{"id":66603,"date":"2025-04-24T10:56:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T17:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energi.media\/?p=66603"},"modified":"2025-04-24T11:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T18:47:07","slug":"inside-blatchford-edmontons-gas-free-carbon-neutral-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energi.media\/news\/inside-blatchford-edmontons-gas-free-carbon-neutral-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Blatchford, Edmonton\u2019s gas-free, carbon-neutral community"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>This article was published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/inside-blatchford-edmontons-gas-free-carbon-neutral-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Energy Mix<\/a> on April 23, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<div><strong><em>Full Story:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theenergymix.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Special to The Energy Mix<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n<div><strong><em>Author:\u00a0David Dodge<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Kassandra Starkell and Martin Martyniak were looking for a well-located home with a few green features. So they were surprised to find themselves moving into a fully solar-powered, net-zero house in Blatchford\u2014the largest planned carbon-neutral community in North America, located on 500 acres in the heart of Edmonton.<\/p>\n<p>Kassandra and Martin, who love the vibrancy of living downtown, say Blatchford \u201cticked all the boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn terms of the \u2018Blatchfordness\u2019 of it, we really liked the energy efficiency that was coming with the homes and specifically the Landmark home,\u201d said Kassandra.<\/p>\n<p>Blatchford units built by Landmark Homes\u2014a company that pioneered net-zero homes in Edmonton 16 years ago\u2014come equipped with 9 to 10 kilowatts of rooftop solar, an energy-efficient air-source heat pump, triple-paned windows, and high insulation levels\u2014all standard, thanks to Blatchford\u2019s green building code.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t think that we were in that price bracket to get a net-zero home or even just a home with solar. So that was a really happy coincidence,\u201d says Kassandra.<\/p>\n<p>Landmark townhomes in Blatchford are currently\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/edmonton-ab\/blatchford4\">listed between<\/a>\u00a0C$644,900 and $672,900.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Wildly Ambitious\u2019 Beginnings<\/h2>\n<p>Blatchford\u2019s genesis traces back to around 2008, when the City of Edmonton was locked in a political battle to close its downtown airport, and then-Mayor Stephen Mandel was looking for a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.edmonton.ca\/projects_plans\/blatchford\">new vision<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMandel wasn\u2019t really a green mayor in any significant way,\u201d urban planner Tom Young\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.volts.wtf\/p\/canadas-largest-sustainable-community\">told<\/a>\u00a0the VOLTS podcast about Blatchford. But the city had a fairly progressive council, and this was their way to set a new vision for the land, challenging those nostalgic for a city airport that was well past its due date.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was wildly ambitious; the idea of a carbon-neutral community was very far out there,\u201d said Anne Stevenson, Edmonton city councillor for the O-day\u2019min ward, which includes the neighbourhood of Blatchford.<\/p>\n<p>Stevenson, a former planner by profession, admitted she was skeptical at first.<\/p>\n<p>The city looked far and wide for bold, new sustainable strategies, receiving proposals to build a biomass power plant and even a deep geothermal project on the site. When the dust settled, council finally landed on the concept of using a proven geoexchange district energy sharing system to heat the community with renewable energy.<\/p>\n<p>Gas is not allowed in Blatchford.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Inside North America&#039;s Largest Carbon Neutral Community\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3xsdx7V7rwc?list=PLLBLbJXjojqYDCyWwtjudH2-mu1EU5Dpr\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_custom_content_wrapper single-post-content \">\n<div class=\"entry-content no-share\">\n<div class=\"content-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Geoexchange, Not Geothermal<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s not technically \u201cgeothermal,\u201d though most people call it that. Geoexchange is a much simpler idea: it uses underground loops to harvest the heat of the Earth, and then ground-source heat pumps amplify that to heat homes.<\/p>\n<p>This is proven technology. There are more than 100,000\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/new-partnership-brings-geoexchange-heating-to-ontario-condos\/\">geoexchange systems<\/a>\u00a0already installed in Canada, but it\u2019s still rare to see it used in a district energy system.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blatchfordutility.ca\/district-energy-sharing\/#how-does-it-work\">Here<\/a>, they drilled 570 bore holes, 150 metres deep beneath a lake-sized drainage pond. This feeds into \u201cEnergy Centre One,\u201d a building equipped with a very large heat pump that further upgrades the temperature of the fluids before distributing it to the homes of Blatchford, where ground-source heat pumps heat and cool most of the homes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_152368\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-152368\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyloaded wp-image-152368\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1024x601.jpeg\" sizes=\"auto, 890px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1024x601.