In-depth

Previous In-depths Landmark land settlement Carbon Conundrum Caribou in Canada The Mackenzie Delta Torngat Mountains Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) Travels with Louis British Columbia's Gulf Islands Moose on the loose Sustainable cities Icebergs Canada's musical landscape Quebec's James Bay Ottawa Valley Green with jade Hunting for cures Wild horses Canada's Bison Canada's place in the world Lessons learned in schools Power of powwows Cougars in Canada Greenland sharks Boreal birds Arctic grizzlies Lake Erie's Fire in the boreal forest Energy matters Parks for all Bighorn sheep Finding our way in the wilderness Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia Canada's grizzly bears

Built for the City of White Rock, B.C., this Stantec-designed green building received a LEED gold certification — one of only two gold projects at that time — because of its exemplary use of water and energy (arcitect Busby Perkins + Will). Photo: Jim Burns

FEATURES The natural city • Toronto's green rooftops Beat the street • City Repair Ottawa • It’s off telework we go… Back-to-the-future urbanism • Urban planning timeline • Ode to Jane Jacobs Building up sustainability • Green technologies DEPARTMENTS • Knowledge Toolbox • Cartographer’s table • Just the facts • CG vault

Building up sustainability
Canadian contractors and building associations are taking the steps to become green
By Devon Babin

The Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) is a coalition of different segments of the design and building industry whose mission is to speed up the availability of green buildings in Canada. CaGBC has a detailed set of criteria, known as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED), that it uses to define what constitutes a green building in a Canadian context. Buildings are certified silver, gold or platinum based on a point system that takes a whole-building perspective and considers the specific constraints and goals of each project.

"The LEED rating system was initiated by the U.S. Green Building Council. We have adapted the LEED rating system for new construction or major renovations," says Luana Mirella, communications coordinator for the CaGBC. Certified buildings in Canada include a secondary school and a daycare in Vancouver, an Aboriginal student center at the University of Manitoba, a terminal at the Winnipeg Airport, the offices of an insurance company in Dartmouth and a diverse mixture of other projects such as fire stations and libraries across the country.

The rating system credits innovation in buildings, based on the sustainability of the site, the water efficiency of the building, energy and atmosphere, the materials and resources used and the indoor environmental quality.

For a structure to be certified by LEED, every credit that is sought after requires specific documentation. The documentation is extremely precise and thorough, and in the end ensures the building is environmentally friendly and sustainable. Currently, the LEED system is not being used for residential homes.

"There is a LEED residential rating system in its pilot stage in the U.S.," says Mirella. "They have a few test programs that they are applying the rating system to before they go public. The CaGBC is looking to adapt that system to Canada, but it will take a few years."

There are other programs ensuring energy efficiency for homes currently being used in Canada. Tartan Homes, based in the Ottawa area, is a reputable builder using EnergyStar, commonly known for saving energy through efficient household appliances. Now, the brand is being used to rate residential structures.

"EnergyStar has a series of criteria that you have to do to comply," says Bruce Nicol, vice-president of Tartan Homes. "It’s based on a points system. The main items are the amount of insulation in the homes. Attention has to be paid to the sealing of windows and doors."

Beyond the structure, how a home is heated plays a major part in ensuring energy efficiency. For Nicol, the efficiency of a home’s furnace is a determining factor, and he recommends the inclusion of a heat recovery ventilator that reduces the amount of heat lost from a home by using a heat exchanger that warms incoming fresh air with a stream of outgoing warm air.

Unlike CaGBC and the LEED certification program, for EnergyStar a third party consultant tests each unit. Once certified, each home is registered.

There were some challenges to overcome for Tartan Homes as a result of the new rating system.

"There was some reeducation in the field about how do the installation and sealing properly," said Nicol. Energy efficient homes can cost more to start out with, but the initial costs will be won back over years of lower energy costs.

Although Canada is still in the beginning stages of taking the first steps, the building industry is indeed moving toward CaGBC’s ultimate vision of  "a transformed built environment, leading to a sustainable future."

top