We are planning to build a new home for ourselves in the valley this summer. We’re trying to design and build it with materials that have a low environmental impact and also achieve a high energy efficiency rating. Since the Federal Government cancelled the Energuide program I’m wondering if there are any standards are out there that we can measure to and who does this type of construction now?

Fortunately, even though the Government has dismantled the Energuide program there is another parallel non-profit group working to achieve similar goals in residential housing. The “Built Green” (BC) Program offers a set of building standards which you can use to set energy efficient goals for your new home. These Standards also focus on indoor air quality, resource use (including waste management) and the overall environmental impact your project will have on our eco-system, including the impact of the types of building materials you choose. Interestingly, Built Green Standards are grouped into three categories of performance: gold, silver and bronze which permits you the flexibility to choose the standard of green initiative you can afford.

To participate in the Built Green Program you or your contractor must complete a short training course in green building strategies. Although the course includes many of the older R 2000 practices, Built Green focuses on the-house-as-a-system. For instance, every Built Green home must consume less water, use less energy,  produce less greenhouse gas emissions, and have better indoor air quality than a conventional house.   It must also be third party tested and certified for energy efficiency and air tightness.

In a very progressive commitment to the eco-system, the City of Calgary now offers reductions in building permit fees for residential buildings constructed to Built Green Standards. For instance, the City Building Department offers builders and home owners rebates of 10% for houses constructed to the Built Green Bronze Standard, 20% for silver and 30 % for gold standard construction. This initiative encourages consumers to build green, and it benefits the Municipality by creating housing that consumes less energy, reduces landfill waste and generates more value added housing stock to the community. These Municipal rebates also help offset some of the builder’s additional up-front costs incurred by building to higher standards than the minimum levels prescribed by the Building Code.

Our community has an opportunity to leave a long term environmentally beneficial legacy with Built Green homes. It would be encouraging to see our municipalities and regional districts cultivate this green initiative by offering these small incentives to green builders. You can visit the Built Green website at www.builtgreencanada.ca       

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This article was written by Steven Cannon, a Registered Building Official and partner in Lynch Building Inspection Services Ltd. of Nelson, British Columbia. It originally appeared in The Nelson Express.

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