Ottawa’s plan to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 rests firmly on the shoulders of the construction trade in many ways. Existing buildings are the “single biggest source of green house gas emissions in Ottawa” according to the City of Ottawa’s website. At the same time, new housing stock is still very much needed in a city that has struggled with adequate supply and rising house prices.

Ottawa’s EkoBuilt has been working to help make the housing market greener and more affordable since 2016. Its approach to pre-certified passive house plans and material kits is making it easier, more reliable, and more affordable to build to the most energy efficient building standard that exists.

Homeowners in the Ottawa area and across North America who care about energy efficiency are choosing EkoBuilt homes for secondary dwellings (coach homes), as well as their primary and vacation homes.

EkoBuilt’s new model home in Dunrobin, in the city’s west end, will be available to show the local market what’s possible. The model home, designed for a family of five, is only 1,600 square feet, and uses space incredibly smartly. Its energy use is extremely low, roughly 10% of a home built to code in the last few years. Such low energy use also makes it easy to Net Zero an EkoBuilt home (a net zero home creates as much energy as it uses, sometimes more).

While a home with such low energy bills will already be a huge gain for most homeowners, the option to Net Zero the home using solar panels creates even more protection from rising and unpredictable energy prices.

June 11th Open House in West Ottawa

On Saturday, June 11^th, the EkoModel Home will be open to the public for self-guided tours. EkoBuilt president and home builder Paul Kealey will be on hand to answer questions. Get details about the open house.

Adjacent to the main dwelling is a two-storey coach house designed to demonstrate the company’s coach house offering.

Says president and home builder Paul Kealey:

“By 2050 Ottawa homes will be required to be built to NetZero, but we can get Ottawa home owners there today.  Why not benefit from a home that is comfortable and healthy, as well as incredibly efficient and cheap to run today, and help Ottawa to meet its goals that much sooner?“