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The housing industry is inundated with many claims regarding energy efficient, environmentally friendly or green building products, services and designs. Green housing programs are created by housing authorities to provide certification that homes meet an established performance level. In an ideal world the programs will provide unbiased, third party assessments of newly built “green” homes, or for the assessment and improvement of existing homes. The best programs such as LEED Canada for Homes are collaborative efforts based on International Standards for certification. Typically their development takes years of research and refinement through a transparent public consultation process, and yields reliable metrics on which to measure a new home performance, and predetermined criteria that must be met for a house to be certified under a particular program. The best housing programs lay out a set of standards that have been proven to produce homes with exemplary performance in all areas. At their worst housing programs can be little more than greenwashing, 'designed' not through collobaration and concensus with clear targets for performance inprovements, but rather around a specific premise of allowing homes built using standard homebuilding practices to carry a green stamp of approval to appear more environmentally friendly than they actually are in, so that their builders may capitalize on the rise of environmentally concious consumers. The development of such programs tycially take place within a small group without an open public consultation process. Often there are few in any metrics available to substantiate the green claims made by such programs. Needless to say, upon close investigation such certifications add little value or peace of mind for the consumer. Housing authorities are the groups responsible for the development and implementation of housing programs and for ensuring that programs are being followed properly, that the individuals responsible for rating and certifying houses are knowledgeable and have received sufficient training, and to keep abreast of new techniques and products on the market that need to be assessed and possibly incorporated into a program’s standards. Housing authorities are often Governments, or non-profit organizations, but are just as frequently trade industry associations such as national or regional homebuilders associations. The best housing authorities are transparent organizations with open membership structures, and a sound business model and strategy, they employ subject matter experts in architecture, green building science, high performance construction as well as education and training, marketing and program management. Credible organizations such as NRCan and the CaGBC seek out the experienced technical experts to manage the program delivery through an open Request for Proposals process, which is a fair, competitive and transparent selection method. Credible organizations follow international standards for professional accreditation for the professionals participating in their programs, including those members who help manage the certification process. The underlying reason for all this effort if to establish an unassailable level of credibility for their programs. The the other end of the spectrum Housing authorities may be biased closed entities who operate out of the public view and for the specific benefit of their members. They may not employ a single subject matter expert, or just about any staff at all. Some such entities provide a simple rubber stamp certification or even allow members to self certify their homes without any third-party review or inspection process. BEC Consulting is proud to be delivering Canada's top five housing programs in association with NRCan and the CaGBC Canada's most credible housing authorities. |
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The EnerGuide Rating System is a national initiative through which builders work with energy advisors to choose energy efficiency upgrades to their house plans before the house is built. The system enables builders and new home buyers to compare and evaluate upgrades that they may wish to include in their new homes. The R-2000 Standard is a national initiative that outlines requirements to build environmentally friendly homes. It includes training and certification for each participating homebuilder, as well as a quality assurance evaluation, testing, and certification of each house. R-2000 Standard homes are about 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional new homes and must achieve a minimum energy efficiency rating of 80 on the EnerGuide rating scale. Beyond the R-2000 Standard and EnerGuide Rating System, there are many regional initiatives offered across Canada. These options provide builders with other programs that they can participate in and promote energy efficient new homes. Each of these regional initiatives encourages energy efficient home building in ways that are tailored to the new housing market in their region. |
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Yes. A home can be labelled under more than one initiative if the homebuilder has followed the requirements of each of the programs and if the initiatives are available in that region. For example, R-2000 certified homes an also obtain an EnerGuide rating label as part of the R-2000 process. Some builders elect to use HOT2000 modeling to verify the compliance ENERGY STAR for New Homes requirements, and therefore these homes also obtain an EnerGuide rating label. Homes may even be labelled under programs delivered by different program authorities. For example, the EnerGuide Rating is used as a compliance verification for the energy efficiency component of a LEED qualified home, and therefore that home may also have an EnerGuide label of the builder or owner elects. |
