Near-Zero Buildings Research Program
Turning real-world data into emissions reduction solutions
Program launching in January 2026
Please email us at nearzero@albertaecotrust.com to express early interest or ask questions about the program.
Program overview
The Alberta Ecotrust Near-Zero Buildings Research Program aims to reduce emissions by turning real data from near-zero buildings into insights that can be applied throughout Alberta.
The program works with designers, builders, consultants, contractors, developers and homebuilders of residential buildings to gather and purchase Alberta-based data from near-zero projects.
The data gathered from the program will provide an accurate picture of current emissions in Alberta buildings and identify the steps to reduce them. These insights will be shared with the industry to scale practical emissions-reduction strategies across the province.
What is a near-zero building?
Near-zero refers to a highly energy-efficient building that generates minimal emissions from its operations and materials, and may use renewable energy.
The program is delivered through three research streams:
Operational emissions
Embodied emissions
Combined heat pump and natural gas heating systems
Program streams
Stream 1: Operational emissions
This stream collects data from new residential projects, in the design or construction phase, that are pursuing near-zero operational emissions.
It aims to improve industry understanding of design strategies, construction requirements and the real-world costs of achieving high-performance homes.
This stream pays between $15,000 - $25,000 for data from eligible projects.
Stream 2: Embodied emissions
This stream collects data from new residential projects in the design or construction phase that use low-carbon materials.
It aims to establish Alberta’s baseline for embodied carbon, which is the emissions associated with the extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction, replacement, and disposal of building materials. It will identify practical material substitutions, assess cost implications, and learn about and highlight barriers and training needs for the broader adoption of low-embodied-carbon construction.
This stream pays up to $10,000 for data from eligible projects.
Stream 3: Combined heat pump and natural gas heating systems
This stream collects data from planned or recently completed residential projects that install combined cold-climate heat pump and natural gas heating systems.
It aims to better understand their real-world performance and emissions impacts, contractor practices, installation requirements, system sizing, electrical needs and controls, and track energy performance to establish an Alberta-specific baseline for hybrid heating systems.
This stream pays up to $8,000 for data from eligible projects.
Application timeline
Applications for all program streams will be accepted twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer.
The winter application timeline is:
- 1
Late January 2026
Application portal opens
- 2
Late February 2026
Application screening and shortlisting
- 3
Spring 2026
Decision-making and required document submissions
Program learnings
We will share program insights with the building industry to scale practical emissions-reduction strategies across the province. They will be shared through our Emissions-Neutral Buildings Information Exchange (ENBIX) initiative's resource library as case studies, reports, presentations and blog posts.
Learn more about ENBIX
Thank you to our funders
