Canada’s First Zero Carbon Building – evolv1

By Lora Rigutto

CircuitMeter Inc. proud to collaborate on the first Zero Carbon Building Design project in Canada

The Cora Group recently announced that its commercial multi-tenant office building in Waterloo, Ontario, evolv1, has been certified by Canada Green Build Council (CAGBC) to be the first building in Canada to receive a Zero Carbon Building – Design certification. This landmark achievement signifies a new benchmark in sustainable design.

The vision of the project team, led by Cora Group and including building designers Stantec, and the construction firm Melloul-Blaney, was to design and build a net positive energy building at costs similar to a conventional building. This building, evolv1, has proven that it is possible to design and build with a high level of sustainability while maintaining a competitive cost structure.

The design elements of the building are aimed not only at maximizing energy efficiency but at producing more energy than it consumes over the course of one year. According to the Cora Group, some of these features include:

  • High-performance building envelope
  • Geo-exchange / variable refrigerant flow (VRF) HVAC system
  • Triple pane glazing
  • Solar wall for preheated ventilation
  • Combination of carport and roof-mounted photovoltaics producing 700kw of electricity for the grid
  • Three-storey green wall, promoting improved indoor air quality

Upon completion, slated for Summer 2018, evolv1’s performance will be measured during the first year, in order to demonstrate achievement of a zero emissions balance, which would enable it to earn a Zero Carbon Building – Performance certification.

CircuitMeter Inc. is thrilled to be a collaborator on this exciting Zero Carbon project by providing its circuit level, real time submetering technology, which includes a big data energy analytics platform to measure and monitor evolv1’s electrical energy consumption and carbon emissions. CircuitMeter’s real time energy monitoring technology provides the data for benchmarking and continuous energy audit, enabling energy management best practices that will assist the Cora Group in maximizing its energy efficiency and demonstrate its net zero emissions balance.

For more information on evolv1, please visit Reinventing the Way You Build – coragroup.com. To view the joint news release by the Cora Group, Canada Green Build Council (CAGBC) and Stantec, please visit: CAGBC news release.