Home builder Bruce Murdoch found opportunity in 2023’s frigid temperatures, by revisiting Cranbrook BC’s first net-zero home to check on its cold-weather performance.
“Basically, we’re trying to make a 100 year old house, a passive house,” says David Claus, whose Prince George home retrofit is expected to exceed the requirements of a brand-new Step 5 house, dropping energy use by 63%.
They say it can’t be done: an affordable, high-performance home in the unforgiving climate of northern BC. Maybe the naysayers have just been proven wrong by a longtime builder in Quesnel.
Rural charging infrastructure gives locals the confidence to switch to electric vehicles and can bring in adventurous tourists from Vancouver. CEA’s experience supporting rural BC local governments roll out EV chargers shows how regional collaboration can result in an expanded network, using local knowledge to meet the needs of residents and tourists alike.
