The Built Green™ Program is moving the home building industry forward in producing quality homes and enhancing healthy living. These benefits extend beyond the walls of your new home. Built Green Canada is helping to ensure that these benefits are available to all homebuyers who purchase a home that meets the Built Green™ Program standards. By choosing energy efficient options you'll be making a choice to help protect our environment for the future as well as make a difference to your bank account today.

 

Energy Efficiency. As energy costs take a noticeable chunk out of homeowner budgets, using energy wisely is being widely promoted. We also need to be aware of the source of our electricity. (For example, in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, non-renewable resources such as coal is predominately used in the generation of electricity.) Next to a mortgage, energy costs are the most significant household expenditure. An energy efficient home offers lower energy costs.

 

Comfort. A less drafty home with improved ventilation increases the homeowners control of humidity and temperature.  Appropriate design and orientation can take advantage of the sun's warmth in the winter and reduce the sun’s impact in the summer.

 

Water Efficiency. Given past drought conditions experienced almost everywhere in Canada, water is becoming a precious resource. Installing water efficient appliances such as low-flow fixtures or dual-flush toilets, Energy Star washing machines and dishwashers along with water aerators on the faucets and showers can significantly reduce the amount of water a household consumes. Planting a water-wise landscape also reduces the water demand and requires less maintenance while still adding beauty to your home.

 

Healthier Indoor Air. Tightening a home to make it more energy efficient without adequately addressing the ventilation can create health problems. The Built Green™ Program encourages well-sealed duct systems, combustion appliances that are sealed and/or direct vented, controlled fresh air and uses interior building materials that reduce indoor air pollution.

 

Durability and Less Maintenance. The Built Green™ program encourages the use of building materials that are more durable both inside and outside the home. This reduces maintenance and replacement costs.

 

Global Benefits. Building a Built Green™ home results in some direct benefits to the owners but there are also benefits to the community and the environment in general.  For example, the use of local materials is encouraged, thereby reducing transportation costs and stimulating the local economy. Also, focusing on choosing materials and products made from recycled content reduces the need and energy to extract new materials. They are resource efficient and produce less waste than typical products and usually have a long life-cycle, requiring less maintenance.

 

A Built Green™ home just make sense. For the building industry to sustain itself, increasingly more efficient and creative ways to build homes without sacrificing the environment and quality of life must be achieved.

 

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