Eco-houses and the environment: A case study of occupant experiences in a cold climate

• We present findings from a survey of residents of eco-houses in Edmonton, Canada.
• Eco-house residents were generally satisfied with pre-occupancy support.
• Eco-dwellings were not considered to be substantially riskier or costlier.
• Residents were satisfied with the post-occupancy performance of their dwellings.
• Residents generally increased practices that are energy-reducing and eco-friendly.

In many markets where few eco-houses have been built, potential purchasers have little locally-relevant information regarding these types of dwellings. To address this information gap for cold climate markets, we report on the results of a recent survey of occupants of eco-house units in and around Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Participating households included those fully involved in the design, choice of technologies, and construction of their homes, and others who purchased an already completed dwelling. Survey findings reveal general satisfaction both with pre-occupancy support received from specialist contractors, municipal government, and neighbors, and with post-occupancy dwelling performance. Perhaps surprisingly, survey participants did not generally consider their decision to acquire an eco-dwelling to be more risky than selecting a conventional dwelling equipped with more familiar technologies. Although the purchase price was somewhat higher than for a conventional dwelling, few considered it to be substantially more expensive. Pre- and post-occupancy behavior comparisons mainly show an increased uptake of practices that are energy-reducing and eco-friendly. However, in some instances behaviors switched in the opposite direction, possibly due to the awareness of households that they were using more environmentally friendly energy sources. None had yet achieved net zero energy performance from their homes.