Sustainable Builder Magazine Fall Issue

Page 1

FALL 2010 • Vol. 1, Issue 3

Sustainable Builder B6<6O>C:

Celebrating the “Know-How” at The Green Building Festival

Mady Development Corp. Intergrating Green

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FALL

2010

CONTENTS FALL 2010 • Vol. 1, Issue 3

Sustainable Builder B6<6O>C:

Celebrating the “Know-How” at The Green Building Festival

2 Celebrating the “Know-How”

30 The Annual Green Building

3 Cover story From Big Box to Condos, Mady

Marko A. Juricic Vice President & Director of Operations and David Mady President of Mady Development Corporation

Festival A Brief History of Time Mady Developments Intergrating Green

Development Corp. is Going to LEED

8 Industry Leader and R2000 Pioneer Gord Tobey Retires 10 How Green Condos Became the Norm in Toronto 12 Beaverbrook: An Integrated Approach to Energy Star

14 Demand Growing For Green Retrofits For Older Homes

16 Brookfield Offer its Buyers

Well-Spent

32 Top International Practitioners Offer Insight and Education In Sustainability

36 The Drivers for Continual Improvement 38 An Insider’s Guide to the Green Building Festival

40 Getting in Control of Energy Use: Case Studies of Real-Time Energy Monitoring

42 The Benefits of Building Green

No Cost Solar Panels

44 Are Energy Star Homes

18 Making the Transition to

Better Built Now Than in 2005?

LEED Can Be Painless

45 Prioritizing Renewable

20 Vaughan’s New City Hall is a Model of Sustainability

Upgrades

21 Green teens: Carpenters’

48 Is Our Focus on Insulation and Ventilation Forgetting Something? The Root Cause of Disposable Roof Syndrome

Local Union 27 Supports Toronto Youth in Acquiring Green Construction Skills

22 A Case for Using Wood 24 Will Horses Drink Green Water? 25 Green Building Festival Program 29 A Message from the Conference Chair

50 rawDESIGN Brings New Life to MINI 52 New Code. New Energy Efficiency Requirements. New Costs. Are you ready?

Sustainable Builder B6<6O>C:

Sustainable Builder B6<6O>C:

W

Celebrating the “Know-How”

elcome to the fall issue, published in cooperation with the Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC) and the Green Building Festival (GBF). We are pleased to be able to publish a guide to the festival, along with some stories on this industry leading event. Supporting the festival is a natural extension of how we see Sustainable Builder Magazine. The GBF is Canada’s premier trade show for the green building industry; no other show gets as in-depth and practical, and stays as deeply green. The festival is all about celebrating the “know-how” of green building and that is precisely the goals of this magazine. I have had the pleasure of being the Chair of the Board of Directors of SBC for three years, and this will also be my third year as host of the festival’s plenary presentations (September 22). This is easily the most interesting and invigorating event I attend each year. With seven international speakers and an awards ceremony, it is a huge day, and each year I get educated more. More importantly, I get inspired by the worldwide network of green builders, architects, engineers, building operators, designers, educators, and others who are all looking for solutions to real problems to lessen the impact we have on the planet. Sharing the inspiration of leaders within the industry, and outside of it, is what we try to do with Sustainable Builder Magazine. In the centre of the magazine your will find the official guide to the festival, that we hope helps you to make the most of this event. There are four stories on the festival, including one that goes in-depth into the plenary speakers showcased this year and one that is an insider’s guide to the festival. We are always looking for new authors to bring a new perspective. Last issue, David Donnelly, environmental lawyer, contributed a piece on density that was very well received. This issue, Jim Harris, prominent green writer, best-selling author and former leader of the Green Party of Canada, has contributed a piece on the root drivers behind the green condo market in Toronto. David and Jim are very successful outside the green building sector, and having their perspective helps those of us inside see things clearer. Tracy Hanes’ cover story celebrates the many successes of a broadly diversified builder who has made green building core to its offerings. As one of the very few to have achieved the highest green building achievement and produced a LEED platinum building (on time and on budget, no less), Mady Developments is the first individual builder to be on our cover (previous issues focused on an industry survey and on green HBA leadership). We wanted to pick a builder who had significant impact and who had integrated green into all aspects of their business. We are very pleased to present Mady’s story, and we look forward to showcasing other leading builders in future issues. One story we are particularly proud to have is on the career of Gord Tobey. For almost 35 years, Gord has been one of the top innovators and leaders in the lowrise custom green building sector. He has been an R2000 builder for most of that time and pioneered HRVs and airtight building techniques. He not only built green, but he shared his knowledge at the HBA level, and on the board of EnerQuality, and with other green building groups. He has passed his know-how to his son Steve, who has already made a name for himself as an industry leader working with his father. Like so much of our industry, the sharing of knowledge and passing on of “know-how”, be it from father to son/daughter, from veteran to apprentice, or even between business partners, this story shows how steeped in experiential knowledge this industry is. Finally, I want to thank all those who advertised and contributed to make this edition a reality. We moved up our production dates to produce this issue in time to give it out at the GBF, and we appreciate the effort it takes to meet a tight deadline, so our sincere thanks go out to all our authors. Particular thanks go out to our regular columnists Gord Cooke, Mike Lio, Stephen Dupuis, and John Godden for their continued insights into the industry. We are very interested in your feedback at Publisher@SBMagazine.ca. If you would like to get in our mailing list or submit a story idea, please use that address as well. For information on advertising rates, inserts, content marketing, or reprints please send a note to Sales@SBMagazine.ca. Finally, I am please to announce that our website is now up and running. Please go to www.SBMagazine.ca to view back issues. Sincerely, Lenard Hart, Publishing Editor