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New home buyers or builders can begin participating in NRCan-managed new housing program such as the R-2000 Standard as their house plans are being drafted. Although the intent of NRCan-managed new housing programs is to encourage builders to include energy efficiency upgrades during the construction planning phase, houses can be labelled through the R-2000 Standard, EnerGuide Rating System, and/or ENERGY STAR for New Homes program up to six months after the builder has transferred possession of the house to the first homeowner. When a home is built by the owner, it is considered “new” up to six months following the certificate of completion by the local inspector. With the CaGBC’s LEED Canada for Homes program, new home buyers or builders typically MUST begin participating in the program through a LEED for Homes Service Provider as their house plans are being drafted in order to assure that a number of pre-requisite requirements are met during the planning and construction phases. Typically, if a home hasn’t been enrolled in LEED for Homes from the planning stage LEED labelling is not possible. With the CaGBC’s LEED Canada for Homes program, the definition of a “new” home is somewhat different as well. Under certain conditions, if an existing home is undergoing an extensive “gut” renovation it can qualify as a new home that is eligible for certification and labelling as LEED qualified. |
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A Service Organization is any organization who is licensed through Natural Resources Canada and whose role is to implement and deliver the EnerGuide Rating System, ENERGY STAR® for New Homes and/or R-2000 Standard. A LEED Canada for Homes provider is any organization who is licensed through the Canada Green Building Council and whose role is support and guide project teams through the process of building homes seeking LEED certification. An organization can act as both a Service Organization and a LEED Canada for Homes Provider, provided that the organization meets stringent selection criteria through a competitive RFP process and our then licensed by each housing authority for their respective programs. As a Service Organization for all of NRCan's housing programs and a Provider for LEED Canada for Homes, we do it all whether it is new or existing houses. NRCan is not responsible for hiring or providing training for energy advisors. Instead, programs such as the EnerGuide Rating Service, the R-2000 initiative, ENERGY STAR® for New Homes, and the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes programs license service organizations across the country to deliver the program on the government’s behalf. NRCan chooses these organizations through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process, which is a fair, competitive and transparent selection method. NRCan determines if it requires an RFP process by evaluating the capacity of existing service organizations to deliver the program in under-served areas across the country. A service organization is any organization or person who is licensed through Natural Resources Canada and whose role is to implement and deliver the EnerGuide Rating System, ENERGY STAR® for New Homes and/or R-2000 Standard. Each LEED Canada for Homes registered project is inspected by a LEED Canada for Homes Green Rater under the guidance of a LEED Canada for Homes Provider. Providers and Green Raters are local organizations and individuals with demonstrated experience with green building. A LEED Canada for Homes Provider has three primary roles in a given market:
LEED Canada for Homes Providers are located around the country and selected by CaGBC through a periodic RFQ process to support builders through the LEED certification program. They have demonstrated outstanding abilities and have a proven record of supporting builders in the construction of high performance, sustainable homes. BEC Consulting is proud to have been selected as a LEED provider, when many of our colleagues were not. |
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Natural Resources Canada works with a network of service organizations across Canada to promote and deliver NRCan-managed new housing programs such as the EnerGuide Rating System, ENERGY STAR® for New Homes and R-2000 Standard. These service organizations are responsible for organizing and hosting training workshops and overseeing the certification of energy advisors, builders and other professionals. Contact BEC for more details: Contact Us |
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Presently, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) does not directly offer incentives to new home buyers or new home builders through the R-2000 Standard, ENERGY STAR® for New Homes, or the EnerGuide Rating System for newly built homes. The Federal Government does offer a GST rebate on new home construction. I invite you to visit the following web site to see if you qualify: GST Rebate NRCan-managed new housing programs, coupled with regional programs, form the basis for many provincial and utility incentives and grants that are available to encourage energy efficiency in new home construction throughout the country. The following website provides a list of regional incentives and grants: Regional Incentives |
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NRCan’s HOT2000 software is used by trained and certified R-2000 Plan Evaluators, and EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR certified energy advisors. The HOT2000 software helps these professionals to estimate how much energy each home will use and determines the EnerGuide rating of a home. Here’s how it works:
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