The $7 million project was designed to
meet 90 percent of each home’s heating
needs when the community opened in
2007, resul ting in less foss i l fuel
dependency. It achieved 98 percent heating
efficiency in 2012 and was recognized with
the International Energy Agency’s 2013
SolarAward.
Previously, it earned the Energy Globe
Foundation’s overall world award in2011.
The overall sustainability efforts, Smith
said, are the product of a community-wide
mindset.
“It’s a combination of a very supportive
town council – there was a direction early
on to move that way, to be a leader in
sustainability,” she said. “Also, we’ve always
had a very extensive education program. For
the last decade we’ve had conservation
educators going door to door, educating our
residents.
“Our residents self-police. It’s engrained in
the community and a lot of people actually
move to Okotoks be cause of the
sustainability principles. It’s a combination
of willing leadership andmaybe being a little
smaller community. Our size has allowed us
todo it.”
July-August 2014
| BusinessWorld | 49
