The votes are in and it’s official: the Ontario Power Authority-sponsored Team North has created one of the most liveable, energy-efficient, solar-powered homes in the world. After two weeks competing on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and more than a year in development, their North House entry has placed fourth in the Solar Decathlon.

“We didn’t have a building in July and now we’re fourth  in the world.  It’s fantastic!” said Maun Demchenko from Team North. “It shows that Canada is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to new technologies and the talents of our university students.”

The OPA’s Technology Development Fund has been a proud supporter of Team North and North House, which was approved a grant of $125,000 in 2009 for the rigorous product testing, monitoring and research they have put into the development of North House. And we are ecstatic that their dedication and hard work has paid off with world-class success.

Driving Change with Northern Design

It’s like the Olympics of Sustainable Living. Right now, in Washington D.C., 20 teams from around the world are competing in the Solar Decathlon. And Ontarians have a reason to be proud because Team North is on the National Mall, constructing what may be the world’s most liveable, and energy-efficient house.

Team North is made up of students and faculty from the University of Waterloo, Ryerson University in Toronto, as well as Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. They are some of Canada’s best and brightest minds in the fields of sustainable engineering, business and design.

The Ontario Power Authority is proud to be supporting this talented and determined group from our Technology Development Fund, a grant program designed to assist innovative energy technologies that will improve the supply and conservation of electricity.

“The real ambition of the project is to innovate and drive change within the design of new residential prototypes in North America,” said Geoffrey Thun, the faculty lead on the project. “The systems we’re using on North House are all electrical based and our entire energy production is solar.”

North House is a perfect example of what can be accomplished when you give sustainable energy engineers the time, money and support they need to push the boundaries of what is currently possible.

Based on the average lighting conditions of Southern Ontario, North House will produce twice as much energy as it consumes. And it’s designed to be modular. This means the key components of the house, like the electrical and plumbing systems, can be snapped together like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

The implications for the future of sustainable living are huge. Prof. Thun and the North House team imagine a world where whole communities of North Houses can be custom designed, built on demand and shipped to location on flatbed trucks.

The Power Authority’s vision is to lead Ontario in the development of North America’s most reliable, cost-effective and sustainable electricity system. That’s why we’re so pleased to have partnered with Team North in their quest to win the Solar Decathlon in Washington later in October. Win or lose, they will make a massive contribution to the future of sustainable living.

The Solar Decathlon is just the beginning for North House. After the competition it will be shipped to Vancouver to be displayed during the 2010 Winter Olympics. When that event ends, it will become a real-world sustainable design lab. It’s designed so that the systems can be swapped out for more advanced technologies as they are developed and available.

North House will continue to have a life long after the winner of the Solar Decathlon is announced on Oct. 16.