Edmonton launches first Energy-Efficient Residential Community

Imagine a neighbourhood where every house is built to a higher environmental standard and every homeowner knows their dream home is also reducing their impact on the environment. Welcome to Oxford, a new community in northwest Edmonton.

PHOTO CREDIT - Edmonton.ca

Edmonton - November 16, 2012 - Imagine a neighbourhood where every house is built to a higher environmental standard and every homeowner knows their dream home is also reducing their impact on the environment.

Welcome to Oxford, a new community in northwest Edmonton that will require all homebuilders meet eco-friendly guidelines for conservation and efficiency.

“This new subdivision in Oxford is a tangible step toward making Edmonton greener while helping achieve the goals in our strategic plans: The Way We Grow and The Way We Green,” says Edmonton City Councillor Dave Loken.

“The City of Edmonton is proud to partner with citizens and the homebuilding industry on Oxford. Together we will demonstrate that an entire community can make a difference in sustainability by building greener, more energy-efficient homes.”

All homes built in Oxford must achieve a minimum EnerGuide rating of 78 or be certified to Built Green Silver standards or equivalents. EnerGuide is Canada’s energy-consumption rating program. Currently, new homes built to Alberta Building Code standards usually meet an EnerGuide rating of between 65 and 72.

“We congratulate the City of Edmonton on its environmental requirements for Oxford. Setting higher but attainable standards leads the way for increased awareness and demand from savvy homebuyers who will benefit from energy savings while living a greener lifestyle,” says Sharon Copithorne, Executive Officer, Built Green Canada, an independent certification program that promotes the use of resource-efficient, environmentally friendly construction, practices and products for homebuilding.

Forty-three lots will be sold by public lot draw on Nov. 28, 2012. The City will accept a maximum of 200 registrants for the Oxford lot draw. The last public lot draw was in December 2006, in the Brintnell area. All 75 lots sold out immediately.

The City of Edmonton will offer Cornerstones grant funding towards the construction of up to 25 secondary suites in Oxford. Each eligible homeowner can apply for up to $20,000 towards those costs, as part of the City’s Cornerstones plan to provide an increase in the number of affordable housing options for lower income Edmontonians.

The City’s Office of Environment is also offering a sliding scale grant program for homeowners who want to push the sustainability envelope in Oxford and build their homes above the EnerGuide 78 standard. Grants vary from $1,000 to $7,000 depending on the final rating achieved by the new home.

Interested homebuyers can also purchase and build on the remaining 44 lots in Oxford with four selected Built Green-certified homebuilders. These builders were chosen to partner with the City after being selected through a request for proposal process. Their lots include options for secondary suites, single family homes and duplexes.

Members of the public and the homebuilding industry are invited to learn more about the City’s green initiatives and Oxford’s sustainability requirements at an information session November 19, 2012 and by visiting edmonton.ca/oxfordlandsales.