This Sunday, on Earth Day, feel free to preen a little. The first building in Canada to be certified as zero-carbon can be found right here in Waterloo Region.
Evolv1, the 100,000-square-foot office facility soon to open in Waterloo’s David Johnston Research and Technology Park, has been awarded Zero Carbon Building – Design certification by the Canada Green Building Council, its developer, The Cora Group, announced Thursday.
Evolv1, courtesy of The Cora Group.
Due for completion this summer, the building will become home to a number of companies, including fast-growing startup TextNow.
In order to achieve zero-carbon certification, the developer had to show that the building met a standard of energy-related design specifications. The evolv1 facility will produce more energy than it consumes when complete. It incorporates triple glazing on windows, a solar wall for preheated ventilation, a geo-exchange and variable refrigerant flow system, a three-storey green wall and solar panels.
[The building] is setting a tangible example for building owners and policymakers across the country that zero-carbon buildings are technically feasible and economically viable right now,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council. “The shift to zero-carbon buildings is a critical step in reaching our climate change goals in Canada. Through innovative projects like evolv1 the building industry can lead the way in the fight against climate change.”