SBM fall 2010

2109-256 Doris Ave. Toronto, ON M2N6X8 p 416-898-0835 • f 416-250-6322 B6<6O>C: www.SBMagazine.ca

Sustainable Builder

Sustainable Builder Magazine is published in cooperation with the

Lenard Hart Publishing Editor hart.lenard@gmailcom Sustainable Builder Magazine is a quarterly publication. Subscription rates: $24 per year; $7 single copy. To advertise, contribute a story, or get your name on our distribution list, please contact sales@SBmagazine.ca Submit news, events, projects, competitions to Hart.Lenard@gmail.com Editor: Tracy Hanes Contributing Authors: Andrew Bowerbank • Gord Cooke Dave DeSilva • Stephen Dupuis John Godden • Tracy Hanes • Jim Harris Lenard Hart • Peter Kenter • Mike Lio Peter Kinsey • Don Noble • Tom Ponessa Jeff Ranson • Scott Rouse Mike Singleton • Dan Stone Creative: Graphic Designs Unlimited ltony@sympatico.ca Copyright by Sustainable Builder Magazine. Contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without publisher’s written permission publisher@SBMagazine.ca The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors exclusively and assumed to be original work. Sustainable Builder Magazine can not be held liable for any damage as a result of publishing such works. Publication Mail Agreement #42014026 Return undelivered Canadian address mail to: Sustainable Builder Magazine 2109-256 Doris Ave., Toronto, ON M2N 6X8

COVER STORY

South Unionville Square Condo Tower

From Big Box to Condos, Mady Development Corp. is Going to LEED By Tracy Hanes

I

t all started with a Rona big box store two years ago, and since then, Mady Development Corp. has made the leap to LEED. The company has become focused on environmentally sustainable building design and construction, and has adopted LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification as the best way to facilitate and demonstrate its green commitment. Founded in 1974 by Charles Mady as a single family home builder in the Windsor area, it has since expanded into general contracting throughout North America. By 1990, the company had opened an office in Dallas, Texas. It also opened a Toronto office seven years ago and Charles and son David (the company president) relocated there, so the company could pursue business in the Toronto to Windsor corridor. Mady has been constructing big box retail stores since the early 2000s for the likes of Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire, The Home Depot and Sobeys, as well as acting as developers for big box and power centres. Mady also constructs single family homes, subdivisions, banks, restaurants, schools, retirement residences, and condominiums.

One of those big-box jobs in 2008 was the tipping point for Mady to go green. As part of its deal to build a building supply store in Welland for Rona, the company was tasked to construct to LEED criteria. “There were some immediate obstacles, but we hired third party consultants to help us and it really wasn’t too difficult,” said Marko Juricic, Vice President of Construction for Mady. “Hiring proven experts helps, and the hardest part is mostly following up on the paperwork and identifying the materials.” Typical big box eco-friendly features include things such as energy efficient lighting, motion detector lighting, water-conserving features, white roofs to reflect sunlight (thus reduce cooling demands), timer-controlled air conditioning and heating, the use of sustainably harvested Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified lumber, and materials with high recycled content. Mady followed the Rona build with other LEED commercial projects, and has taken on increasingly more complex projects, such as its own South Unionville Square in Markham, which includes a 12-storey LEED Silver condo tower, a Canada Post distribution centre in Toronto built to LEED Gold, and the Dr. David Suzuki Public School in Windsor, the first LEED Platinum school in Canada. SBM fall 2010

South Unionville Square

“We embraced building to LEED standards because by doing so, we save energy, reduce pollution and protect everyone’s health. People are starting to understand that there are real long-term benefits,” says David Mady. “ As the market starts to become more aware, and since sustainable construction continues to become a standard practice for many, there’s more demand for the benefits of green building. Following these standards will become more important concerning the marketability of our projects. “Obviously, being energy efficient and “green” reduces our carbon footprint and preserves the outdoors so our future residents can have somewhere healthy to go to enjoy themselves.”

Mady just turned over what’s been billed as “the nation’s greenest school” to the Greater Essex County District School Board in late August, in time to get it ready for the first students in September. The project was awarded through a tender process where the design was already in place; it was Mady’s job to build it on time and on budget. The 58,000-square-foot Dr. David Suzuki Public School will accommodate 500 students. With features like solar panels, geothermal heating, and grey water recycling, it will serve as a learning tool for students and as a demonstration of environmental design for the architectural and engineering community. Information kiosks throughout the building and a website ed-

