Who built Drake Landing and what buyers were promised
In early April 2005 Drake Landing was presented as a partnership of five organisations offering buyers an ordinary-looking house with a solar heating system behind it. Planners said more than 90 per cent of heating would come from the sun in a typical year.
Event date: 2005-04-03
Five partners, one neighbourhood
The Town of Okotoks, United Communities, ATCO Gas, Natural Resources Canada and Sterling Homes were named as participants. United Communities was the developer of the master-planned neighbourhood and Sterling Homes the builder. Natural Resources Canada brought the technology, and ATCO Gas looked after construction and operation of the system. The current roles are listed on the partners page.
Selling a house, not an experiment
The pitch to buyers was deliberately plain. The seasonal heat storage had been used abroad but, as described at the time, never with single-family homes in North America. The builders wanted the houses to feel like any others in the area, with traditional front elevations, green space and a thermostat each owner could set. Collectors would sit on garage and breezeway roofs, out of sight from the street.
Green features beyond the heating
The homes were to be R-2000 certified and Built Green Alberta Gold. Water use was addressed with low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads, xeriscaped yards, water meters and rain barrels. An average house was said to produce around six tonnes of greenhouse gas a year from heating, and these homes were expected to save about four tonnes each. Ground was to be broken soon, with show homes in July 2005.
Outcome
The first claim held up in practice. Measured solar heating reached 97 per cent by 2012 and 100 per cent in 2015-16, as set out in the overview of how it works. Decommissioning began in 2024, and the Town of Okotoks or ATCO can say what remains. The house designs themselves are shown on the homes page.
Quick answers
Who were the partners in Drake Landing?
The Town of Okotoks, United Communities, ATCO Gas, Natural Resources Canada and Sterling Homes took part in the project.
What green standards did the homes meet?
They were built to R-2000 and Built Green Alberta Gold standards and included water-saving fixtures, xeriscaping, water meters and rain barrels.