Drake Landing Solar Community: Okotoks Vision. Integrity.

Welcome to Drake Landing Solar Community.  

photo: aerial viewThe Drake Landing Solar Community (DLSC) is a master planned neighbourhood in the Town of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada that has successfully integrated Canadian energy efficient technologies with a renewable, unlimited energy source - the sun.

The first of its kind in North America, DLSC is heated by a district system designed to store abundant solar energy underground during the summer months and distribute the energy to each home for space heating needs during winter months.

The system is unprecedented in the World, fulfilling ninety percent of each home’s space heating requirements from solar energy and resulting in less dependency on limited fossil fuels.

The Government of Canada and its Canadian industry partners are proud to showcase Canadian solar thermal and energy efficient technologies in this one-of-a-kind community.

Project Status

  • Solar energy began to flow into the borehole thermal energy storage system as of sunrise on June 21, 2007 - the summer solstice.
  • Early performance results indicate that the solar energy system is performing as expected and that the 90% solar fraction will be achieved by year five.
  • The final construction of the 52 homes was complete in August, 2007. There are 51 homes currently occupied with the last scheduled for October.
  • The Grand Opening was held on September 13th and was well received by a distinguished audience. Representatives from many of the project partners spoke at the event; they included the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources Canada; Simon Knight, on behalf of the Government of Alberta and Climate Change Central; Bill McAlpine, Mayor of Okotoks; Bill Bobyk, Sterling Homes; Brendan Dolan, ATCO Gas; Ken Lesniak, Federation of Canadian Municipalities; and Vicky Sharpe, Sustainable Development Technology Canada. For further details, please refer to the Press Release.

DLSC Highlights

  • The largest subdivision of R-2000 single family homes in Canada, each 30% more efficient than conventionally built homes.
  • A first in the world, 90% of residential space heating needs will be met by solar thermal energy.
  • A reduction of approximately 5 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per home per year.