Rocco Lucente, p.eng. rlucente@bellnet.ca

Lucente engineering inc. consuLting engineers

3514 Walker Road, Unit #1 Windsor, ON N8W 3S4 Tel: 519-966-4008 • Fax: 519-966-4088 • Cell: 519-973-3113

4 SBM fall 2010

ucate students and visitors about the technologies used. “The criteria for the school was very strict and incorporating all of the design aspects was a huge undertaking,” said Juricic. “There were a lot of solar panels, a lot of natural light, and water from the soccer fields had to be collected and reused.” “To combine all aspects in a Platinum building was a test of everyone’s sanity,” said Mark Opresnik of Opresnik Engineering Consultants Inc., a consultant for the project. “For example, in a school, you want very wear resistant paint coatings on the walls and the design called for low or no VOC paints, but sometimes that combination is just not available. Yet from a construction standpoint, it all came off on time and on budget.” The school has a 38 W photovoltaic system developed by Canadian-based Carmanah Technologies. Funding for the $400,000 system, which feeds into the grid, was provided by the Government of Ontario Green Schools Initiative. The rooftop solar panels extend downward over the school’s main entrance to form a canopy and they will generate about 10 per cent compared to what the school uses. It also has a vertical axis wind turbine. The school recycles rainwater and grey water in a mini-sewer treatment plant in the basement and uses it to flush toilets. The building’s heating and cooling systems are automated and the school is equipped with occupancy sensors. Other features include bio-swales, a green roof and other features to minimize heat island effects. The LEED Gold Canada Post distribution centre Mady completed at 600 Commisioner’s St. in Toronto boasts erosion controls, a reflective roof, landscaping de-

Canada Post LEED Gold building

signed to mitigate the need for permanent irrigation, a reflective roof, water-conserving features, use of materials with recycled content and certified wood, and tobacco smoke control. South Unionville_Ad_v3.pdf 1 8/16/2010 4:00:25 PM

The site had been contaminated and was rehabilitated, there’s access to public transportation as well as bicycle storage to minimize vehicle reliance. Under construction in Markham is

Mady’s South Unionville Square, a major mixed-use project on Kennedy Rd., just north of Highway 407 in Markham, combining residential, retail and office functions, geared specifically to the local Chi-

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SBM fall 2010

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Dr. David Suzuki Public School in Windsor, the first LEED Platinum school in Canada.

Marko Juricic and David Mady

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SBM fall 2010

nese community. The condo tower is targeting LEED Silver. The development will comprise 550,000 square feet, including a 300,000-squarefoot retail mall with underground parking, 80,000-square feet of office space, 200 residential condos in an 11-storey tower and 29 townhomes The 7 1/2-acre site was purchased in April 2008and is the GTA’s first mixed-use development targeted to that community. It’s an all-condo, self-contained community where residents can live, work and shop. Even the commercial and retail units are condominium, where merchants will own their stores and offices. Fifty per cent of parking will be underground to reduce the heat island effect, low VOC paints and adhesives, bicycle storage and access to public transportation. Juricic says while the people who have bought condo units in the project don’t specifically ask about the green features, “they seem to like them.” He says green building has become more prevalent in everything from houses to condos to big retail stores, but there are always a few issues. “Schedules can be challenging and (FSC) wood can be hard to get when you need it on site to meet the schedule,” says Juricic. “Trades are under pressure to meet a deadline.” He said another issue is that many materials advertised as green or LEED certified don’t meet LEED standards, so it means paying attention to the amount of recycled materials in things like paints, flooring, concrete etc. “I think everyone (of Mady’s suppliers) has made the transition and knows what is expected and needed now,” says Juricic. “Everyone’s learning to be green.” For more information click on www. madycorp.com

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Industry Leader and R2000 Pioneer Gord Tobey Retires

1983 First R2000 House

By Lenard Hart

O

n the occasion of his retirement from home building, we wanted to take a moment to reflect back on the life, work and influences of Gord Tobey of Gordon Tobey Developments. For almost 35 years, Gord has built quality custom homes in the Brighton, Ontario area. Trained as an agricultural engineer, he was also a pastor in a community church, the head of the local preservation society, and a constant steward of the earth and all its resources. Building energy efficient houses was natural extension of his dedication to his community. His first home, completed in 1976, featured a heat pump with estimated savings between 33 and 50 per cent. Since then, he has won dozens of awards as an R2000 builder and an industry leader. Ask anybody in Brighton what the best built homes are, and they will say R2000. This is because in 1983, Gord built his first R2000 home, and since the 1990s, all his homes have been built to that certification. Along the way, he was an innovator of features such as barrier-free, slab-on-grade detached housing for seniors, custom design-build to suit the needs of each homebuyer, and use of maintenance-free exterior cladding. Gord pioneered the idea that you can sell the value of energy savings to homebuyers, so he modeled all his homes and gave that data to customers. With over 200 R2000 homes to his name, Gord is no stranger to quality control. In 1988, in order to maximize quality control, he hired his own building crews to do everything (except plumbing and electrical). This cut down on call backs and brought consistency from project to project. “I build R2000 homes for two reasons, my customers love them and so do I,� says Gord. He was always interested in R2000 for seniors on fixed incomes, as it guaranteed their monthly pay-

8 SBM fall 2010

1989 Gord Tobey

Gordon Tobey Developments Crew On the Job

ments. EnerQuality, under Peter Love, developed an energy guarantee in cooperation with Gordon Tobey Developments. Gord has been an ambassador for green building, building in Thailand and Nicaragua. He has been the recipient of the Canadian and Ontario Home Builders Associations’ top honors. He received dozens of awards for his achievements in the R2000 program, served on EnerQuality’s board of directors for many years, and was the first person ever elected to the EnerQuality Hall of Fame in 1999. Gord has been a leader in many ways, especially in his hometown

Award Winning R2000 Home in Brighton

through the community building and charitable work he has done. He is currently head of the Brighton Homebuilder’s Association, and he has held many other positions in that community. Gord has also passed on his knowledge to his son, Steve, who has already made a name for himself as a key driver in Gordon Tobey Developments since starting there in 1990. With a strong technical base and razor-sharp attention to detail, Gordon Tobey Developments will continue to be a leader in the new homebuilding sector, and that legacy is perhaps the best testimonial to Gord’s leadership.

