International Energy Agency rewards Drake Landing Solar Community for solar thermal heating, storage

Photo above is of Drake Landing Solar Community, providing solar thermal energy for 52 homes, in Winter 2010. In 2012, the community covered nearly 100% of its space heating needs with solar energy. The Drake Landing Solar Community (Okotoks, Alberta, Canada) received the prestigious 2013 International Energy Agency (IEA) Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC) Programme Solar Award on September 25th, 2013.The prize honours significant achievements in solar thermal market development and reductions in market barriers. ATCO Gas and Sterling Homes (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), which operates record setting solar heating and storage system for the community, accepted the award on behalf of the partners, including the Town of Okotoks and United Communities. Completed in 2007, Drake Landing Solar Community (DLSC) is the first implementation of the so called “seasonal solar thermal energy storage” in North America, by which solar thermal energy is collected in the summer, stored underground, and then is returned to 52 single-detached homes as heat during the winter.

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