In order to reach targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050, the buildings, neighbourhoods and cities of tomorrow must be conceived today. Researchers at Concordia University in Montreal are taking a leading role in strategizing a net-zero future where communities are resilient — able to use available resources to withstand adverse situations — and energy is renewable.

Andreas Athienitis is the director of Concordia’s Centre for Zero Energy Building Studies, Nserc/hydro-québec Industrial Chair and Concordia University Research Chair. He is co-chair for the Canadian Academy of Engineering Roadmap to Resilient, Ultralow

Energy Built Environment with Deep Integration of Renewables in 2050: a document that will guide businesses and governments in Canada on how to develop smart, sustainable communities.

Athienitis also walks the walk; he owns a plug-in hybrid car, and has roof-integrated solar panels and a geothermal heat pump system on his award-winning home.

“When you get a small solar system, an electric car, a heat pump — you see synergistic benefits and can assist the electricity grid as well with dynamic electricity prices; it’s a win-win for the grid and the customers,” Athienitis said. “It will become more commonplace in the next five years.”

He worked on a project that confirms some seemingly faroff innovations have already arrived, including Varennes Library, Canada’s first institutional solar net-zero energy building. It produces approximately as much energy as it consumes in an average year.

Athienitis guided the design of the library, which was inaugurated in 2015 in the South Shore, and is now looking at optimizing how building operations interact with established electric grid infrastructure. An important part of reaching net-zero goes beyond merely installing solar photovoltaic panels or geothermal heat pumps for heating and cooling — after that, energy consumption must be made as efficient as possible, usually through automation.

“I think the library is ahead of its time, but there’s already the possibility of buildings that not only generate their own energy, but energy for surrounding buildings, too,” said Athienitis. “We can design entire communities where some buildings could provide support to the electricity grid in times of emergency and help reduce and shift peak electricity demand when the grid needs it.”

A good example of how a community based on renewable energy can also be a resilient one is this: had buildings such as the Varennes Library existed during the ice storm of 1998, fewer people would have been left in the dark.

Concordia’s growing leadership in cities research was magnified last June when physicist Ursula Eicker was named Concordia’s Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities. With $10 million in federal funding, Eicker and a group of five young professors formed an interdisciplinary team for Next Generation Cities.

“Our goal is ‘How can we get to net-zero — and not just individual buildings, but entire districts or cities?’ ” said Eicker.

A key strategy is to join forces with a cluster of more than 70 cities researchers at Concordia and build upon the progress that’s already been made.

A nearby project, led by Athienitis, is one such example: the John Molson School of Business building has been outfitted with a photovoltaic/ thermal panel on its south-facing side. The 288 square-meter solar system generates solar electricity and heat. The aim is to expand upon this concept and potentially construct a full net-zero community.

“If well-integrated, the visual impact of solar panels will be quite minimal,” Eicker said. “Where you’ll notice positive change is on the inside; buildings built to a higher energy standard will be more comfortable, and they’ll be cheaper to heat. Also, you won’t feel as cold when you sit up against a window.”

She added: “If cities start to significantly shift away from individual car transport to public transport, cars, bikes, and walking, it could change city layouts much more significantly. Streets could be narrowed, leaving room for green spaces, shops and sidewalk activities. That would be the most visible and pleasant change.”

It will take a combination of motivation and strong policy to ensure this work on guiding cities into the future comes to fruition. Conceiving a truly energy-efficient city isn’t just about crunching numbers, Eicker said.

While still in its early days, the Next Generation Cities team is looking to connect with major players in the city to work on exciting community projects.

“We’re having a lot of discussions with companies and decision-makers in Montreal and the surrounding communities to develop good pilot projects with an integrated approach,” Eicker said. “We’re looking at ambitious case studies with the aim to go as close to zero-carbon as we possibly can.”