While roughly 25% of Albertans have done, or are planning to do a green home renovation, another 25% have indicated they would like to but are not sure how to get started. Fortunately, for builders of new homes and those wishing to renovate, there is a wealth of information and even some rebate and tax incentives available to help you reduce your home's carbon footprint. For those looking to purchase or build a brand new hom, the 'Built Green' program for registered home builders is a great place to start. Choosing a builder with Built Green certification adds value to new home construction by promoting and recognizing the use of practices and products that represents resource-efficient and environmentally friendly construction. Built Green focuses on four areas of environmental concern: energy efficiency, indoor air quality, resource use (including waste management), and overall environmental impact. The Built Green program is also expanding to include renovations to existing homes.
Building or renovating a home to green standards will:
* Provide greater energy efficiency
* Provide healthier indoor air
*Reduce water usage
* Preserve natural resources
*Improve durability and reduce maintenance
Houses are ranked according to their efficiency by a system called EnerGuide. Homes are assessed and given an EnerGuide rating based on a scale of 0-100; 0 = a home with major air leakage, no insulation and extremely high energy consumption, while a rating of 100 signifies a house that is airtight, well insulted, sufficiently ventilated and requires no purchased energy on an annual basis. A typical new home, built to building code standards, will have a rating of 65-72, a new home with some energy-efficient improvements will rate 73-79, and an energy-efficient new home will rank between 80 and 90. For any new home a rating of 80 or greater is considered excellent.
Building or renovating a home to higher environmental standards reaps benefits beyond reducing your impact on the environment; there are also financial benefits. Not only will an energy efficient home create a healthy and comfortable living space, it will also significantly reduce heating/cooling costs. There are also many incentive programs available at municipal, provincial, and federal levels that make it more affordable to upgrade your home so be sure to check into these programs to see if you qualify, but make sure to check for expiry dates as some of the programs are limited time offers.
With the many benefits associated with having an environmentally friendly home, it is no wonder more and more Albertans are choosing to 'Go Green".
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