Gordon Tobey Developments Awards A Testimonial from John Godden In 1984, driving a brand new Toyota pick-up, I drove out to do my first R2000 inspection in Brighton. Armed with a two-page printout and one-page inspection report (both are now reams longer), I learned more from Gord Tobey than he ever learned from me as his consultant. I recently went back to Brighton with my children, to honour a leader, innovator, and mentor in the R2000 program. Gord was always an innovator. He was one of the first to use computers in his business (circa 1980s). But, I remember Gord more for his homes than anything else. In the early 1990s, he built a house with R60 walls, R80 attic insulation, and evacuated solar panels that heated an indoor pool. He experimented with using a “dynamic wall” system that used the building envelope for ventilation. He also built a healthy home, something I replicated later in my career. He built one of the first EnviroHomes for a couple with chemical sensitivities. Gord did tremendous research to find out which materials were acceptable for them. He was one of the first builders to use high-velocity heating systems, and has used HRVs in all his homes right from the start. Over the 26 years I have been his R2000 design evaluator, inspecting every one of his R2000 homes, Gord Tobey Developments never failed an R2000 air test, and sometimes the homes were so tight that I was unable to measure any air leakage rate at all. That is the sure sign of quality in a builder. With Gord’s retirement, we are losing one of the great leaders and innovators in low energy housing, but lucky for us, his son Steve is more than capable of carrying on the business and may one day make an equal or even bigger contribution to our industry. Of all the great builders I have had the pleasure to work with, I consider Gord as a real mentor and Steve to be one of the very few really who challenges me and keeps me on my toes. Congratulations on an exemplary career Gord!

February 2010 EnerQuality Corp. Awards of Excellence: R2000 Builder of the Year Award February 2009 Brighton and District Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards: 2008 General Business of the Year Award April 2008 Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) 2007 SAM Awards: Finalist October 2007 Conservation Bureau of Ontario: Certificate of Recognition September 2007 Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) Awards of Distinction: Finalist September 2007 Canada Green Building Council LEED® for Homes Case Study Program February 2007 Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA): 2006 R-2000 Builder of the Year Award October 2006 Quinte Business Achievement Award: 2005 Business of the Year – Service/ Professional 11+ Employees March 2006 Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) 2006 SAM Awards: Finalist March 2006 Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) 2006 SAM Awards: Finalist March 2005 Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) 2004 SAM Awards

September 2004 Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) Awards of Distinction April 2003 Natural Resources Canada: Energy Efficiency Recognition Award October 2002 EnerQuality Corp. Outstanding Achievement Award (R2000) January 2002 EnerQuality Corp. R2000 Technical Excellence Award January 2002 EnerQuality Corp. Best House January 2001 EnerQuality Corp. Healthy House Award May 2000 Canada Mortgage & Housing Corp (CMHC) Healthy Housing Builder Recognition January 1999 EnerQuality Corp.: First person inducted into the R-2000 Hall of Fame January 1999 EnerQuality Corp.: Excellence Award January 1998 Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) R2000 Awards: Small Builder Award January 1997 Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA): Technical Excellence Award January 1995 Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA): Technical Excellence Award

SBM fall 2010

How Green Condos Became the Norm in Toronto Toronto’s Innovative Green Condo Financing By

Jim Harris

A

Verve by Tridel

10 SBM fall 2010

2008 study sponsored by the US Green Building Council shows that green buildings cost on average 2.5 per cent more on construction, but generate more than ten times that amount over the lifetime of the building in reduced energy and operating costs. So going green costs a little more up front and saves a lot on the back end. In Toronto, a staggering 90 per cent of all new residential construction is condominiums. So if you want to make Toronto housing more energy efficient to combat climate change then condos are the place to start. That’s where the Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) came in. TAF was created in 1992 by Toronto City Council and given a $23 million endowment. Its’ mission: to invest in developing cutting-edge energy efficiency solutions to fight climate change. Condo developers hadn’t really embraced cutting edge energy efficient solutions, because of the classic problem of split incentives: The builder bore the incremental cost while buyers got the benefit of lower operating costs over the lifetime of the unit. Condo developers worried that if they added the cost of green features into condos they’d loose price sensitive buyers.

