Third Party Certifications
Government building code in Canada has failed to address well documented occupant health problems in Canadian homes and has failed to address the unnecessarily large impact the construction industry has on the environment. Third Party certification helps to ensure that builders follow better building practices during construction. It also helps protect home owners from companies who fraudulently advertise themselves to be green in hopes to increase sales. A home seller may also find it more challenging to receive the increased value a green home brings to the market as discerning buyers will have little or no way of determining just how green the home really is without third party certification.
LEED for Homes
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health:
- sustainable site development
- water efficiency
- energy efficiency
- materials selection
- indoor environmental quality
The Canadian rating system is an adaptation of the US Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System, tailored specifically for Canadian climates, construction practices and regulations. The rating system is adapted to the Canadian market through an inclusive process that engages stakeholders and experts representing the various sectors of the Canadian industry.
R-2000
R-2000 is made-in-Canada home building technology with a worldwide reputation for energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. The R-2000 Standard is a series of technical requirements for new home performance that go way beyond building codes. Every R-2000 home is built and certified to this standard.
The Canadian Home Builders' Association works with Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan's) Office of Energy Efficiency which manages R-2000 on behalf of the federal government in support of R-2000 technology, builders and consumers.
The R-2000 mission is: "To promote the energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of Canada’s new housing stock through an industry-led, market-driven, leading edge housing standard presented as a co-operative partnership of the private and public sectors."
Built Green
Built Green™ is an industry driven voluntary program that promotes "green" building practices to reduce the impact that building has on the environment. It benefits the homebuyer, the community and the environment and is an opportunity for everyone to choose a "green" future.
