SAH-Lanark County Pilot Project Sinkhouse – 2 Unit Net Zero Affordable Mobile Tiny Homes
Type of initiative
FCM Green Municipal Fund - SAH
Sector
Energy
Project value$586,571
Project Type
Pilot Project
Sub Sector
Building – New – with Renewable energy
Grant amount$469,250
Program type
GMF
Municipality
County of Lanark, ON
Status
In Progress
Population
0
Project timeline
2022 -
Project number
18359
Description
Lanark County Housing Corporation (LCHC) is the largest provider of affordable housing in Lanark County, with locations in Carleton Place, Mississippi Mills, Perth and Smiths Falls. LCHC provides 517 homes to approximately 1000 tenants. LCHC will pilot a tiny homes solution in collaboration with Loerchner Holdings Inc (Cabinspace). The initiative, called Project Sinkhouse, involves the development of two manufactured and mobile net-zero tiny homes, an initiative for people experiencing homelessness.
Project Sinkhouse will be located at 20 Robinson Street, Perth, ON. These units will be rented at a Rent-geared-to-income (RGI). This project will exceed Net Zero requirements with a TEUI of 0 kwh/m2 and achieve net negative GHG through solar photovoltaic (PV), solar water heating, passive solar heating, and wind turbines. Two wind turbines will support each unit. These wind turbines are a small form factor wind turbine intended to supplement the solar power system. The wind turbines will be placed on or near the unit in an optimal fashion. Given their small format they do not create noise pollutions or disruptions. The solar panels will be ground mounted for optimal efficiency. The energy usage and storage will be monitored via solar equipment included in the solar array. The solar panels will be ground mounted for optimal efficiency. The energy usage and storage will be monitored via solar equipment included in the solar array.
Project Sinkhouse will consider the full carbon life cycle of the materials used in this project by choosing high-quality carbon sequestering, recyclable materials (e.g., wood framing, newer spray foam insulations, wood fibre continuous insulations, cellulose blow insulation, interior and exterior cladding and cork flooring) that will be used throughout the project. These materials will provide durability with exterior products having a 20-to-50-year minimum lifespan and will be decommissioned in a way that will optimize their reuse and recyclability to divert the project’s construction waste from going to landfills. Additionally, the chosen wood interior finishes provide for easy refinishing and repair without creating landfill. The project will also include a green roof constructed with carefully selected materials such as a recycled membrane to reduce its carbon footprint. LCHC will also conduct a tenant satisfaction survey to collect data for the purpose of analyzing and better understanding the needs for affordable housing within the County.
Innovative aspect(s):
- This will be the first SAH project utilizing wind turbines. Unlike large format wind turbines, these small and light wind turbines do not create noise pollution or disruption.
- Using materials that have less embodied carbon to build the units with features such as wood fibre continuous insulations, cellulose blow insulation and a green roof.
- Combination of multiple renewable energy sources such as solar water heater, passive solar heating, PV and wind turbines.
Replicability:
There is an incredibly high demand for affordable housing units in Perth and across the County with current waitlists of over 5 years for RGI Housing. This current site could hold 2 more units that LCHC can add in the future. LCHC owns numerous locations across the County that could accommodate similar NZE tiny home addition.
Affordability:
Expected rental revenue per unit is set at $109 per month which translates to 12.9% of the MMR (Carleton Place). Should revenue be generated it will be saved for future capital repair on the project. LCHC will be able to add these two units to its portfolio with minimum operating costs.
Eligibility: This application is eligible because it aims to achieve or exceed the following objectives:
Applicants must be municipal governments, municipally owned corporations, or non-profit housing providers
- 30% of the units must be below 80% of the MMR in order to be considered “affordable”
- New-build projects must aim for NZE or NZER to be eligible, with a maximum net-Total Energy Use Intensity (TEUI) of 80 kWh/m2
(Project description from original funding application)
Applicant
Lanark County Housing Corporation, ON