An Airdrie-based company is building homes out of compressed hemp chip blocks, a sustainable building material that holds huge potential for reducing carbon footprint and emissions.

A green revolution is underway as more Calgarians seek to reduce their carbon footprint with increasingly energy-efficient homes

No one can accuse Chris Stevenson of being all talk and no action when it comes to living green. The 51-year-old Calgarian is walking the walk when it comes to reducing his carbon footprint.

So much so he built his own net-zero home – that is, one that generates as much energy from renewables, such as solar panels, as it consumes.

"I like to do things right, and I'm cheap: I didn't want to be paying a lot for utilities," joked Stevenson, who, until recently, made a living investing in real estate.

How Calgary is contributing to low-carbon living

It's a number so big, it's hard to comprehend: $17 trillion US.

According to the New Climate Economy report released by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, that's how much cities worldwide could realize in direct energy savings by 2050 by investing in low-carbon technologies. This includes public transportation, efficiency in building design and waste management.

Is such a target obtainable?

In 2014, the City of Calgary spent $140 million on energy, just for its own facilities, "to keep our pools warm, our street lights on and our LRTs moving," said Arsheel Hirji, leader of sustainable infrastructure with the City.

'Net-positive' home provides more energy than it uses

When talking about giving back, many people think of volunteer work or assisting in the community. For one Calgary household, however, it means something entirely different.

Situated in the southeast community of Ramsay, Cornelis Koster's home is giving back in the form of energy. Billed as Canada's first net-positive home, it uses several forms of green-friendly technology to not only provide its own heat and power, but also creates a slight excess of electricity.

"We have a 5.5-kilowatt system powering the suite, garage and the house plus we have a surplus," said Koster, who also serves as president of Ironcor Solar.
According to Koster, construction on the project took 17 weeks and came in at a cost of $220,000.