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Nick Medwid
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FREE nov 4 to nov 10 2016 issue 06-43 editorial 403-781-1324 advertising 403-263-4940 crebnow@creb.ca
real estate news from industry experts
SUNNY WAYS Brookfield testing solar with Calgary townhomes as part of broader focus on sustainable building JOEL SCHLESINGER for creb®now
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ne of North America’s largest development companies is looking to Calgary to harness the power of the sun. Calgary-based Brookfield Residential, a subsidiary of the global giant Brookfield Properties, has partnered with SAIT to test cutting-edge solar arrays to help power townhomes in the northwest community of Evanston. “The ultimate goal is to be able to implement sustainable technologies in our more affordable product lines and this research represents a step in that direction,” said Elizabeth Barry, development manager for Brookfield
SAIT researcher Dean Jones, pictured at the school’s solar lab, said the recently announced solar project with Brookfield in Evanston is an opportunity to collect and gather data on a multi-family unit.
Residential’s multi-family division in Calgary. The developer has made sustainability one of its core values, and that includes developing renewable energy technologies such as solar. More broadly, its efforts represent part of a growing trend toward leveraging renewable energy here in Canada and around the world. And capacity is expanding quickly. The International Energy Agency reported recently reported that renewable energy projects now account for more than half of all energy projects under construction around the world. It further noted renewable power accounts for about 23 per cent of all energy use worldwide, and that share is expected to exceed 28 per cent in five years.
For Brookfield, it’s not just about being part of a trend; it’s about doing right by the planet. “We’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact,” said Barry. The Calgary project involves testing four different solar systems that will help offset power from the grid in a multi-family complex. Located in a townhome development called The Link at Evanston, six newly built homes are involved in the study, each featuring different technologies to power their hot water tanks. “It’s a great opportunity to collect and gather good, accurate data on a multi-family unit,” said Dean Jones, one of the lead SAIT researchers. “It allows us to provide a good comparison from system to system.” SAIT started by reviewing several different systems before boiling down
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HOUSING MARKETS OVERVALUED, PRICE GROWTH TO SLOW: CMHC C
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the list to four solar systems, one highefficiency system and one traditional tank using electricity from the grid. Among the solar options is a photovoltaic system converting solar energy to electricity that is then used to heat the water in a tank. The three other solar-powered options involve different technologies that leverage the sun’s thermal energy to directly heat the water in held in tanks. “With those, you’re actually picking up the sun’s heat, bringing that back down and storing that in a tank,” said Jones. Two other units involved in the test will provide benchmarks for comparison. The unit with the hot water tank powered by electricity from the grid will be the baseline for energy consumption, while the high-efficiency, non-solar system will serve as the high water mark the solar systems to match and, hopefully, exceed.
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THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES IN OUR MORE AFFORDABLE PRODUCT LINES AND THIS RESEARCH REPRESENTS A STEP IN THAT DIRECTION” DEAN JONES
SAIT RESEARCHER
SUNNY WAYS A3
CONTENTS STATISTICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 October 2016
INDUSTRY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Investing in Hope
CREB® STAFF
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PHOTO BY ADRIAN SHELLARD/FOR CREB®NOW
anada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) has issued a strong warning for Canada’s real estate market. The national housing agency noted strong evidence of problematic conditions for Canada overall, pointing to home prices that have risen ahead of economic fundamentals such as personal disposable income and population growth, and resulted in overvaluation in many Canadian housing markets.
MARKET A3
*All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB® via MLS® activity. Includes detached, attached and apartment.
NEWS BRIEFS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 EVENT LISTINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A6 MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 OPEN HOUSES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B11
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Donna Williams $309,900 SOUTHWOOD ATTACHED DUPLEX
MLS®C4072388
• 2 bdrms, 2 baths, no condo fees • Huge 32 x 130 lot • Attached bung w/dev bsmt • Walk to schools, bus, LRT • Mins drive to Southcentre & Southland leisure
$319,900 MCKENZIE TOWNE 18+ TOP FLOOR
MLS®C4079424
• 2 bedroom, 2 bath, almost 1,000 sq. ft. • Quartz counters throughout • Corner gas fireplace • Bus, shopping outside complex • IMMEDIATE POSS
$269,900 PALLISER STUNNING MLS®C4084477 LOCATION • Backing on private greenspace • 2 bedrooms + loft • Trendy 1175 sq ft, end unit • IMMEDIATE POSS • 10 Minute walk to Glenmore Reservoir
$194,500 TEMPLE
403-617-7749 donnawilliamsrealestate.com
MLS®C4085028
• 2 Storey Townhouse, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom • New granite counters • Full bsmt w/large family rm • Recent upgrades; windows, shingles, doors • Well run complex, bus right outside complex
SUTTON CANWEST REAL ESTATE