The Discovery 4 home is designed to be a high-performance house that will help define a net-zero residential envelope energy standard.

“We are pursuing higher standards of energy efficiency,” says Alex Zahavich, SAIT’s Director of Applied Research and Innovation Services. “The Discovery 4 home is expected to help increase the EnerGuide energy-efficiency rating for an average new home from 70 to 100 and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5 to 15 tonnes per year.”

The single-family dwelling will include the biggest array of solar electric panels on any residential home in Calgary, an advanced form of wall insulation, a balcony railing that generates all space heating within the home, solar thermal window shutters that produces the heat for domestic hot water, recycled hardwood floors and indoor air quality better than the average home.

“Building Discovery 4 is an exciting step for us and for those interested in having energy efficient homes,” says Ryan Scott, President of Avalon Master Builder. “We have worked closely with SAIT on applied research for more than three years and now we are constructing a home that will meet the Architecture 2030 challenge as well as the ultimate EnerGuide 100+ standard.”

The Discovery 4 home is located on a corner of SAIT’s main campus and faces 16 Avenue and 14 Street NW. Construction of the home is scheduled for completion this fall.