Eco-Solar Home Tour

Our Edmonton Sponsors! Gold Sponsors Epcor City of Edmonton Bronze Sponsors Camrose Energy Foothills Energy Coop Rosecrest Homes Solar Club Skyfire Energy Ridge Utilities Effect Homes Weiss-Johnson Jayman BUILT In-Kind Sponsors Solar Alberta Unitarian Church

2024 Eco-Solar Home Tour The Eco-Solar Home Tours are over for 2024. Follow the links below to see the 140 pictures we have posted from this year's tours. Thank you to all the homeowners and volunteers who helped out on their tour days. We saw some very interesting homes. That's all for this year. We will call for homes for the 2025 tour in December and will post them on our web site sometime in March. Here are pictures from the 2024 tour:       Edmonton, Calgary, Follow the tour on Facebook:  Edmonton (Eco-Solar Home Tour),   Calgary (Eco-Solar Home Tour) We have video! Our 2021 virtual tour has video interviews with all the homeowners. Watch our 2021 virtual tour videos on our Videos & Definitions page. Tour Information What will I see on the tour? What interests you? Solar electricity or energy efficiency? Heat pump heating or permaculture landscaping? Retrofit or new construction? The Tour will have homes that showcase some of Edmonton and Calgary's best examples of energy-efficient ideas so that you can discover how you can take steps to reduce your gas, electricity and water use, save money, and lower your environmental footprint! Net-Zero Energy So what is this Net-Zero Energy (NZE) home that is featured on the tour? We define it as a home that generates as much energy as it consumes in a year. Here is our definition and a more detailed article to explain. Here is another article on Cold Climate Heat Pumps which are routinely used on Net-Zero Homes. Of course, for various reasons, not everyone can get all the way to an NZE home. Our tour features many other homes where energy efficient technologies are demonstrated. Whether you are looking for a little or a lot of energy efficiency our tour has many examples that you can take away and use on your own home. "In Alberta it is possible to eliminate two utility bills. Our net-zero home has no gas connection, and we produce enough solar energy so that our annual bill for lights, heat, and two electric cars is essentially zero." AM Isn't this just about solar panels? No! Solar electric technologies are just one aspect of making a home energy-efficient. The homes on our tour feature many other ideas from new lighting, water-efficiency, improved insulation and windows, efficient landscaping, permaculture, electric vehicles, carbon footprint reduction ideas, and many more! Who should come? Whether you are building or renovating; doing your research; or just about to make a big decision; for a homeowner, builder, design professional, trades worker or student; the Eco-Solar Home Tour will help provide you with information to make your home and lifestyle more sustainable. Want to get started? Start with this excellent Change Homes for Climate guide for energy efficient homes. Where is the tour? Click on the EDMONTON HOMES and CALGARY HOMES pages to find details of the sites and the technologies that are being featured on the Tour. Addresses and Maps will be published about one month before the tour so that you can see where the homes are and plan your visits on the tour days. How do I get there? Make sure you check the maps that are posted one month before the tour. Each day will have different homes to visit so plan your visit carefully. Homes that are outside of the cities will normally be open earlier in the day so you can visit those before the main tour times. To get to the homes you make your own way from site to site. You can cycle, walk, take transit, carpool, or take your own vehicle to any of the sites. What does it cost? Through the generosity of our sponsors and volunteers the Eco-Solar Home Tour is absolutely free! Simply go to the EDMONTON HOMES and CALGARY HOMES pages and pick the homes you want to see. Then on the tour day visit the homes during their scheduled open hours. You do not need to register in advance for the tour. How can I support the tour ? We are always looking for volunteers to help on tour day or to help with the organizing from now until tour day. Please go to the About page for our contact info. You could also sponsor the tour - see our sponsors page for details. You can also help us get the word out. Follow us on Facebook at Eco-Solar Tour Edmonton or Eco-Solar Tour Calgary. Get the tour listed in your community newsletter, bring it up at your church or association meetings, organize your scout/guide group to come and see the tour, and make sure you talk about the tour where you work. Whatever you can do will help us show that energy efficiency is something that everyone can do! How can I get started on my own home? One of the best guides we have seen is the Change Homes for Climate Guide prepared by the City of Edmonton. This is a comprehensive guide to building or renovating your home. Start with the guide and then talk to our wonderful sponsors! Visit our sponsors page to see what they can offer to help you on your journey to net-zero.   SUSTAINABLE IS ATTAINABLE!

Our Calgary Sponsors! Gold Sponsors City of Calgary Bronze Sponsors Camrose Energy Foothills Energy Coop Solar Club Skyfire Energy Ridge Utilities Jayman BUILT In-Kind Sponsors Solar Alberta