Making Markham neighbourhood more sustainable

Plans to energize the first-of-its-kind, net-zero neighbourhood in Canada are underway.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) will invest $8.7 million to support the development of a geothermal energy system to heat and cool 312 homes in the Berczy Glen neighbourhood in Markham.

The innovative design harnesses the natural heat from below the surface of the earth to warm homes in the winter and cool them in the summer through an ambient loop system which shares energy throughout the community. Geothermal boreholes are buried and interconnected through a loop beneath the road and a single pipe is connected to each house, like an electrical grid, that provides less greenhouse gas emissions.

“Energy efficiency means cost savings for Canadians. At a time when we are facing challenges with affordability and climate change, this partnership between Enwave Energy, the City of Markham and Mattamy Homes will meet Canadians where they are at and deliver the action they need for better housing and more affordable clean home energy,” says Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson.

“We look forward to the potential to scale this new low-carbon model in communities across Canada as we progress toward net-zero emissions,” says Carlyle Coutinho, CEO Enwave Energy Corporation.

FCM’s Green Municipal Fund provides funding and education to municipalities to help them both reach net-zero and build resilient communities, while also delivering economic and social benefits such as jobs, housing and infrastructure. Since inception in 2000, it has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.87 million tonnes.