Developer going beyond Net Zero to Net Positive
February 12, 2018
By
CCE
Howland Green Homes announces the development of a new three-story office building in Markham, ON that will achieve new levels of energy conservation and production.
Howland Green Business Centre, Markham (Artist Concept). (CNW Group/Howland Green Homes Ltd.)
Howland Green Homes Ltd., a builder and developer of residential and commercial properties promoting a “beyond the Net Zero standard into Net Positive” has presented the Howland Green Business Centre, a commercial office building to be located in the City of Markham.
Dave de Sylva, P.Eng.
“This new building is “the first Net Positive office building of its kind in Canada and nothing short of a landmark achievement and giant ecological leap forward for the environment and the building industry,” according to Dave de Sylva, P.Eng., president of GreenLife Del Ridge and founder of Howland Green Homes.
The three-storey Howland Green Business Centre will be powered by sun and geothermal energy, and it will offer 59,000 sq. ft. of office space with two levels of underground parking.
Other features will include:
- Enhanced insulated concrete formwork (ICF) – the entire outside area exposed to thermal transmission is constructed not just of ICF, but new ICF designed specifically for Howland Green resulting in a thermal resistance value of at least R40.
- R80 roof insulation, approximately four times greater than the building code. Resulting in essentially blockage of energy transfer, depending on the season.
- The windows designed with new technology in fiberglass construction and Low E argon gas with resistance values as high as R9.
- High efficient LED lighting with motion sensors where applicable.
- The latest geothermal technology to heat and cool the building with automatic load sharing and individual office controls.
- One of the largest rooftop photovoltaic arrays to capture approximately 420,000 watts of solar energy and generate about 515,000 kWh of clean, green energy (the operational demand for the entire building will be approximately 430,000 kWh).
- One of the first electric potential lithium-ion and pneumatic energy storage systems to store generated energy and use it when it is needed.
- Innovative water recycling system, designed to harvest all rainwater and recycle it on site.
- low condominiums fees garnered from the energy savings.
