Recently I attended a Green Builders Forum offered by the Sunshine Coast Regional District for  builders, developers, realtors or anyone contemplating building a new home as a ‘homeowner builder’. It provided an opportunity to:
1.       Discuss 2012 Building Code changes – a significant shift in building requirements across the province
2.       See a hands-on demonstration of air leakage testing
3.       Review important new building techniques to save time and money
4.       Learn about new guidelines for EnerGuide and Energy Star

Murray Frank, from Constructive Home Solutions for the Homeowner Protection Office, gave a fast-paced and most informative rundown of the new Energuide requirements. The salient point he made was that, to raise the Energuide rating to the soon-to-be-required 80+ level for new homes, it will cost the builder an average of only $8000 more than it currently costs. This estimate was based on sample homes constructed in (if I remember correctly) Edmonton, Kelowna and Vancouver, and it can vary depending on labour costs.

Since it has cost us considerably more to build green (I estimate at least $60,000), I was skeptical about this claim, until he explained that it’s just the airtight, well-insulated building envelope (including non-thermal-bridging structure and windows and doors) that can bring the home to 80+. These are the essentials the builder invests in at the outset, steps that would be difficult and expensive to remediate after the house is built. Other energy-saving strategies, such as energy-star appliances, heat recovery ventilation, air source heat pump and solar or on-demand hot water for example, can be added on in later years to improve the rating even more.

I also learned that Fortis, BC Hydro, Federal and Provincial governments, and the regional district are providing incentives for building to this Energuide level now. Up to $2200 in rebates from BC Hydro, a deduction from the cost of a building permit, and, as before, considerable grants to retrofit existing homes. Some examples: furnace replacement – up to $1290; air source heat pump- up to $2790; tankless hot water heater – up to $675; Energy Star windows and doors – up to $100 ea ($3500 worth in our house); insulation in attic, exterior walls, basement and crawlspace – up to $4425; heat recovery ventilator – up to $1175; energy star appliances – up to $200. I listed those particular examples because that’s what we have included in our home. However, we do not qualify for ANY of those incentives – up to $16855(!) because we have already built, and this applies to new building permits (or existing home retrofits.) Once again, our project falls between the cracks. Do I sound bitter? We did get a provincial government rebate to the tune of $200 for our energy-star-rated dishwasher and clothes-washer.

I guess I just have to remind myself why we wanted to build green in the first place, and be happy that many others are being “incentivized.” But it’s kind-of hard to take.

…with the appropriateness of green technology and grants available for owner-builders/single family homes. (Although the truly green among us would ask, “Why are you building a single family home? Aren’t we all about increasing density?”)

Two bits of research have generated this frustration.

ONE: For the roof of my studio building, our engineer is trying to design a roof structure that will best support a garden. I have been looking for some technical info about how we might organize the materials to go on top of whatever roof structure he devises for the weight loads. I have contacted BCIT’s Centre for Architectural Ecology and Light House Sustainable Building Centre, to see if there has been some research about the best materials to use in our climate, and a relative cost comparison (assuming adequate structure of the walls/roof. It’s our intention to use insulated concrete forms for the walls.) Both organizations referred me to one of the several businesses that design green roof systems. I’m frustrated that there is no data our engineer can find easily about this, thus avoiding hiring a separate consultant who will, I believe, sell us his/her “system” of containers and moisture barriers, when a simple and inexpensive solution for putting a garden on a roof would do. The fact is: almost all of the green roofs are built into developments and commercial/municipal buildings, so the economies of scale would justify/dictate hiring a consultant and buying the system.

A BCIT model

TWO: There are many grants for retrofitting your home with Energy Star windows, insulation, energy-efficient appliances, but few for new construction. There are grants for solar/green systems for developments of 20 or more homes but the single new home builder is given little encouragement by way of incentives.

One exception to this: Solar BC will assist in accessing grants for solar hot water heating systems, as long as you use a certified installer from the list on the web site.

ecoAction Canada lists the federally-funded grant programs, mostly for renovations. (You have to wade through lots of pictures of Stephen Harper announcing some “new” Climate Action move by the Conservative government – I can only hope that the Copenhagen talks will step up Canada’s fiscal encouragement for people like us who are currently forking out the total cost to be green home-builders.)

Home Performance lists grants available in your part of the country. The site doesn’t feel all that well-updated, but is a start.

BC Hydro has a grant program for getting rid of old fridges and for buying Energy Star appliances. Small potatoes, but it’s something. The Consortium for Energy Efficiency lists the super-efficient appliances which qualify.

That’s what I’ve come up with so far.