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 Durham
Eco-House is the brain child of Ivan Flood,
Owner of Total Home Comfort Heating and Air
Conditioning. Firmly committed to environmental
excellence, Ivan has been instrumental in working
with the Summerhill Group (SG, formerly the
Clean Air Foundation) of Toronto to promote
homeowner awareness of the value of environmental
stewardship through a number of SG sponsored
programs. Ivan has been an industry leader and
participant in SG's "Keep Cool" and
"Switch the Stat" programs operated
under the leadership of the SG, both of which
are designed to promote conservation and environmental
stewardship.
Durham
Eco-House represents a logical next step for
Ivan Flood, who recognizes the importance of
environmental stewardship and the need to bring
energy efficient building options to the general
public. Committed to service excellence and
environmental stewardship, Total Home Comfort
has been an active industry leader in promoting
environmental awareness and responsibility.
As a strategic thinker and visionary, Ivan Flood
recognizes the importance of efficiently converting
the existing building stock and providing an
opportunity for homeowners to see first hand,
the energy savings and environmental stewardship
that is possible through practical retrofits.
Durham
Eco-House will be an inspirational leader and
signature site that will sell the concept of
environmental stewardship and responsibility
to homeowners, the building industry and suppliers.
As a demonstration site, Durham Eco-House will
emphasize innovation, learning and leading edge
environmentally friendly building technologies
- all geared to the existing housing market.
It will profile new and emerging technologies
and in turn will empower landowners, homeowners
and interested parties with information to reduce
(and ultimately eliminate) their carbon footprint.
Mission
 The
establishment and operation of an environmentally
sustainable demonstration home for the purposes
of:
- demonstrating
the viability of whole site sustainability
with the ultimate goal to have in place a
zero carbon footprint site;
- promoting
energy conservation, energy efficiency and
the application of green building products
and technologies;
- demonstrating
the sustainable use of water, energy and resources;
- demonstrating
innovative initiatives that bring the most
efficient clean energy technologies;
- promoting
local sustainable solutions that deliver concurrent
environmental, social and economic benefits;
- provide
education and on-site training, concentrating
on the transition towards sustainable energy
production and consumption.
Objectives
 Our
primary objectives will be to:
1.
Reduce the annual energy bill to 0
2. Reduce GHG emissions
3. Conserve water
4. Reduce heat loss
5. Use minimal new resources
6. Produce minimal waste (reuse and recycle)
7. Improve the health of the interior environment
and air quality
8. Be replicable
9. Achieve LEED® Certification
10. Provide education/outreach in the community
Extensive
documentation will follow the retrofit and continuous
monitoring of the site will allow those with
an interest in sustainable living to observe
the tangible benefits and environmental spin-offs
that have resulted. It is expected that the
Durham Eco-House will act as a catalyst for
community change at the grassroots level as
citizens become aware of the possibilities of
a reduced and potentially zero carbon footprint.
Visitors
to Durham Eco-House will have an opportunity
to see first-hand the extensive environmental
changes made to the home. Displays around the
house will explain how a particular system works
and lay out the costs and investment returns
to an average consumer. Visitors to the house
would leave with a cursory understanding of
the options available to them and an example
of their success; ready to make changes in their
own homes.
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