New developments eye innovation

Energy-efficient and environmentally savvy technology is leaving the lab

The way homes and communities are built today has evolved significantly over the years, particularly when it comes to energy efficiency and environmental preservation. Behind every new green feature created, there are years of research and development.

Here in the GTA, we are fortunate to have small business incubators that allow science and technology concepts to grow into real-life products and services. One is Tower Labs in Toronto — a non-profit organization founded by highrise builder Tridel and the MaRS Discovery District. It was created to help accelerate the adoption of green building products and services in new homes. It has also helped to advance forward thinking start-up companies targeting customers in the real estate industry.

Their work has led to some truly innovative projects.

For example, Dynamic Glass allows builders to create windows powered by a sophisticated intelligence engine that responds intuitively to outside conditions by adjusting the tint. Predictive weather feeds and real-time sensors anticipate and respond to cloud cover or excessive sunlight for maximum comfort. Homeowners can also control their tint levels by downloading an app for their mobile device.

Another innovative Tower Labs project is GaiaSoil, which introduces a new lightweight soil solution for green roofs. It is made out of modi- fied recycled material such as Styrofoam cups, composted organic matter and clay. GaiaSoil is significantly lighter than traditional soil and is naturally modified in order to hold water, minerals, and nutrients; making them optimally available for plant growth. The technology is currently put into practice in Tridel’s Aqualina development on Toronto’s waterfront.

NetZED is another innovative concept that can be found in the Aqualina building. The concept behind NetZED is to create a home that produces as much energy as it consumes. During the day, hot water and electricity are harnessed by two different types of solar panels on top of the home. Any unused energy is transferred to the rest of the building. In return, the building supplies power to the home during the night when the solar panels are not in use.

After years of testing, these kinds of technology are making their way to new developments. Royalpark Homes recently announced that it will offer residential battery storage in its new home builds, thanks to a new partnership with Panasonic. This newly developed system can capture solar energy and store electricity for later use. That means homeowners can store electricity during low rate, off-peak hours, for use during high rate, peak-usage hours.

We’ve come a long way when it comes to water and energy conservation. With so many new and innovative technologies currently in the testing phase, we are on our way to building better, greener communities for generations to come. Bryan Tuckey is president and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association and a land-use planner who has worked for municipal, regional and provincial governments. Follow him on Twitter @bildgta, facebook.com/bildgta, and bildblogs.ca.