So, in 2005 the TAF and Tridel pioneered the Green Condo Loan Program – financing to pay for energy efficiency upgrades so that a new green condo used 25% less energy than the Canadian average. Upgrades included heat-recovery ventilation, better insulation, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and Energy Star appliances that would be ulti-mately be paid for out of utility savings enjoyed by the buyers. These upgrades cost up to $3,000 per unit and Tridel typically builds 200 to 300 units in a development. So the upgrades added up to $1,000,000 to the price of a typical new development. With the TAF loan paying for the bulk of the upgrades, the purchase price was kept competitive – and TAF rolled the loans into the condo corporation once owners took possession. The loans were designed so that the monthly dollar savings from energy efficiency were greater that the loan payments – so the result was cash flow positive for a new owner from the first month on. Adding up the Wins The program was a major win for condo buyers because: 1) They got a unit with $3,000 of green extras included in the purchase price for free; 2) The energy savings were greater than the monthly loan payments; 3) After seven years when the loans were paid off, all the operating savings accrued directly to the owners; 4) Owners were insulated from energy prices rise – which are inevitable. As prices rise, their savings increase; and 5) Green buildings yield higher occupancy; premium rents, and higher re-sale prices. It was a win for the developer because they got to market a green product, which these days is hot with young condo purchasers. And, it was a win for environment because it accelerated the adoption of more energy efficient buildings in Toronto. The initial program was so successful that today Tridel has developed eight million square feet of green condos making the company the largest provider of green high-rise residential buildings in Canada. TAF has since made green loans to other condo developers including Monarch, Daniels and TAS DesignBuild. Minto, another large condo developer, saw the benefit of green condos and carried the financing charges on its own books. The reason: The “sales velocity of green buildings is much better than the average market,” says Andrew Pride, Vice President, Minto Green. TAF’s pioneering role eventually helped to change the market: green condos became the de facto new norm in Toronto, to a point where green developers began complaining about having to engage in the financing of the green costs. They argued that Toronto City Council should just create a level playing field and require all new condos in the city to be 25 per cent more energy efficient, then developers could include the upgrades in the purchase price. Energy efficiency would become the new minimum standard for Toronto condos. So on February 1, 2010, the City of Toronto adopted the Green Building Standard. To receive a building permit after this date any new development has to be 25% more efficient than the Canadian average. But the city didn’t stop there: it created an incentive for developers to achieve even greater energy savings. If a developer voluntary builds new units that are 35 per cent more energy efficient than the Canadian average, the City will rebate part of the fees the city charges the developer. To be cutting edge in 2010, new green condos are 35 to 40 per cent more energy efficient compared to the national building code.

So TAF and Tridel’s pioneering effort has resulted in Toronto becoming a leader in green condos. In hindsight, achieving a 25 per cent energy efficiency gain wasn’t difficult. Green upgrades also include more air tight units, energy efficient windows, low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints resulting in better air quality, low-flow faucets, showerheads, and dual flush toilets and tying into Toronto’s Deep Lake Water Cooling (DLWC). DLWC reduces energy use by 90 per cent compared to traditional air conditioning systems: Water drawn from deep in Lake Ontario is at 4°C. It’s pumped to downtown; the cold is extracted through heat exchangers to cool buildings in the downtown core attached to the system. And then the 70,000 gallons a minute are sent on to serve as the source for Toronto’s drinking water. Ultimately all this has been of benefit to developers because research shows that 80 per cent of Canadian consumers want to deal with a company that offers green products and services – and 41 per cent will change their brand because of sustainability features. Condo buyers are typically younger, and the younger you are the greater the predisposition is that you’ll be concerned about environmental issues. Given that over half of all greenhouse gas emissions in Toronto are due to buildings, TAF and Tridel’s pioneering work is very important to the environment and shows how industry-lead green initiatives can transform markets. Jim Harris is the former leader of the Green Party of Canada and the author of Blindsided, a #1 international bestseller published in 80 countries worldwide. He speaks at 40 conferences a year around the world. Reach him at jimh@jimharris.com Toronto Botanical Garden – LEED Gold Project

Martin Wade

102 Hastings Avenue Toronto, ON M4L 2L2 Tel: 416-491-2922 Fax: 416-491-7710 mwade@mwla.ca www.mwla.ca

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11

Beaverbrook: An Integrated Approach to Energy Star By John Godden

A

Process not Product

s most are aware, building homes in East Gwillimbury means mandatory Energy Star certification. The label is actually a condition of closing. Beaverbook Homes, with the help of EnerQuality’s builder mentoring program, has worked closely with the municipality and its contractors to deliver a better product. The integrated process started with educating Beaverbrook staff about Energy Star. All their homes were benchmarked and compared to the current building code. After choosing a builder option package that fit their needs, they embarked upon a consultation process with the municipality. The main feature of their Energy Star home is an integrated mechanical system, which maximizes the efficiency of hot water heating, and saves electrical energy with its distribution system. The municipality was unsure of this new system at first, so more consultation and education was done to make sure they had sufficient information. Then we worked with the HVAC designers to ensure that equipment was right sized for all the different housing types, and that onsite installers were trained to install and com-

Workshops “Rating System”

Checklist points targeted

Generic Definitions

Detailed Features Built into Target

Innovations Built into

Design

Specifications

Build

Feedback from Site Inspections

FINAL INSPECTIONS Testing & Certification

Feedback from Green/ Energy Rater

mission these systems. A key person in the process of specifying designing and building an Energy Star home is the contracts manager. Normally, his job is to keep costs under control, in this case he had the added requirement of meeting the Energy Star target. In using new technolo-

gy, it’s difficult for a contracts manager to have the information needed to be successful. It is necessary to revise scope of work and ensure that all subcontractors understand the terms of their revised contracts. “To build and Energy Star home on a budget is not as simple as it sound in the courses. You have to educate yourself about a lot of new products and ensure that site staff understand what you are trying to accomplish,” notes Mario Cirelli of Beaverbrook. “We work closely with Clearsphere Inc. and our site staff to ensure Energy Star certification by closing.” Another factor in making this project a success is the manufacturer’s support given to the Builder and HVAC contractors. Airia Brands’ Living Breathing Home program offers the builder a loyalty program and technical support to the HVAC contractor through the Lifebreath Academy, in addition to sales and marketing tools supplied to home builders’ sales staff. More importantly, they offer an educational DVD for homeowners to better understand the performance of their homes. There is also onsite technical support for trades, to ensure the first few homes are reviewed for quality control.

