In the mountain town of Canmore, Alberta, Parc is setting a new benchmark for sustainable apartment living. This innovative building slashes energy use by over 45 percent compared to standard apartments—making it one of the most efficient multi-unit residential constructions in Canada. Parc is expected to save enough energy to power about 18 average Canadian homes annually, while its low-carbon design will prevent 95 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. That’s equivalent to taking 21 cars off the road for good, a significant achievement considering nearly one-fifth of Canada’s emissions come from buildings.
For the people who will live at Parc, these innovations have tangible, everyday benefits: more stable indoor temperatures, cleaner air, quiet interiors, and lower monthly utility bills—advantages that will last for decades.
Making Efficiency Real
The design of Parc reveals that deep sustainability is neither hidden nor hypothetical. It uses a “whole-building” strategy: every system works together to maximize savings. Each apartment features a state-of-the-art water-source heat pump that uses a shared water loop, allowing for much higher efficiency in both heating and cooling than traditional gas-fired systems. Enhanced insulation, air-tight construction, and high-performance windows exceed building code standards by wide margins.
Inside each suite, energy recovery ventilators ensure fresh air circulates while capturing heat that would otherwise escape. Advanced LED fixtures drive lighting energy use down by 41 percent, and low-flow plumbing trims hot water needs by nearly a third. The design goes further with a rooftop solar array, generating renewable power that offsets building demand.
Canadian Context: Still the Exception
Parc’s performance stands out in a country where truly high-efficiency buildings are rare. Even among recently built apartments aiming for improved efficiency, projects achieving savings of 40 percent or more remain few and far between. Most construction still targets code minimums, and while retrofitting older buildings helps, typical energy savings from those efforts remain in the 20–25 percent range.
What sets Parc apart is the integration of multiple advanced measures—outstanding insulation and air sealing, innovative mechanical systems, renewable energy, and careful site management. This level of detail is still uncommon, especially in challenging climates like the Canadian Rockies.
Why These Results Matter
Canada’s national climate targets require a dramatic cut in emissions by 2030, with millions of new homes needed to meet population and affordability needs at the same time. Building to high-efficiency standards now is not only more cost-effective than trying to upgrade later, but also plays a pivotal role in meeting environmental goals.
Parc is proof that high-performance, low-carbon living is within reach—even in smaller communities and harsh climates. By combining proven technologies, integrated planning, and a commitment to environmental leadership, developments like this chart a clear path for others to follow as Canada’s building sector transitions toward a net-zero future.
