Energy system work wraps at Blatchford

EDMONTON, ALTA. – Edmonton’s ambitious Blatchford neighbourhood project has completed its district energy system and has begun construction on residential homes.

The energy centre Energy Centre houses the key mechanical equipment for the community’s district energy sharing system.

Using a 570-borehole geoexchange field, the system is designed to supply reliable, renewable, environmentally-friendly heating, cooling and hot water to residents. The centre and its geoexchange field were finished time and on budget for $19.4 million. The first phase of the system will serve multiple residential stages in the community. 

“Blatchford’s first Energy Centre, combined with the community’s energy efficient buildings and geoexchange field, plays a critical role in achieving an almost 75 per cent reduction in neighbourhood greenhouse gas emissions that come from buildings and homes compared to a standard community,” said Jason Meliefste, acting deputy city manager, integrated infrastructure services. “Given the prominence of this building in Blatchford’s future Civic Plaza, it was also designed to be a showpiece for sustainability and will allow future residents and visitors to see a renewable energy source in action.”
Blatchford also saw another milestone, as Mutti Homes broke ground on a townhomes project, the first residential work to be done in the community. In addition to starting construction on their first townhome units, Mutti Homes also announced they have purchased another parcel of land in Blatchford. Their next nine townhomes will be located across from their current site and are now pre-selling. 

“I have long believed in the power of cities to tackle some of the great challenges of our time, including looking at how we can play a role in confronting both the causes and the impacts of climate change,” said Mayor Don Iveson in a media release. “These two milestones demonstrate exactly what we are trying to accomplish with Blatchford. We have created a community-scale source of renewable energy which will connect to energy-efficient homes built by homebuilders who are as committed to our vision as we are.”