This next round of SSRIA Innovation Fund projects will showcase the impactful contributions of Alberta’s leading innovators and visionaries in the building sector.

SSRIA is proud to announce an additional $1.1 Million from their Innovation Fund towards an additional seven demonstrations of new low carbon technologies for buildings; adding to their previous momentum towards a zero carbon built environment.

The Innovation Fund drives SSRIA’s mission forward by fast-tracking the adoption of low-carbon solutions across all building types. It provides funding for key components of approved projects that showcase cutting-edge technologies or processes aimed at reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions in both building construction and operation. Beyond supporting the path to net-zero emissions by 2050, the fund also fuels the growth of Alberta’s small businesses and strengthens a more diversified, resilient economy.

“SSRIA is proud to support the forward-thinking leaders who are shaping a more sustainable and resilient built environment through low-carbon innovation. The Innovation Fund also allows us to gather and share valuable data from made-in-Alberta solutions, helping the building industry better understand how to decarbonize more effectively and affordably” – Pamela Goertzen, Executive Director at SSRIA.

This round of projects collectively aim to advance carbon reduction in construction practices and energy-efficient solutions in all building types including two new residential projects, one residential retrofit, two commercial retrofits, and two institutional buildings, new and retrofit.

Some of the exciting new projects include: 

• Urban Commercial Wind: This project will install six advanced micro-wind turbines on a commercial building to test the real-world potential of building-integrated wind energy in Alberta, generating data to support future adoption and economic modeling.
• AI to optimize Building Automation Systems for Senior Care Facilities: This initiative aims to cut energy use and GHG emissions from central HVAC systems in a senior care facility, while maintaining or improving occupant comfort and reducing utility costs.
• IoT and AI for a Smart Sustainable Building: Red Deer Polytechnic will deploy low-cost, vendor-agnostic Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors and AI-driven analytics to optimize HVAC operation, enhancing efficiency with minimal retrofitting.

“Alberta’s renewable micro-generation landscape has largely been dominated by solar PV, which is seasonal and generates only during the daytime. Leveraging advanced wind power technology, this project will assess the performance of both horizontal and vertical axis micro-turbines in urban settings. Using a data-driven approach, the project aims to lay the groundwork for integrating wind energy as a viable alternative renewable energy source for buildings.” – Zhimin Yin, BM Homes Ltd.

““Ecopilot’s iBOS software harnesses the existing thermal mass of a building, incorporates weather forecasting and optimizes for occupant comfort and energy savings using AI algorithms. SSRIA’s Innovation Fund is supporting the first Senior Care pilot project in Alberta in an effort to avoid unnecessary energy consumption costs and reduce environmental impact.” -Nick Kendrick, EcoPilot AI.

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. Funding for the Innovation Fund is provided by Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) and Alberta Innovates.

For media inquiries:
Pamela Goertzen, Executive Director: pam@ssria.ca
Lauren Smith, Communications Manager: lauren@ssria.ca