MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - May 7, 2010) - EcoCité Developments, a Montréal based eco-development and consulting firm, today announced the completion of Abondance Montréal: le Soleil, designed to be Canada's first 100% solar condominium building. The award winning, net-zero energy, three-unit project includes Quebec's largest residential solar array. After significant research, EcoCité developed an innovative and cost-sensitive approach that incorporates only off-the-shelf eco-technologies and products. Le Soleil proves that healthy, comfortable homes with minimal energy costs can already be the mainstream reality for new construction in Canada's cities.

 "We've created apartments where people will never pay for energy use and we didn't use unproven or experimental techniques. While everything used in le Soleil is readily available, we worked hard to find the most innovative ways to assemble these approaches and technologies into one building," says Christopher Sweetnam Holmes, EcoCité founder and le Soleil conceptor. "We look forward to sharing the lessons of this project so that others can accomplish similar, affordable results."

While Le Soleil's Montréal-style EcoCondos® may look typical, the units incorporate an array of green building practices, including certified sustainable wood products, low VOC finishes, solar hot water and geothermal heating. According to sophisticated computer modeling, the triplex itself needs just 20% of the energy required by equivalent homes and the building's sixty solar electric panels will produce all the 14,500-kilowatt hours of electricity each year needed to power the building. Energy efficient appliances, triple glazed windows, and a high-degree of insulation (R-45 walls and R-70 roof) reduce air leakage to a minimum and save energy. In fact, on many cool days the building itself is so well insulated that body heat from the building's inhabitants and the lighting is enough to keep the building warm.

EcoCité's commitment to green building extends beyond the walls of le Soleil. More than 90% of the building's materials and technologies are locally sourced from Quebec. Additionally, the design of the building includes ample sunlight and fresh air circulation to promote well-being. The le Soleil site was chosen specifically to have close Metro access and a park next door. Le Soleil and the neighboring 17-unit project la Terre, now under construction, will share a common garden space. Of the 20 units in le Soleil and la Terre, sixteen have sold.

Abondance Montréal: le Soleil Grand Opening Events 

During the weekend of May 8^th and 9^th, EcoCité will celebrate the power of green buildings by giving free public workshops and tours. The events include free eco-renovation and home advice from the "Ask the Eco-Experts" panel, "Rebel Solar: Making Low-Cost Solar Happen, Anywhere" and a special "Solar Kids" tour and green energy demonstration. Additionally, EcoCité and CMHC will be offering public tours of the building twice a month until July 2010. 

Le Soleil Grand Opening Public Events:

All events are located at 3470 blvd LaSalle, Verdun QC, 2 blocks from Metro LaSalle

*Contact abondance@ecocite.ca to reserve an individual consultation. For more information and full schedule please visit www.ecocite.ca.

About Abondance Montréal: le Soleil

The le Soleil project began in 2007 when EcoCité and their team of experts were announced as one of the winning designs in Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) national EQuilibrium™ Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. The project also won both the "Closest to Net Zero Production Builder of the Year" award by the Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition (NZEH) and the "Léonard" award in the mechanical electrical design category at the Grands Prix du génie-conseil québécois. Le Soleil is expected to receive a LEED Platinum rating from the Canada Green Building Council. Financial support from the Agence de l'efficacité énergétique du Québec (AEE), Hydro Quebec—PISTE program, CMHC and a number of generous suppliers and partners, helped to realize the project. 

About EcoCité Developments

Founded in 2002 by Christopher Sweetnam Holmes, EcoCité has been at the forefront of cutting edge green residential development. EcoCité specializes in consulting for the construction and development industries, as well as individual property owners. EcoCité's prototype EcoCondo® project, "Habitat 1," is among Canada's first green condominiums and uses eighty percent less energy than the Model National Energy Building Code. Abondance Montréal: le Soleil features a high performance building envelope using only spray polyurethane insulation for thermal, air and vapour barriers. The 17-unit Abondance Montréal: la Terre development is currently under construction. For more information, contact EcoCité at 514-562-8122, info@ecocite.ca or www.ecocite.ca.