Green Buildings

Residential greening tips

The U.S Green Building Council suggests the following tips to green your home:

• Use efficient lighting such as compact fluorescent light bulbs or LED lights
• Program your thermostat to 26 °C or higher in the summer and 17 °C or lower in the winter
• Get your heating and cooling (HVAC) system serviced every two years
• Purchase Energy Star appliances
• Purchase low-flow faucets and toilets
• Select a green power service provider
• Plant trees around your home to provide shade and wind protection
• Plant native species that require minimal care

Additional resources

A few more resources that may be helpful to homeowners looking to green their dwellings include:

• Energy Star for New Homes
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Life Cycle Assessments in Canada
• Passive House certification system
• Sustainability at Home Toolkit (by Natural Step)
• The Alberta Real Estate Foundation
• The Built Green rating system

Green retrofit options

If you are interested in making more large-scale changes to your home, consider some of the features of the archetype sustainable house in Woodbridge, Ontario and/or the cuku net-zero residence in Parkland County. Both buildings are Platinum LEED certified and include:

• Permeable paving for walkways and driveways
• A wastewater wetland system to treat sewage
• Photovoltaic panels or solar thermal panels to generate electricity and to heat domestic water
• Cabinetry and furniture finishes that are Volatile Organic Free (VOC)
• Windows that optimize natural solar conditions
• Building materials obtained through sustainable means (Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] approved wood, cork, bamboo, etc.)

Green roofs

Vegetation and soil on a roof surface can help reduce energy use and decrease water run-off. As designs evolve, they are becoming less expensive and require less maintenance.

Their main purpose is:

• energy conservation
• storm water management
• urban habitat provision

Green roofs can increase:

• energy efficiency
• sound insulation
• fire resistance
• roof longevity

They can also help in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Green roofing with solar or wind power generation can maximize the sustainability of the roof's surface and its potential for LEED certification.

Check out what NAIT is doing to advance green roof technology.

Reused and recycled building materials

If you are planning on building or renovating your home, you may want to consider using recycled or reused materials. The following Edmonton companies offer reused building materials and may purchase reusable items that you might otherwise throw away:

• Architectural Clearinghouse
• Home Re-use-ables

Habitat for Humanity's Restore accepts building material donations that are then sold to the public at affordable prices.

For more on greening your construction projects, check out The Environmentally Responsible Construction and Renovation Handbook.