Home No. 3:
SuStainable Suburban
Tara-Lynn BlumPrybylski and her
urban cultivator
Tara-Lynn Blum-Prybylski peppers the
conversation with words like “simple”
and “easy” when talking about the
advanced solar “power plant” on the
roof of her house, veggies growing in
her kitchen, and her cold climate airsource heat pump. The 2,400-squarefoot home she shares with her husband
Alex Blum and their two children
was based off a model home designed
by Landmark Homes in Creekwood
Chapelle, a new subdivision built by
Sherrick Developments.
The couple achieved net zero by
upgrading the base model with a
13.7-kW solar panel system and other
energy-saving solutions. For them,
these outside-of-the-box upgrades
are part of a long-term commitment.
And as she notes, their particular
combination, with its eco-friendly
features, is available to anyone:
“These aren’t just upgrades—they
should be viewed as investments.”
URBAN CULTIVATOR
In addition to energy star appliances,
which have the highest efficiency rating in
Canada, Blum-Prybylski installed an Urban
Cultivator, transforming her kitchen island
into a year-round organic garden. “It is
so easy,” she says. “You plumb it in like a
dishwasher with water and electrical. If you
know how to do a little bit of programming,
the seeds will do the rest—the system
waters itself, lights itself, drains itself and
aerates itself.” sunflower sprouts, basil and
zucchini are some of her top crops.
HEAT PUMP
Suburban abode or efficiency
powerhouse?
A cold climate air-source heat pump,
like the one in the Blum-Prybylski
household, heats and cools a
structure. The pump compensates for
cold weather with a dual-loop feature:
When temps outside hit –15 C, the
second loop kicks in to provide extra
heat. The home’s hot water is also
warmed with an electric heat pump—
and both pumps are powered by the
rooftop solar panels—no gas required.
AMA InsIder
FALL 2016
57