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SBM fall 2010

13

Demand Growing For Green Retrofits For Older Homes By Tracy Hanes

W

hile energy efficient and other ‘green’ features have become commonplace in many new homes, the fact is that new houses make up only a small percentage of Canada’s housing stock. New housing construction across Canada this decade has been running at about 1.75 per cent of the housing stock. About 75 per cent of the housing stock in Canada predates 1991with 25 per cent built since 1991. There’s been a wide ‘green’ gulf between new houses and older abodes which forward-thinking architects, consultants and renovators are now attempting to bridge. Paul Caverly, president of Toronto’s MyHaven Greenvision Homes, which offers green construction and renovation services for architects and consultants, says due to increasing public awareness and the impending ratings systems for older homes, the demand for eco-friendly renovations and products is growing. “More and more, every customer, if asked if they want low-VOC paints, says ‘absolutely, as long as it doesn’t cost more,’ or we have others who are going over the top, requesting solar panels and high-end heating systems,” says Caverly. “It’s encouraging to know that people are not only supporting, but demanding green renovations.” Some of the projects Caverly’s company has worked on, in tandem with architects and designers, has included creating a new home behind a historic facade in Yorkville, which required adhering to Heritage Board guidelines. Brick from the old foundation was reused to clad the bench footings and create a media room feature wall; old arch top windows were salvaged and displayed too. He says key to successful green retrofits is to have the architect or designer, consultants, homeowner and contractor involved together at the planning stage to “value engineer” projects to price retrofits accurately and provide the client with a host of options. One success story is a 60-year-old An-

14 SBM fall 2010

nex extensive home renovation Caverly’s company worked on with Levitt Goodman Architects. The client wanted a house that was spatialy interesting and durable and fun for their young son. Modern elements such as a continuous skylight along the roof ridge was added, to allow natural light to flow throughout the home, yet almost all of the house’s building structure was reused or salvaged, brick reused, low VOC paints used and renewable resource wood finishes used. And it came in on budget.

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The green retrofit trend is rapidly gaining momentum, says Caverly, and the trend will continue, especially as the public is making more informed choices to create cleaner, safer and healthier homes. To find more about MyHaven Greenvision Homes log on greenhomebuildertoronto.com or call Paul Caverly at: (905) 508–8075 to arrange a project planning consultation.

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SBM fall 2010

15

Brookfield Offer its Buyers No Cost Solar Panels By Tracy Hanes

B

rookfield Homes is among the first builders in Ontario to offer home buyers the option of free rooftop solar panels. Brookfield has agreed to participate in Pure Energies’ Solar Power Community, a program that installs and services rooftop

photovoltaic (solar) systems on new houses in designated subdivisions at no charge to homeowners. (Marshall Homes and Empire Communities are other participants). Pure Energies is a Toronto-based company formed last year after the Green Energy Act came into being. Brookfield will introduce the program at its Grand Valley Trails development in

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WITH US YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL MAKE MONEY AND YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE ! • PURE energies provides a “turn key”: system design, installation, 100% financing, maintenance and operations. • Every Home Buyer receives a guaranteed revenue stream from PURE energies for twenty years ( up to $1200/ year! ). • NO UPFRONT COSTS, NO CREDIT CHECK! • No hidden costs and no fine prints. CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR OFFERING: sales at (416) 913-0787 sales@pure-energies.com WWW.PURE-ENERGIES.COM First Canadian Place 100 King Street West, Suite 5700 Toronto, ON M5X 1C7 Canada

16 SBM fall 2010

www.pure-energies.com

Brantford initially. Interested homeowners receive a portion of the income produced by their individual solar systems (which feed energy into the power grid) up to a maximum $1,200 per year. Brookfield will also receive a financial incentive or installation allowance from Pure Energies. Pure Energies enters into a 20-year rooftop lease arrangement with the homeowner, who can buy the system for $1 after the arrangement expires. Pure Energies will maintain the system during the 20year contract. By working with subdivision builders, Pure Energies can deal in volume and provide free to homeowners systems that would normally cost $40,000 to $80,000. Pure Energies will derive income from Ontario Power Authority’s feed-in tariff, which pays 80 cents for every kilowatt hour generated by residential solar PV systems of 10 kilowatts or less, and pay a percentage to the homeowner. The orientation of each individual home, roof lines, etc. determines what size of solar system can be installed on each house. A solar array will be installed at Brookfield’s Grand Valley Trails certified GreenHouse model home, which along with an Energy Star model, is used to educate po-

vice. We are the liaison.” Brookfield will kick off the solar offering September 26 with a party and barbecue. The first phase of Grand Valley Trails is sold out, Phase 2A is being sold currently, with Phase 2B to be released later this fall. There will be 422 homes in all once the development is complete. Pure Energies, which designs, installs,

finances and operates the residential rooftop systems has partnered with Suntech Power and SMA America, the world’s largest supplier of solar panels and inverters. Pure Energies’ Chris Stern said, “at first, we weren’t getting a lot of homeowners signing up, but now there are eight or 10. As they get installed, people get more excited about them.”

