
There is some fascinating news for those in Ottawa – the most significant zero-carbon development is coming to the city!
Zero carbon development is coming to Ottawa! The city has just announced the winning bid for the biggest, most sustainable development project in its history. This new community will be a model for sustainable living, and it’s expected to set a new standard for eco-friendly construction and design. The development will be completely carbon-neutral, meaning that it will produce no net emissions of greenhouse gases. All of the energy used in the community will come from renewable sources, and the buildings will be constructed using green materials and energy-efficient technologies. It is excellent news for Ottawa and the rest of the world. Sustainable communities like this are crucial if we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change.
The project was scheduled to break ground in 2020, and it will be completed in phases over the next several years. Once it’s finished, it will be home to more than 5,000 people.
Everybody’s looking forward to seeing this project come to fruition. It will be a real game-changer, and we hope it inspires other cities to follow suit.
What Is Zero-Carbon Development?
A zero-carbon development is a community or neighborhood that produces no net emissions of greenhouse gases. It can be done through various methods, including renewable energy sources, energy-efficient buildings, and green transportation options. Zero carbon developments are significant because they help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and combat climate change. They also promote sustainable living practices and help to create more environmentally-friendly communities. There are several ways to make a development carbon-neutral. One standard method is to use renewable energy sources like solar power or wind turbines. Another is to use energy-efficient building materials and technologies, like insulation and LED lighting. Finally, you can promote green transportation options, like walking or biking, and reduce the use of cars.
Zero carbon developments can take many different forms, from small villages to large metropolitan areas. The important thing is that they all work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable living practices.

Benefits of Zero-Carbon Development:
There are several benefits to living in a zero-carbon development. Some of the most important ones are:
- Reduced dependence on fossil fuels
- Combat climate change
- Promote sustainable living practices
- Create more environmentally-friendly communities
Zero carbon developments are an essential step towards creating a more sustainable future. By reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and promoting green living practices, we can help slow down climate change and make our world a more livable place. It is just the beginning – we need to continue to build zero carbon developments across the globe if we want to make a real difference in the fight against climate change. Let’s work together to create a brighter, more sustainable future for all.
Recent Updates on Zero-Carbon Development in Ottawa:
- A representation of a future-oriented community in Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats will be the country’s most significant residential zero-carbon development. The project will include a large number of new affordable housing units and modern heating, cooling, and solar power systems.
- An integrated, future-oriented community will soon be built on a 1.1-hectare block of land in LeBreton Flats, just west of downtown Ottawa. It will be Canada’s most significant residential zero-carbon development.
- The National Capital Commission (NCC) announced today that Dream LeBreton had been chosen as the successful proponent to construct the first phase of the Building LeBreton project in Ottawa, Ontario, in collaboration with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
- Dream LeBreton is a joint venture between Dream Asset Management Corporation (Dream Unlimited Corp. – TSX: DRM) and Dream Impact Master LP (Dream Impact Trust – TSX: MPCT.UN), as well as the Multifaith Housing Initiative. The design team is led by KPMB Architects and Perkins & Will, with help from Two Row Architect and Purpose Building, landscape architect PFS Studio, construction manager EllisDon, and Indigenous engagement consultant Innovation Seven.
- This landmark project, according to the Canada Green Building Council, will be the country’s most significant residential zero-carbon development. At the LeBreton Flats Library Parcel, Dream LeBreton will create an integrated community.

About the Zero Development Project
The development is being built on the Library Parcel, part of the Flats. It will be 30 and 35-story buildings with a four-story terraced pedestal and a shared underground parking garage. A total of 41% of the 601 rental housing units will be for low-income people. The two buildings will be located just steps from the Pimisi LRT station and will have a mix of unit types ranging from studio to three bedrooms and retail space for cafes, food stores, and health services.
Alternative energy sources, solar power generating equipment, and a bicycle maintenance shop will be part of the company. The first phase of a master plan that the NCC authorized in 2021. According to Robitaille, the development will have a sewer heat recovery system, which will tap into the sewer trunk line beneath the site as an energy source to fulfill all of the development’s heating, domestic hot water, and air conditioning demands.
Heat-recovery chillers and heat pumps connected to the City of Ottawa’s big sanitary sewers will be used as a source of healing energy and a sink for discharging heat for air-conditioning at a central plant within the development.
Heat recovery chillers will harvest and improve heat from the wastewater for heating. The system will reverse for cooling, rejecting heat from the buildings to the sewer trunk. The chillers ‘ efficiency is substantially improved because the sewage is warmer in the winter and colder in the summer than the air temperature. The overall electricity demand to meet the needs of building occupants is reduced.
As an extra source of renewable energy, the development will incorporate a solar power system that uses photovoltaic panels integrated into the façade of the residential buildings.
“The design maximizes solar availability by using Juliette balconies to reduce solar shade and the south orientation of the panels to increase solar availability,” Robitaille explains. The goal is to attain CaGBC Zero Carbon, One Planet Living, and LEED Gold certification for the development.

Key Facts about the Project
- The NCC will reinvest the $30 million sale profits in public benefits to promote the achievement of the LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan’s goal of a Capital destination and dynamic neighborhood.
- The Library Parcel is the first phase of the NCC’s LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan, which the Board of Directors authorized in 2021.
- The location is at 665 Albert Street, on the western outskirts of Ottawa’s central center, close to paths and the Pimisi O-Train station.
- The development is scheduled to break ground in 2020, and it will be completed in phases over the next several years. Once it’s finished, it will be home to more than 5,000 people. Everybody’s looking forward to seeing this project come to fruition. It will be a real game-changer, and we hope it inspires other cities to follow suit.
- The people behind this project are a team of architects, engineers, and planners from Perkins+Will. They have years of experience creating sustainable, zero-carbon developments worldwide.
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