Green Building Technologies
Founded in 2008, our Green Building Technologies (GBT) research division partners with industry to identify and develop environmentally friendly technologies, processes, programs, systems, and services that will fundamentally change how we build, educate and develop skilled labour.
Mission
- Partnering with industry in implementing green-building technologies
- Providing training and education in green-building technologies
- Advancing applied research and development towards the commercialization of green-building technologies
Service offerings
- Early-stage business development
- Design services
- Construction consultation services
- Fabrication, prototyping, and installation services
- Performance monitoring and management
- Testing services
- Education, seminars, and workshops
Research themes
- Net-zero energy
- Building integrated renewable energy
- Architectural ecology
- Smart building management
- Materials and advanced component assembly
Case study: Living Building Challenge
A house like no other is taking shape in the foothills of southern Alberta. One that produces more energy than it uses, captures water on site, and is anticipated to achieve full certification through the Living Building Challenge - the world's most rigorous green building rating system and sustainable design framework.
Our facilities
Green Building Technology Lab and Demonstration Centre
As an applied research facility, the Green Building Technology (GBT) Lab and Demonstration Centre provide hands-on training and industry-based experience.
Working with builders, government, regulatory bodies and numerous stakeholders, the GBT team brings new products and processes to the green building marketplace. Our on-campus research facilities are flexible, living laboratories.
Leading the industry in net-zero energy design and integrated renewable energy solutions
With learning opportunities at its core, GBT engages students and researchers from multiple disciplines across different contexts and projects.
GBT typically undertakes projects to connect consumers, industry and education to deliver residential and commercial building solutions.
The GBT research area offers a broad range of service lines, technical consultation and "R&D" resources, including building-integrated solar and water technologies and green materials fabrication, prototyping and product testing.
Facility highlights
The GBT Lab and Demonstration Centre is a 6,350-square-foot living and breathing example of energy efficiency, building-integrated green technologies and renewable energy solutions.
With additional square footage dedicated to specialized workshops, testing bays, storage and a large construction staging area, the entire facility totals over 16,800 square feet of research infrastructure.
Highlights include:
- Green roof test plots for water dispersion control and building energy monitoring
- Structural testing jigs for new building product performance measurement
- Guarded hot box for wall and roof system performance testing
- Lifecycle testing for wall, roof, cladding and building components
- Electrical, plumbing and carpentry workshops
- 5,800 square foot pre-manufactured construction and staging area
- Solar carport and electric vehicle charging bays
- Smart building monitoring and performance measurement
- Solar aquatic and constructed wetland bio-filtration
- Living wall comparative test plots
Tour our lab
Visit the Green Building Technology Lab and Demonstration Centre virtually!
If you would like an in-person tour, please send a request to applied.research@sait.ca.
Integrated Solar and Rainwater Harvesting Labs
Used primarily for research, training, and demonstration, the Solar Lab is home to industry-leading solar energy generation, storage, and use technology.
Powering the future of building-integrated renewables
SAIT designed and constructed the Solar Lab to demonstrate building-integrated renewable energy and to test new solar technologies.
The complementary rainwater harvesting component was created to design and test building-integrated water reclamation and water-filtration solutions.
The labs are housed in the same compound as the Green Building Technology Lab and Demonstration Centre and continue as two of the facility's flexible, living laboratories for research and development in the renewable energy industry.
Facility highlights
The labs feature fully operational solar photovoltaic (electricity) and solar thermal (heat systems), including rack-mounted and actuating solar panels that are directly integrated into the construction of the building.
The functional onsite harvesting, storage, and re-use systems utilize various Architectural Ecology (AE) technologies. These AE technologies include green roofs, rainwater collection methods, and numerous living walls that filter rainwater for greywater applications such as toilet flushing and irrigation.
The lab also includes green energy solutions and integrated mechanics for seasonal heat storage, battery storage, and energy grid configuration. The latest addition to the lab is a solar carport equipped with an electric-car charging station.
Solar Roller Mobile Lab
The Solar Roller Mobile Lab is used for research, training, education, and outreach events.
Generating power anywhere, anytime
The Solar Roller is a fully functional mobile trailer with solar power generation and off-the-grid telecommunications equipment.
Facility highlights
The mobile lab is a 14 x 8-foot cargo trailer conversion constructed by SAIT researchers, faculty, industry partners, and students.
A customized solar module racking system is built into the roof and holds moveable solar modules that sit at a 45-degree angle to capture optimal sunlight. The panels fold in and stack on top of each other for transport.
It features a battery-based solar system that captures and stores sun energy, a computer monitoring station, battery storage, and lab capabilities for experiential learning.
In addition to providing hands-on research and learning tools for students and industry partners, the Solar Roller is fully functional and doubles as a mobile, remote power source.
Partner with us
Our expert researchers, equipment, and facilities support business planning, product design and development, fabrication and prototyping, product testing, and technology verification, culminating in industry education and public outreach.
Submit a project inquiry