Building for an environmentally sustainable future

tential buyers on the benefits of green features. Brookfield sales and marketing director Marc Thibault said the “with any green program, first you have to crawl, then walk and finally you can run. People need to understand and appreciate the green features before they’ll invest in them. It’s important for them to realize that they are saving money from the day they move in (with green features). “Not everyone is interested in saving the planet, but everyone is interesting in saving money,” said Thibault. The GreenHouse models is built to above Energy Star standards with increased insulation, high-efficiency furnace, HRV, high-efficiency hot water heater, power pipe and low-E argon windows. Thibault said the solar panels were a good complement to the green features of the model home. Other features include low-flow toilets and fixtures, greywater recycling, Energy Star appliances, low VOC paints and varnishes and materials with recycled content. Thibault said the solar panels “are kind of like having a basement apartment” in generating extra revenue for the homeowner at no extra cost. “In effect, we’re endorsing the program and making the introduction to homeowners. It’s a great ser-

MADY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 8791 Woodbine Avenue Suite 100 Markham, Ontario L3R 0P4 Phone (905) 944-0907 Fax (905) 944-0916 www.madycorp.com

Mady Development Corporation is committed to being an environmentally responsible developer focusing on sustainable building design and construction. SBM fall 2010

17

Making the Transition to LEED Can Be Painless

David Suzuki School

By Tracy Hanes

E

very developer or builder, whether constructing single family homes, condominiums, commercial facilities (eg. malls) or institutions (offices and schools), has to give some thought to green building practices. “One of the largest human contributions to environmental impact originates from buildings,” says Mark Opresnik, president of Opresnik Engineering Consultants Inc. (OECI), a firm that specializes in sustainable consulting. “It is imperative that we, as developers and designers, work in harmony to ensure the sustainability of the facilities where we live, work and play.” That often means considering the L word: LEED. Problem is, adopting that label can be intimidating. But “building green and going through the LEED process really isn’t that difficult,” says Opresnik. He says builders or developers shouldn’t be concerned if they or their trades haven’t built green before – the transition can be relatively painless. The key is to hire experienced green consultants from the start, says Opresnik. Consultants can lead through the design process, help to navigate onerous paperwork, and are well versed in what green practices and products are the best fit, saving time and money. Opresnik says that a builder’s staff and trades must be willing to learn. He’s found that most are enthusiastic to embrace sustainable practices.

18 SBM fall 2010

Modeling is also important consideration, he says; it’s an integral part of green building design, allowing architects and engineers to test a concept before it’s implemented into construction. It’s a requirement for all LEED projects and should be considered for all designs. Mady Developments, an OECI client, in just two short years went from building its first LEED project, a big box store, to confidently building the first LEED Platinum school in Canada. Mady now builds all its projects to LEED specs. As well as making smart business sense, Opresnik says, building green makes environmental sense. “Green buildings require less energy to operate, generate fewer harmful byproducts and pollutants, minimize water consumption and produce less waste.” For Opresnik, a mechanical engineer with experience in heating, ventilation and air conditioning and building automation, offering LEED consulting was a natural progression for him and his colleagues. “Most of the projects that are coming through our office now are LEED,” he notes. While the final acceptance of any credit is subject to the USGBC and CaGBC review committees, Opresnik says using experienced consultants can all but guarantee a positive outcome. Please contact OECI should you have any questions or are interested in pursuing building accreditation through either the USBGC or CaGBC. Click on www.oeci.ca.

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SBM fall 2010

19

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B

reaking ground next month, Ironstone Condominiums in Burlington are looking up to be the most environmentally responsible residences in the area. “Just by moving in, purchasers reduce their carbon footprint,” says Ironstone architect Roland Rom Colthoff of rawDESIGN, the architectural firm working on the building’s design. The most groundbreaking green feature of the project is a geothermal heating and cooling system, which will consist of a network of pipes planted 15 metres underground where the temperature of the earth is a constant 11 degrees Celcius. Water running through the pipes can then be heated or cooled as needed. To maximize energy efficiency in the building, each suite is equipped with individual thermostats and geothermal heat pumps to provide personalized climate control. The geothermal system will be complemented by a solar thermal system, eliminating the need for natural gas costs and the harmful emissions created by gas heating. Other eco-features include green roof areas and terraces for a touch of landscaping, and low-flow faucets and toilets for water conservation. Construction will prioritize building materials that contain recycled content and waste management procedures will be implemented to lessen waste. “Ironstone is a modern and sustainable take on condo living” explains Graham Chalmers of Davies Smith Developments, the condo’s developer.

Green teens: Carpenters’ Local Union 27 Supports Toronto Youth in Acquiring Green Construction Skills By Peter Kenter

A

City of Toronto initiative supported by Carpenters’ Local Union 27 is helping local youth acquire construction skills that include the latest in green building techniques. The pilot project was the youth-focused community hub at 1652 Keele Street, in which 10 young people living in the neighbourhood participated in construction. “A youth education component was part of the bidding process, requiring early buyin from union partners,” says Mark Piplica, Manager, Fair Wage Office with the City of Toronto. “The carpenters’ union worked closely with us before the contract was tendered to clear the way.” Youth workers were introduced to necessary skills, including health and safety awareness, at a two-week training session at the Carpenters’ Local 27 Training Centre. Victor Bunnaman, a carpenter with general contractor Toronto’s HSI Solutions and union steward acted as on-site trainer, sharing his knowledge of the craft, and the latest green building techniques.

