Net-zero community 'EVE Park' welcoming first residents in London, Ont.

Jay and Allison Handleman took possession of their new home in EVE Park just before the holidays.

“It was actually about a two-year wait, and when we took possession it was really exciting. Actually, there's a webcam that's on the whole site and we had relatives across the country watching us and we waved to the webcam as we went into our new place.”

That excitement was rejuvenating for S2E CEO Milfred Hammerbacher, especially after delays caused by the pandemic.

“I was lucky enough to be here when one of the first couples moved in and they were all excited and, wow, we're building somebody's home,” said Hammerbacher.

Phase 1 construction is nearly complete, including the vertical parking storage, which will accommodate 14 cars in the footprint of roughly two parking spaces. This is the first such structure built in Canada, according to Hammerbacher

“They're simple, easy to maintain, so we opted that. But then our team added the ability to charge [electric vehicles] on top of that. So that's the unique IP that we added to that parking tower,” he said.

The homes use various technologies to limit their carbon footprint, including a heat pump system that has been tested this week with frigid temperatures.

“This past week, of course, has been really cold. We've never lived in a place with a heat pump before and our place has been perfectly warm,” said Handleman.

There are still a few things to complete in Phase 1 of the development, but both will have to wait until the temperatures warm.

Solar panels will be installed in the spring, along with landscaping.

“We're going to have a little apple orchard out here too,” said Hammerbacher.

Phase 1 includes over 80 residences and plans for Phase 2 are already taking shape.