Green Living

GREEN HOMEBUILDING

The homebuilding industry offers several green brands; Energy Star, LEED, R?2000, EnerGuide, ecoENERGY Retrofit – with so many programs, today’s homebuyers can be forgiven for their confusion. The programs share a common focus – to reduce energy consumption and ease up on our environment – but what’s the difference?

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) operates on a points system that encourages participation but rewards excellence: pursuing additional points can earn silver, gold or platinum status. Residential applications are primarily condominiums, but LEED is piloting programs for homes and neighbourhoods. LEED’s stringent requirements encourage recycling building materials, setting up sustainable transportation and minimizing the impact of a building and its residents on its environment. Builders earn points in six different areas for planet?friendly choices like:

• Sustainable Sites – access to public transit

• Water Efficiency – xeroscapic (drought?tolerant) landscaping

• Energy and Atmosphere – energy?efficient windows and lighting

• Materials and Resources – carpets made from PET plastic

• Indoor Environmental Quality – low-VOC paint and adhesives

• Innovation and Design Process – using LEED?accredited design professional

• Blue ENERGY STAR is a recognizable brand for energy-efficiency                           

• Annual energy savings equivalent to four months a year free heat and hydro

• Usually single family homes

• Performance-tested using blower-door test

R-2000 is an early green building programs, the first to view the house as a system in which changes to one component of the building envelope affect all the others.

• Heavy focus on air quality and tightness

• Most incorporate a heat recovery ventilator

• Becoming eclipsed by Energy Star

ENERGUIDE RATING SYSTEM

EnerGuide Rating System lets buyers compare apples to apples by setting a scale for energy?efficiency. Homes are measured and blower?door tested, but not necessarily more energy?efficient, often an entry level for builders learning sustainable building techniques.

ECOENERGY RETROFIT

The federal EcoEnergy Retrofit program for existing homes grants up to $5000 for renovations like highefficiency furnaces and air conditioners, upgraded insulation, low?e windows. Grants are matched by the province; utilities kick in additional rebates.

 • An inspector recommends improvements

• Homeowners make desired changes

• Tightness tested before and after

 
PROGRAMS

Canada Program ecoENERGY Retrofit Program

Homes Is available to owners of single family homes including detached, semi-detached and low rise multi-unit residential buildings.  Property owners can qualify for a federal grant for improving the energy efficiency of their home. The maximum grant you can receive per home or multi-unit residential building is $5,000.

City of Edmonton High Efficiency Gas Furnace CO2RE Rebate Program

CO2RE is piggy-backing with the Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) new ecoENERGY retrofit program to help Edmonton residents overcome the approximately $2,000 cost premium associated with installing a high efficiency gas furnace with variable speed motor over a mid-efficient gas furnace which meets building code. City of Edmonton residents who replace their furnace with an ENERGY STAR® qualified gas furnace (that has a 92.0% annual fuel utilization efficiency or better, with a DC variable-speed motor) through the new federal ecoENERGY retrofit program may receive a matching $500 high efficiency furnace rebate from CO2RE. CO2RE is offering one furnace rebate per household. Rebate funding is limited. Rebates will be paid in the order CO2RE receives confirmation from Natural Resources Canada.

Mortgage and Housing Corporation

CMHC offers a 10 percent refund on its mortgage loan insurance premium when a borrower buys or builds an energy-efficient home. To qualify for this refund, the home’s energy efficiency must be rated using the EnerGuide rating system or be R-2000 certified and meet certain minimum requirements.

Home Renovation Tax Credit

The HRTC will apply to eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed, or goods acquired, after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2010, pursuant to agreements entered into after January 27, 2009. The HRTC can be claimed for renovations and enduring alterations to a dwelling, or the land on which it sits. More information on the HRTC is available at http://www.actionplan.gc.ca