No gas, no problem: Western engineers and local builder create fully electric house

A one-of-a-kind home just minutes west of London, Ont., has been built to take on the daunting task of keeping its residents comfortable without the use of fossil fuels.

The project is a partnership between Western University engineers and local builder Magnus Homes, and the three-year effort to make it happen culminated in a large, modern home in Komoka that uses tech in the name of efficiency and environmental consciousness.

“The goal here is to compare this house with conventional Canadian homes … and help the adaptation of new technology,” said Western engineering PhD candidate Shafquat Rana, who worked on the project.

The results so far have been encouraging, she said. The home is net-zero certified, emissions are 55 per cent less than a similar-sized home with a traditional system, and electricity bills are roughly 45 per cent lower.

The technology used in the home – a heat pump, solar panels and more – aren’t out of the ordinary, Rana said.

The efficiency comes from how the system is set up and how those pieces work together to keep the home at a comfortable temperature.

Unlike many other instances where solar panels are used, the energy they generate isn't just fed back into the wider electrical grid. Most of it is used in the home, making it a mostly closed loop, Rana said.

The solar panels on the roof absorb energy from the sun and trap it as heat in a thermal battery. That battery, which can hold on to heat for later use, is one of the driving forces behind the system’s ability to rely on power that is produced on-site.

The battery is responsible for supplying heat for hot water and in-floor heating throughout the home, Rana said, while the heat pump handles heating and cooling for the air in the home.

When it’s not sunny and the thermal battery is depleted, the system is able to draw electricity directly from the grid, Rana said.

The system is suitable for retrofitting, meaning it can be put into existing homes if it works well, she added.

Jaime Crncich, president of Magnus Homes, lives in the house. It was built to her specifications, barring the details handled by Rana and other engineers. 

Getting involved with the project was a win-win situation, Cncich, who has a background in environmental studies and a desire to steer her company toward net-zero emissions home construction.

“I really believe that the future should be sustainable, and I know the building industry is heading this way. These new technologies need real-world testing to have real-world impacts, so if we can help I think it will pay off,” Crncich said.