Frances Warner/Special to The Morning Star
CFUW’s third annual home tour will be held May 6 and the line-up of homes will again offer fascinating examples of sustainable construction.
All three owners aimed for “net zero.” There are different ways to get to zero and each family has approached the goal differently. Each made different trade-offs to accomplish both energy efficiency and the space they desire. The design of these homes incorporated: orientation to the sun, avoidance of thermal bridges, thicker than normal insulation and air tightness. The majority invested in high-tech windows like those made by companies such as Innotech and Durfeld Constructors. Heating and cooling are accomplished in innovative ways.
One highlight of the tour will be a Kelowna home built by Mike Banner of PriMe haBitat Builders. Upon completion, the home will be tested to see if it achieves passive house certification. That will be Kelowna’s first! The second home is the residence of Eric and Simonne Dickie of Lake Country. Eric, owner of Delta Geothermal, and his wife Simonne are authors of Energy Exchange - Geothermal Exchange and Beyond. Their book adopts a broad-based approach to geothermal exchange and building-focused thermodynamics.
The third home, nestled on East Hill, is owned by Jeff Bassett and Allison Rankin. The architecture is modern, minimalist, funky with industrial touches. With a living space of 1950 square feet, the home is almost net zero. The main floor has in-floor radiant heating, the second floor uses a unique Belgian Stuv 30 Compact wood stove to offset heating needs in winter. They have a five-kilowatt solar system consisting of 22 panels. Their landscape design was created by local permaculture expert Gordon Hiebert.
Looking to the future, let’s hope that the City of Vernon will follow the lead of the City of Vancouver which recently passed a bylaw requiring that by 2020 all new residential construction will be net zero. In the meantime, there are some dedicated trend setters here in the Okanagan Valley. Join the tour and hear what the homeowners have to say about their “green” experience.
Last year, some residents were disappointed that they missed out, because CFUW sold some tickets at community events in March. This year there will be no pre-sales and we are increasing the number of tickets to 100. Tickets will be available as of Friday at the Bean Scene for $25. The tour takes place May 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. For more information, email franceswarner@shaw.ca. or go to cfuwvernon.webs.com.
Ticket Tip: If you are travelling with others on the tour, make sure you all purchase the same colour of ticket, as each colour represents a different tour schedule.
All proceeds go towards two scholarships that the Canadian Federation of University Women (Vernon branch) provides annually for two local students.
Frances Warner is with the Vernon branch of CFUW.