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Jan 27, 2025

Qualico Communities Edmonton introduces completely hydrogen-heated showhome

Edmonton, AB – Qualico Communities, in partnership with ATCO, is leading the way in harnessing the potential of hydrogen-heated homes in Edmonton. With the completion of HomeOne in 2024 – an innovative showhome heated entirely by hydrogen – Qualico is opening new horizons towards a low-carbon future.

Located in Sherwood Park’s Summerwood community, HomeOne is North America’s first hydrogen-heated home and serves as a proof of concept that demonstrates the potential of hydrogen as a safe, environmentally sustainable energy source. It is a model of the hydrogen-heated homes planned for Qualico's 100% hydrogen-heated community in Bremner, pending final approval from the Government of Alberta.

“With HomeOne, we're taking a step in the right direction towards cleaner, more sustainable living,” said Brad Armstrong, Vice-President, Qualico Communities Edmonton. “As we work on Bremner, our hydrogen-heated community, we're excited about normalizing the use of clean energy in everyday life.”

The community of Bremner is a continuous expansion of Sherwood Park located east of Edmonton. The plan includes 261 lots in the initial three stages of development in the area with an anticipated 80,000 future residents.

Marking an important step in achieving large-scale, sustainable communities, the project was supported by several Qualico business units, including Sterling Homes (construction), designQ (interior design), and Star Mechanical (installation of combination furnace/boiler system).

Sherri Stace, Vice-President, Sterling Homes Edmonton said, that Sterling Homes was honoured to be a part of this project as the business unit is committed to leading the way in building innovation and sustainability.

“We recognize that the future of home energy lies in sustainable and environmentally responsible solutions,” said Sherri. “By participating in this initiative, we are proud to contribute to the advancement of hydrogen as a viable energy source with the hope that hydrogen-heated communities will become a widespread reality in the near future.”

Video of HomeOne interior

Sustainable features in the display home include:

  • Energy-efficient appliances throughout
  • Triple pane windows with argon coating
  • R-20 rated frost walls for enhanced insulation
  • HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) and redundant heat source with FUJITSU-12 RLFCD heat pump and DH (Domestic Hot Water) storage tank
  • LifeBreath RNC 205 w/ DXLP02 Heat Recovery Ventilator
  • Mitsubishi Electric Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump

Educational display in the basement of HomeOne

The basement of HomeOne currently serves as an educational display that can be repurposed as the future Bremner sales centre.

According to Brad, using pure hydrogen for home heating and hot water is the quickest, safest, and most affordable way for future new homeowners to achieve low-carbon living. While hydrogen has similar risks to natural gas, technology allows it to be used safely. However, since hydrogen doesn’t contain carbon dioxide, there is no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning with its use.

“Once hydrogen-heated homes become more mainstream, we anticipate that the use of this renewable energy source will lead to lower operating costs for homeowners, in terms of heating and energy consumption,” said Sherri. “Furthermore, homeowners will have the added benefit of supporting an environmentally sustainable energy model, positioning their homes as part of a forward-thinking, eco-friendly community.”

In addition, expanding Alberta’s hydrogen economy is expected to lead to more jobs in hydrogen production, which would require minimal additional training for current oil and gas workers looking to expand their careers in the energy industry.

"Such a redefinition of Alberta's energy landscape not only signifies industry growth, but also an exceptional opportunity for our oil and gas professionals,” said Reanna Rehman, Senior Project Manager, Qualico Communities Edmonton. “Pivoting towards hydrogen production will attract innovations and open an exciting, and diverse chapter.”

Through innovative design, collaboration, and long-term vision, HomeOne exemplifies Qualico’s commitment to helping build better cities and its dedication to innovative energy solutions and economic growth within Alberta.

The legislative amendments required to move forward with hydrogen-heated communities is anticipated to be in place during Alberta’s spring legislative session, Brad added. Should the proposed legislation not be passed into law, Qualico Communities Edmonton will proceed with servicing the community of Bremner with natural gas.

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