'Small steps do add up': Edmonton couple spends 20 years building net-zero home

An Edmonton couple has spent the last two decades making their home a net-zero one, though that was never really the plan.

An Edmonton couple has spent the last two decades making their home a net-zero one, though that was never really the plan.

Darren and Darcy Crichton said their journey to net-zero started in 2002. The couple live in Darren's childhood home, but the older house wasn't very well insulated and the pair wanted to cut down on their heating bills.

"We never do things small," Darcy said. "So when we say that we reinsulated our house, what that means is we removed the stucco, built the walls out, reinsulated, dug around the entire perimeter of the home, and reinsulated down into the basement."

After the success of that project, they started getting excited about what they could do with their home and one upgrade led to another, and then to another.

"It's been just a continuous tweaking," Darcy said. "There wasn't really a master plan. It's interesting as you do things and you realize what's possible, it kind of just gives you that encouragement you need to continue to pursue the next thing."

Now, the couple relies entirely on solar panels to power their home, heat their water and charge their electric vehicle. Using geothermal energy from wells on their property, they keep their home warm in the winter and cool in the summer, with no natural gas needed.

Darren said it might sound like a lot of work and a lot of money, but it's doable.