Heat recovery ventilators recover the heat energy in the exhaust air, and transfer it to fresh air as it enters the building. HRV provides constant fresh air and improved climate control, while saving energy by reducing the heating (or cooling) requirements.

Hot water for both space heating and domestic hot water can be generated from the sun. Solar hot water systems are generally composed of solar thermal collectors (solar tubes), a fluid system to move the heat from the collector to its point of usage, and a reservoir or tank for heat storage and subsequent use. Solar systems will reduce your heating costs and is an environmentally friendly alternative for a heating source in your home.

Ground source systems can provide efficient, low polluting heating and cooling for your home. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of the natural constant temperature of the earth. During winter when the ground temperature is warmer than the air above it, geothermal heat pumps use the earth's soil (or groundwater) to recover the earth's heat. In the summer months, geothermal heat pumps deliver heat to the same relatively cool soil (or groundwater), taking advantage of the natural cooling aspects of a geothermal system. Geothermal heat pumps lead to higher efficiency and lower energy use.

Traditional Lighting

Traditional Incandescent light bulbs are incredibly inefficient, using only 10% of their consumed electricity to emit light. The remaining 90% of energy used is wasted as heat. Halogen lamps also waste a great deal of power and generate intense heat that can potentially cause burns or fires.

Compact Florescent (CFL)

For each incandescent you replace with a CFL, you will reduce CO2 emissions from power plants by over 700 pounds over the life of the bulb. While CFLs will cost you more per bulb, they can last up to thirteen times longer than incandescents, and use 75% less energy, ultimately saving money and reducing your carbon footprint.

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

Light-emitting diodes give off light when electrons in a semiconductor oscillate. Unlike ordinary bulbs, they don't have filaments (the part that burns out easily), nor do they get hot like incandescents do. Plus, LEDs last far longer than standard bulbs, sometimes up to 100,000 hours. In the next few years, as LEDs get brighter, we'll likely see a major shift away from incandescents and fluorescents.

Appliances can consume as much as 14 per cent of the total energy used in the home. By avoiding models and products that waste energy, and by choosing efficient alternatives, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in energy costs.

The illustration on this page shows how much you can save. For each appliance type, the figure indicates how many energy dollars can be saved during the life of the appliance, simply by choosing the most efficient model rather than the least efficient. Even if you sell the appliance before it reaches the end of its useful life, your energy-cost savings will be impressive. These savings have been provided for comparison purposes only and are based on the national average price of electricity of $0.0814 per kWh.

When comparing energy efficiency and calculating your monthly costs for using appliances, a key "tool of the trade" is the EnerGuide label. The EnerGuide concept is simple. Using standardized methods, all models of refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, ranges, clothes washers, and clothes dryers sold in Canada are tested to determine their yearly energy use. The results of these tests must be indicated in kWh on a label affixed to new electrical household appliances. The EnerGuide label for major electrical household appliances prominently displays a bar scale with an arrow that positions the model compared to the most energy-efficient and least energy-efficient models in the same class.

Rain water can be collected, filtered, and piped to meet many of houses water needs. Rainwater can be used to operate dishwashers, toilets, washing machines, and for watering the lawn and garden. Rain Water Management systems limit demand on conventional water supply systems and reduce loading on civil storm water systems. Storm water management fields can be coupled with rain water management system to further reduce run off.

Efficient water fixtures do more than just save water. They also save vast amounts of energy. The energy that is used to heat our water accounts for approximately 25% of a home's total energy use. Add to that the energy that is used to pump water through your home's plumbing system, and the energy that is used to pump and treat water at the municipal level; and it becomes apparent that the way we use water is a major contributor to our high energy consumption. It's time to improve the way we use this precious resource. Saving water allows us to save energy at each point of the process.

Materials used for constructing houses frequently cause some environmental pollution during their production. Quarries can damage landscape, wood can come from unsustainable sources, metals use a lot energy in production, PVC production produces atmospheric pollution, etc. Reclaimed materials and products made from recycled material are likely to cause less environmental damage than new products and can also reduce refuse and land fill. Because there are more and more materials with recycled content coming on to the market it is possible to select recycled options for a very high proportion, or even for all of the materials required for a new housing development.

A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, or a certified growing medium. It often includes additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems planted on top of a waterproofing membrane. Green roofs reduce heating and cooling loads and storm water run off, and filter pollutants and CO2 from the air.