“There’s lot of work to do. It’s going to be a
very busy time,” she said. “But we’re looking
forward to it.”
Among the crown jewels of Smith’s
sustainability cause is the Drake Landing
Solar Community, a master-planned
Okotoks neighborhood that’s heated by a
district system designed to store solar
energ y underground during summer
months and distribute it to 52 homes for
space heating in thewinter.
The $7 million project was conceived by
Na t u r a l R e s ou r c e s Ca na d a , a nd
accomplished through partnerships with
companies sought out because of long-
standing reputations as innovative and
environmentally conscious operators in
their respective industries. Ground was
broken in 2005 and homes sold for an
average of $380,000.
Homeowners are billed an average of $60
for heat permonth.
July-August 2014
| BusinessWorld | 45
