The Calgary Eco Solar Tour is shining a light on energy-efficient homes, offering homeowners the chance to learn from those who have built or renovated their properties to be eco-friendly. The tour, organized by the Eco Solar Home Tour Society of Alberta, takes place on June 20 and 21, featuring 15 homes in the Calgary area. This is the second leg of the 2026 edition, following a successful first part in Edmonton that showcased 16 eco-friendly sites.
Diverse Eco-Friendly Options on Display
Andrew Mills, president of the Eco Solar Tour Society, emphasized that the tour is not limited to net-zero homes or solar panels. It includes a wide range of green building and renovation techniques. Examples include a rammed earth home in Priddis and an urban homestead in Forest Heights with an intensive backyard vegetable garden.
The tour is free and self-guided, with seven sites open on June 20 and eight on June 21, from noon to 5 p.m. Four homes outside the city—in Balzac, Bragg Creek, Priddis, and Springbank—open earlier at 10 a.m.
Rammed Earth Home in Priddis
Laura and Ken Kleiner, who wanted to build a greener home after living in a 1960s house, will host visitors at their new rammed earth home in Priddis. The home features a pressure-treated wood basement, walls with R40 insulation, an R60 roof, and LiteZone windows with higher R-values than triple-pane windows. The couple is also planting fruit-bearing plants and a vegetable garden.
The home is built to Passive House standards, which combine passive influences like sunshine with high insulation and air tightness. Ken Kleiner, a researcher who previously worked for Climate Change Central, incorporated rammed earth for its thermal mass and temperature regulation. Laura noted that rammed earth is a centuries-old technique that, when insulated, offers high R-values.
Urban Homestead in Forest Heights
Site 15 in Forest Heights showcases an urban homestead with intensive vegetable gardening and other green features. This demonstrates that eco-friendly living can be achieved in city settings.
The tour aims to educate the public on the possibilities of energy-efficient homes, from rammed earth to net-zero designs, and inspire more sustainable living practices.