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-500x294.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-768x451.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1536x902.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-750x440.jpeg 750w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1140x669.jpeg 1140w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it.jpeg 1839w\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"352\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1024x601.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1024x601.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-500x294.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-768x451.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1536x902.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-750x440.jpeg 750w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it-1140x669.jpeg 1140w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/The-geoexchange-Energy-Centre-One-and-the-lake-which-has-570-bore-holes-beneath-it.jpeg 1839w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"1024\" data-eio-rheight=\"601\" data-pin-no-hover=\"true\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-152368\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Energy Centre One sits across a lake with 570 bore holes beneath it. (David Dodge\/Green Energy Futures)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Josh Culling, an early Blatchford resident, recalled his first experience with the system. \u201cThe day we moved into our house, there was a heat wave,\u201d he said. \u201cWe walked into the house and it was like walking into a walk-in freezer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Culling added he\u2019s \u201cnever forgotten that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Blatchford is located in the most northerly big city in North America, where in recent years, heat waves have seen temperatures reach 37\u00b0 C\u2014 astonishing heights for locals used to a much cooler climate.<\/p>\n<p>Two other early residents of Blatchford, Heather MacKenzie and Justin Wheler, who experienced heat pumps for the first time there, said the system is very effective amid temperature extremes. \u201cYou\u2019re just sitting at home blissful,\u201d MacKenzie said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t notice the hot days or the cold days other than when we go outside,\u201d Wheler added.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Aiming For 30,000 Residents by 2042<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe vision is 30,000 Edmontonians living a sustainable lifestyle, carbon neutral, using renewable energy,\u201d said Tom Lumsden, the City of Edmonton\u2019s development manager for Blatchford. The city chose to act as the developer to set high standards for sustainability in the neighbourhood. Blatchford\u2019s green building code is about 70% more stringent than standard codes, Lumsden said.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cincredibly efficient\u201d homes are nearly net-zero, councillor Stevenson added. \u201cWhat I hear most often from residents is that they love their air conditioning in the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The bar for Blatchford\u2019s green building code has been raised periodically since its inception, and as of 2024, it\u2019s now nearly equivalent to the top tier of the National Building Code\u2014the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nrc.canada.ca\/en\/certifications-evaluations-standards\/codes-canada\/codes-canada-publications\/national-building-code-2023-alberta-edition\">Alberta edition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The code applies to all of the homes in Blatchford, but builders like Landmark are taking it one step further, offering only fully net-zero homes powered by solar.<\/p>\n<p>Uniquely, these homes also come with a 20-kilowatt-hour battery to store solar energy for later use. It\u2019s part of a pilot program that will link about 100 batteries as a virtual power plant to sell peaking energy to the grid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe concept of net-zero then comes from the fact that when you net everything out, it doesn\u2019t cost you anything,\u201d Landmark founder Reza Nasseri said. \u201cBut as we said before, if you have batteries it\u2019s a double whammy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Designed to Counter Sprawl<\/h2>\n<p>Blatchford demonstrates an emerging version of people-centred urban design, with many amenities built right at the outset.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a playground already, they have an outdoor rink, there\u2019s a walking path and a stormwater pond with lots of ducks and wildlife around it,\u201d said resident Justin Wheler.<\/p>\n<p>Due to its central location in Edmonton and good planning\u2014there\u2019s even a local grocery store\u2014Blatchford already has what many suburban neighbourhoods wait years, even decades, for, Stevenson said.<\/p>\n<p>It has a light rail transit station within walking distance and bike baths being built into the layout, Wheler said. \u201cYou see kids learning to bike and scoot around the neighbourhood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The neighbourhood also has a community garden and a small apple orchard that\u2019s \u201cpretty special,\u201d according to resident Heather MacKenzie.