Green Buildings Open House Tour 2023

In 2023, the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley built on the successful 2022 Canmore EcoSolar Homes Tour to bring the event to the wider Bow Valley. The 2023 Green Buildings Open House was held on June 3, 2023, from 11 am - 4 pm. The event showcased eight buildings across Banff, Canmore and Dead Mans Flats. There were 366 visits to these interesting properties in total!

BIOSPHERE SPONSOR SHOWCASE

Highlighting our event sponsors with a smile!

BIOSPHERE SPONSOR SHOWCASE

FORTIS and the Biosphere Institute showcasing our new Home Energy Evaluation Toolkits! Contact Biosphere Institute to learn more about how to borrow this toolkit!

BIOSPHERE SPONSOR SHOWCASE

Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative is talking renewable energy to a potential new Member!

BANFF BIOMASS FACILITY

The MP2 industrial-scale wood chipper turns your unwanted wood for use in Banff’s biomass boiler.

BANFF BIOMASS FACILITY

Explaining the where, what, and how of biomass district heating during a guided tour of the facility.

DMF - SOLAR & E-BIKES

As a long-time solar owner, the homeowner shares his knowledge with an attentive audience.

DMF - SOLAR & E-BIKES

Solar panels in action!

HOMESTEADS - NET ZERO PASSIVE HOUSE

A unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the internal mechanisms of a project under construction.

HOMESTEADS - NET ZERO PASSIVE HOUSE

The homeowner shares details of the plans and architectural drawings with an interested site visitor.

THREE SISTERS - SOLAR & ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The homeowner welcomes a new batch of visitors to the property.

THREE SISTERS - SOLAR & ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The homeowners share all the details on their two solar installations, from specifications to cost to rebates and paybacks!

THREE SISTERS - SOLAR & ELECTRIC VEHICLES

These homeowners charge their Tesla Model Y with sunshine!

BANFF PAVILION - PASSIVE HOUSE

The HSS Design Team is ready to welcome the next site visitors.

BANFF PAVILION - PASSIVE HOUSE

A guided tour of this facility focused on designing and constructing the building envelope, which used prefabricated mass-timber panels derived from local materials.

BANFF YWCA - NET ZERO ENERGY

A friendly welcome from the YWCA team!

BANFF YWCA - NET ZERO ENERGY

The project manager answers questions about the design and build of this shipping container construction.

LARCH - DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT

It’s not hard to understand why this beautiful home won the Residential Award for the Prairie Wood Design Awards!

LARCH - DEEP ENERGY RETROFIT

The HSS team share details of the design and retrofit process with interested visitors.

View properties on the 2023 tour

About Our 2023 Corporate Sponsors

AmeriSpec specializes in helping you realize the cost savings and other wide-ranging benefits of home energy efficiency. Our registered Energy Advisors take an easy-to-understand, step-by-step approach to identifying energy-saving opportunities and optimizing your energy usage. Trained and licensed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to provide EnerGuide ratings for homeowners. Contact your AmeriSpec office today! at 403-257-4820.

For 22 years the Eco-Solar Tour Society of Alberta has organized free open house style tours of homes and businesses that display practical and timely examples of sustainability including: renewable energy (solar, wind, and geothermal), energy security, energy efficiency, water efficiency, low emission technologies and natural landscaping. Through our tours the public can experience how homes and businesses are reducing their utility bills while reducing their carbon footprint. We are happy to sponsor the Biosphere Institute as they organize their home tour in Canmore.

As owner and operator of more than 60 per cent of Alberta’s total electricity distribution network, FortisAlberta’s focus is delivering safe and reliable electricity to more than half a million residential, farm and business customers. The Company serves more than 240 communities with 127,000 kilometres of distribution power lines across Alberta.

The mission of HSS Design Build is to accelerate the transition to sustainable design and energy-efficient construction practices. We have been working in the heart of the Bow Valley since our foundation in 2016 and strive to create designs that resonate with the locale and develop a strong cultural context associated with our natural environment. Following Passive House Principles and European construction methods, we are able to deliver state-of-the-art solutions for our projects so that maintenance and lifecycle costs are minimized, and enjoyment and functionality are guaranteed for generations. We specialize in Passive House and Mass Timber construction and always prioritize the use of innovative methods and natural materials in our work.

Kuby Renewable Energy Ltd. is an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm with offices in Calgary, AB, Kamloops, BC and a head office in Edmonton, AB. We specialize in providing turn-key residential and commercial renewable energy systems.

The Solar Club: The Solar Club is a unique loyalty program designed specifically for small solar micro-generators! Earn a premium on your solar electricity and help further green Alberta's electricity grid. To qualify for all of the benefits included in this Solar Club package, you must be a micro-generator in Alberta and make a donation to your local food bank

Bow Valley Green Energy Coop is a grassroots, volunteer-run organization facilitating the creation of community-owned renewable energy generation projects in the Bow Valley and beyond. We leverage Member investment dollars to design, construct and operate renewable energy systems on local buildings. You can purchase your home’s electricity and natural gas from our trading partner Rocky Mountain Community Energy, who channel all their profits into supporting our work. Sign up with Rocky Mountain Community Energy today and help us transform Alberta’s Energy!

MAC Fans and Furnaces is a Bow Valley HVAC Contractor specializing in upgrading and installing comfortable, healthy and energy efficient HVAC systems. We always look forward to joining like-minded project leaders and builders to be part of a fully integrated building project or to be part of your home improvement renovation.

Solar Offset is a platform that allows the owners of small-scale solar panel and wind power systems in Alberta to get paid for the greenhouse gas emission reductions they are making, by creating and selling carbon offsets in the Alberta carbon markets.