WFH) mean for a sustainable building?
WFH for a sustainable building doesn’t mean everything stops. It means the sustainable building continues to work at harvesting energy, but pivots to provide the produced energy to where it is needed the most.
On Saturday, August 14, 2021, evolv1 produced 4,920 kWh, more than three times the solar production than consumed. With fewer occupants in the building, evolv1 was continuously surpassing sustainable goals. The Cora Group was making sure to continue to generate as much energy as possible through continual monitoring and maintenance of its Canadian solar panels. Ample excess energy was provided back into the grid and dispersed throughout the surrounding Waterloo area.
A year in review
From September 2020 to September 2021, evolv1 produced about 30% more energy than it consumed overall providing the energy back to the grid. The total amount of extra energy provided back to the grid was 204,000 kWh.
The 204,000 kWh of excess energy produced from September 2020 to September 2021 was enough to power 21 homes for a year.
“It is continuously exciting to monitor the energy production of evolv1’s solar array. When the building’s occupants started working from home we knew we were going to have excess energy, but seeing just how much surplus energy evolv1 was able to provide back to the grid shows how important developments like evolv1 are.”
– Thor Neumann, The Cora Group Sr. Project Manager
Another great energy production period
January 2021 thru August 2021 evolv1 generated enough extra energy to run 25 homes for a year at a total of 238,000kWh.
Every research and technology park needs an evolv1
Research and Technology parks are a source of valuable research. Since its development in 2018, evolv1 has been a centerpiece for research for the University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University with VERiS. The ongoing research on evolv1 continued through the lockdowns brought on by the COVID19 pandemic. Since then evolv1 has had an in-depth report published, a photovoice exhibit launched and is nearing the release of a new public site sharing live evolv1 energy production data.
The David Johnston Research and Technology Park (The RTPARK) is a leader in sustainability having 2 LEED Gold buildings and 1 LEED Platinum building being Canada’s First Zero Carbon Building – Design certification, evolv1. The sustainable developments in the RTPARK are developed, owned, and managed by The Cora Group. The RTPARK will also be home to Cora’s next sustainable development, evolv2!
The Cora Group is passionate about sustainable development, if you are too – reach out to us!
We’d love to talk to you about working within one of our buildings, partnering in development, or even just trends in the market!
Contact us!