<\/p>\n<p>Another special feature is its location 10 minutes from the city\u2019s core, Lumsden said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s about the size of the existing downtown,\u201d Lumsden explained. \u201cThe old adage from real estate is \u2018location, location, location.\u2019 We have that bar none.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact that we\u2019re doing something really cool with the sustainability features is the cherry on top.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given the location efficiency, residents will save time and money, while producing as few as half as many emissions due to their shorter commute distances. Even more emissions are avoided when you consider the energy efficiency of Blatchford homes.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Overcoming Sluggish Growth<\/h2>\n<p>Blatchford\u2019s growth seemed sluggish in the beginning as consumers slowly began to understand the value proposition. In April 2024, a city audit concluded that Blatchford\u2019s managers needed to better track and report progress on its goals, with city councillors expressing disappointment with the pace of development, CBC News\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/edmonton\/progress-on-blatchford-development-lacks-clarity-and-targets-city-of-edmonton-audit-report-shows-1.7174682\">reported<\/a>. At the time, 84 homes were occupied, up from 20 over four years. Lumsden said many more lots were being sold.<\/p>\n<p>But the development has also weathered a downturn in housing, a global pandemic, and supply chain issues that have plagued many industries.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_152370\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-152370\" style=\"width: 601px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyautosizes lazyloaded wp-image-152370\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1024x576.jpeg\" sizes=\"auto, 890px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-500x281.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-750x422.jpeg 750w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1140x641.jpeg 1140w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes.jpeg 1920w\" alt=\"\" width=\"601\" height=\"338\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1024x576.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-500x281.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-750x422.jpeg 750w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes-1140x641.jpeg 1140w, https:\/\/www.theenergymix.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Blatchford-Control-Tower-with-playground-and-townhomes.jpeg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"1024\" data-eio-rheight=\"576\" data-pin-no-hover=\"true\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-152370\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Blatchford Control Tower, a relic from the former Edmonton City Centre Airport, stands next to a playground and townhomes. (David Dodge\/Green Energy Futures)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Despite it all, Lumsden said Blatchford is doing very well, comparing it to any other greenfield development.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are actually less than seven years from an active airport to somebody living here,\u201d he said. \u201cI know suburban neighbourhoods that have taken the better part of a decade to go from farmer\u2019s field to where people are living.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recently, things seem to be taking off. A 90-townhouse project is under way, four- to six-story buildings are coming, and another 90-unit apartment-style development is about to begin construction.<\/p>\n<p>In the early stages, mostly townhouses were built, and some were fairly expensive. But the plan was always to build a diversity of housing formats\u2014 townhomes, condos, and apartments with mixed commercial use.<\/p>\n<p>Stevenson said the plan is to incorporate 16% affordable housing to help address the housing crisis and meet climate objectives, which \u201cis truly phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s easy to brag about Blatchford,\u201d said resident Mackenzie. \u201cThere are few places in the city where you can get a net-zero row home at a great price point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know some of the homes here are not super affordable, but when I looked at a net-zero row home one neighbourhood over, it was $200,000 more than ours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bigger builders are coming to Blatchford, such as Qualico, which is building the most affordable homes so far.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element vc_custom_1745333769377 post-footer-shortcodes\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>This article was published by The Energy Mix on April 23, 2025. Full Story:\u00a0Special to The Energy Mix Author:\u00a0David Dodge Kassandra Starkell and Martin Martyniak were looking for a well-located home with a few green <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/energi.media\/news\/inside-blatchford-edmontons-gas-free-carbon-neutral-community\/\" title=\"Inside Blatchford, Edmonton\u2019s gas-free, carbon-neutral community\">[Read more]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":66604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[18,120,298,1297,14,2965,1640,1309],"class_list":{"0":"post-66603","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-alberta","9":"tag-clean-energy","10":"tag-edmonton","11":"tag-energy-efficiency","12":"tag-featured","13":"tag-geoexchange","14":"tag-living","15":"tag-net-zero"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - 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