This next round of projects as part of SSRIA’s Innovation Fund will highlight the impactful work from thought leaders and innovators within our province.
SSRIA is proud to announce $1.3 million dollars from their Innovation Fund towards an additional five demonstrations of new low carbon technologies for buildings; adding to their previous momentum towards a zero carbon built environment.
The Innovation Fund supports SSRIA’s mission by accelerating the adoption of low-carbon solutions for all types of buildings. It funds incremental elements of approved projects that demonstrate innovative technologies or processes, to reduce energy use and carbon emissions in building construction and operation. This fund not only supports the transition to net zero emissions by 2050 but bolsters the growth of Alberta small businesses in a diversified economy.
“SSRIA is excited to continue supporting local small businesses who are developing low carbon solutions, and the building industry leaders who have a vision for a more sustainable and resilient built environment. Through the Innovation Fund, SSRIA is able to gather and widely share valuable data and information from made in Alberta solutions to expand the building industry’s understanding of how to decarbonize buildings, including how to do it more affordably.” – Pamela Goertzen, Executive Director at SSRIA.
The proposed projects collectively aim to advance carbon reduction in construction practices and energy-efficient solutions in residential buildings including the demonstration of: prefabricated Nailed-Laminated Timber (NLT) foundations to reduce carbon intensive concrete; prefabricated retrofit wall systems to increase the speed, ease and affordability of residential energy retrofits; and low-carbon approaches to home heating, including thermal storage, designed specifically with Alberta’s climate in mind. The projects will start construction in 2025 and include 1 year of data monitoring to see and capture the real results.
“On average, over 35,000 new homes are constructed annually in Alberta, with concrete being the primary material used for the foundations and basements. Recently, reducing embodied carbon has become a vital new frontier in building decarbonisation. By replacing traditional carbon-intensive materials like concrete and steel with environmental friendly mass timber foundation solutions, the proposed project aims to reduce a home’s embodied carbon by one-third.” – Haitao Yu, Landmark Homes
“We lead with the “green” in Green Violin by using emerging and innovative building technologies to achieve environmental sustainability and climate responsibility in our housing solutions. At our Parkdale Veterans Hall demonstration project in Edmonton we are implementing a one-two-three combination of geothermal heat, solar electricity, and the Peel High Velocity Air Exchange HVAC prototype to achieve the highest standard of green. All this is made possible thanks to the funding from SSRIA.” -Yasushi Ohkii, Green Violin Developments.
SSRIA is a not for profit organization convening a diverse group of leaders. They foster collaboration and action to accelerate the adoption of innovative low-carbon solutions for the built environment. SSRIA is distinctly focused on the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry and all those who serve this industry including educational institutions, suppliers, manufacturers, and other associations. Funding for the Innovation Fund is provided by Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan).