• Mattamy Homes taps into sunny Alberta's solar energy

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-16 15:00:03.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Housing, Energy, Environment, Climate]

  Mattamy Homes has integrated standard solar panel systems into more than 1,000 new single-family, duplex, and rear-lane townhomes across Alberta since June 2024, in partnership with trade partners SkyFire Energy and Zeno Renewables. The initiative has saved homeowners an estimated $460,000 annually in energy costs and reduced carbon emissions by approximately 3,200 tonnes per year. Standard offerings include an eight-panel system per home along with triple-pane windows, improved air tightness, and EnerGuide labelling. Additionally, Mattamy Homes has acquired 153 acres in southeast Calgary for the Belvedere community and partnered with Truman for a 253-acre master-planned community in Chestermere, expected to deliver roughly 1,900 homes with construction starting in summer 2028.

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• Councillor wants to bill developers for felled trees in new neighbourhoods

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-09-07 20:11:02.0
  Tags: [Municipal, Housing, Environment, Climate, Infrastructure]

  Edmonton City Councillor Michael Janz (Ward papastew) has put forward a municipal motion to charge developers a per-tree fee for clear-cutting forests and wetlands during the construction of new greenfield neighbourhoods. The policy aims to internalize the true environmental cost of urban sprawl, noting that a single mature tree absorbs roughly 21 kilograms of CO2 annually while offsetting the climate risks currently offloaded onto taxpayers. This motion coincides with a separate proposal by Mayor Andrew Knack regarding permit requirements for tree removal during infill developments, supported by committee findings that urban redevelopment generates 30 to 50 percent fewer emissions than outward expansion.

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