On Oct. 14, 2023, homeowners in Greater Victoria and the Kootenays opened their doors to the public. Visitors had the opportunity to get up close with net-zero and other high-performance homes built right in their own communities.
We got to see century-old homes that had been deep retrofitted to seal out the cold and run on clean electricity. And we saw some of the newest homes built from the ground up with high performing materials and clever, energy-saving designs.
Some homeowners were excited to show even more features they’ve incorporated: electric vehicle charging, organic gardens, induction stoves. Other homes boasted extraordinary green building certifications and unique architectural designs. The tour surfaced some truly world-leading buildings in BC!
(Buildings like this net-zero home in Cranbrook which was featured on the tour and in this video.)
All told, 36 homes in a dozen communities participated in this first Climate Friendly Homes Tour. What is really encouraging and inspiring is, even in cold climates we are seeing the application of proven building science and a smart approach to design resulting in homes that are extremely energy efficient and surprisingly cost effective to construct. This is particularly exciting for homeowners as this type of home is comfortable year-round and can result in long-term savings due to the increased energy efficiency.
We all came together on this project because we believe in connecting neighbours and showing homeowners that it truly is possible to build an energy-efficient, comfortable, climate-friendly home in BC. We hope that visitors have been inspired to start looking at their own homes and thinking about ways they can be retrofitted or considering climate-friendly options if they are considering building a new home.
We’re also hoping to do another Climate-Friendly Homes Tour in 2024, this time with more communities involved from across the province. If you want to see this come to your community, please get in touch.
The 2023 Climate Friendly Homes Tour was made possible by the power of volunteers, East Kootenay Climate Hub, West Kootenay Climate Hub, City Green, CEA staff, and funding from Vancity, City of Vancouver, B2E, and BC Hydro.