Summerside Eco-Park is on track to become Canada’s first certified industrial Passive House, setting a new national benchmark for sustainable design in commercial and manufacturing facilities, The Globe and Mail reported.

Located in Summerside, P.E.I, the two-storey, 17,000-square-foot facility—also known as Greenwood Zero—is being developed by the City of Summerside.

Stephen Quinn, a consultant with Peel Passive House, which specializes in Passive House certification and consultation, is advising the city on the project. Quinn, who is both a Passive House designer and certifier, Summerside’s Economic Director Mike Thusuka “really went out on a limb and took a risk” by spearheading the project.

“In a case like Summerside, the city’s main driver was innovation. They want to be at the forefront of energy efficient design,” he says. “That was the best news for us because you need everyone to be fully behind this as a concept, and at least in this case in particular, there was no pushback.”

The building features flexible space for up to four tenants, along with warehouse space, shipping-and-receiving bays, and shared amenities.

The project is part of the city’s broader commitment to sustainability and innovation, and it complements its existing renewable energy infrastructure, including a wind plant and solar farm.

“When projects like Summerside happen, it demonstrates to a broader community of architects, engineers, designers, trades, people, contractors, public officials and even the citizenry that anything can be done,” says Michael Quast, chief executive of Passive House Canada, which advocates for the global Passive House Institute.

”Hundreds of people working there are going to get to experience how it makes their daily life better. This is not just about hitting net-zero targets for 2050, this is about building for the future we all want.”

Passive House, or Passivhaus, is a German-born building standard that emphasizes high energy efficiency and superior indoor air quality. These buildings are constructed with exceptional insulation, air-tight envelopes, high-performance windows and doors, and controlled ventilation systems. Passive House structures aim to drastically reduce heating and overall energy use—by up to 90% and 70% respectively—while enhancing comfort and lowering carbon footprints. While both Passive House and LEED standards promote sustainability, Passive House focuses on meeting strict energy performance criteria, whereas LEED assesses a wider range of environmental factors using a points-based system.

Greenwood Zero has already exceeded air-tightness benchmarks by 30% and is undergoing final certification.

Pictured: The Summerside Eco-Park industrial project, also known as Greenwood Zero, in Summerside, P.E.I.

Photo: City of Summerside