Solar Community in Calgary - Solar Communities

Solar Community in Calgary

Written by Philip Proefrock on 20/11/06

A subdivision in Calgary is Canada's first solar neighborhood. The Drake Landing Solar Community is a newly built community of 52 homes. 90 percent of the community's power for heating and hot water is expected to be provided from solar panels.
The system uses a shared solar collector array that spans across the detached garages. Heat is collected and then stored in a community Energy Centre in short term storage thermal tanks, as well as in geothermal storage using boreholes. Common heating for the community is then provided by pipes running below ground from the Energy Centre to each home.

The homes in this community are also at least 30 percent more energy efficient than the average Canadian home, which helps make such a project feasible.