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“This wasn’t just a make-work project,” says Bunnaman. “These young people produced professional results. Because of the contract structure, we were able to provide the time to help them understand what they were doing and why.” Bunnaman says students were introduced to green conOneil Barnes (left) struction techniques that inand James Cericola cluded separating usable ma- learned the latest in green terial, such as metal and drybuilding techniques, wall, during tear-down and including installation of the assisting sub-contractors in bamboo flooring on which placing energy-efficient film they’re standing. on building windows. “They also installed bamboo floors, one of the greenest of flooring materials,” he says. The hub was officially opened in April tunities of the green economy,” says Mike by Toronto Mayor David Miller who an- Yorke, President of Carpenters and Allied nounced that youth training would become Workers Local 27. a permanent feature of city construction “That commitment has seen green buildcontracts. Two youth workers, Oneil Barnes ing advanced as an important issue on the and James Cericola, attended the ceremony national stage. These young people aren’t as employable members of Local 27. just being trained in construction, they’re “We were one of the first building trades being trained for the future of constructo commit to the challenges and oppor- tion.”

THE CARPENTERS’ UNION Congratulates Mady Development for LEEDING the Way in Green Construction

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SBM fall 2010

21

A Case for Using Wood

C

onstructing and operating buildings have an immense environmental impact. Globally, buildings are responsible for 20% of all water consumption, 25-40% of all energy use, 30-40% of greenhouse gas emissions and 30-40% of solid waste generation. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change said buildings could represent the greatest opportunity for making considerable reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. About 30 percent of the projected global greenhouse gas emissions in the building sector could be avoided by 2030 through green building choices. Using sustainably harvested wood as a construction material is a simple and cost-effective way to help fight climate change. Carbon dioxide is a key driver of global warming and it also happens to be an important ingredient in wood. As trees grow, they draw car-

22 22 SBM SBM fall fall 2010 2010

bon dioxide from the atmosphere and, using solar energy, convert it into the raw material for long-lived wood construction products. Managed forests can redirect more carbon away from the atmosphere than natural forests. Trees remove the most carbon dioxide when they are young and growing. Carbon absorption slows down as trees mature and eventually they release carbon when they die. If the trees are harvested before they burn or decay, the carbon is stored indefinitely in the wood products, and new trees are planted to begin the cycle again. Wood products sequester more carbon dioxide than is emitted during harvesting, transportation and manufacturing, which means they actually have a negative greenhouse gas footprint. Every thousand square feet of oriented strand board represents a net greenhouse gas removal equal to almost two barrels of oil.

A typical North American woodframe home captures about 29 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). The carbon (C) is stored in the wood and the oxygen (O2) is released back into the atmosphere. One-third of the energy consumed in North America is used to heat, cool, and ventilate buildings; to light them; and to keep appliances running. Energy efficiency in building operations is critical to sustainable building. Wood is far more resistant to heat flow than other materials which means it is easier to insulate. Wood is 400 times better than steel and 10 times better than concrete in resisting the flow of heat. This means more insulation is needed for steel and concrete to achieve the same thermal performance as with wood framing. While operating energy is typically of greater interest, embodied energy is important – and in a highly en-

ergy-efficient building, it may actually be the larger of the two. The manufacturing of wood products typically requires far less energy, and in particular, less fossil fuel energy, than alternate materials. Life cycle assessment measures the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life – from resource extraction through to products manufacturing, on-site building construction, occupancy, and eventual demolition, as well as disposal, reuse, or recycling. Prescriptive approaches to green design often focus on a single characteristic, such as recycled content, with an assumption that some positive environmental performance comes with those properties. Life cycle assessment takes away much of the guesswork by calculating actual outcomes based on quantifiable indicators of environmental impact, such as global warming potential, resource use, embodied energy, air pollution, water pollution, and solid waste. Numerous life cycle assessment studies worldwide have shown that wood products have environmental advantages over other building materials at every stage. In Canada, we appreciate and value our vast forests, and need to continue to manage them sustainably. Wood is plentiful in North America, and it is the only major building material that is truly renewable. For more information on this topic, you are encouraged to contact Ontario Wood WORKS! Email shicks@woodworks.ca or call toll free 1-866-886-3574 ext. 384. This article based on content taken from “Canadian Wood. Renewable by Nature. Sustainable by Design.� This document, originally published by Forestry Innovation Investment, the Forest Products Association of Canada and the Canadian Wood Council, is provided here with permission by Wood WORKS! Ontario, a project of the Canadian Wood Council.

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SBM fall 2010

23

Will Horses Drink Green Water?

A

s the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. At BILD, we’re not in the business of forcing our home builder members to do anything, but we do believe in providing them with the information, education, and training opportunities to encourage them in certain directions. Since 2007, when BILD made a strategic commitment to promote best practices in sustainable development and green building, we have maintained a steady flow of information and educational opportunities to the membership – we’re leading builders to the water, so to speak, and many of them are choosing to drink it, voluntarily I might add. Our training partnership with EnerQuality Corp. is a great case in point. The model is quite simple - BILD serves as the marketing partner and EnerQuality serves as the training delivery agent. With BILD’s imprimatur on the training offer, our builders have been signing up in droves. “Education is critical to the uptake of programs like Energy Star and GreenHouse. The 200-plus Toronto area builders participating in the programs attest to the success of EnerQuality’s training partnership with BILD,” says Corey McBurney, president of EnerQuality. “Together, we’ve delivered 62 workshops

24 SBM fall 2010

By

Stephen Dupuis

and trained over 1,200 Toronto-area building professionals from sales and marketing staff to construction and contracts management,” McBurney adds. Horses of a different colour With the home builder training market well in hand, EnerQuality is moving to fill a vacuum in the area of green training for renovators. This initiative is in response to popular demand by the contractors themselves, and is something that has been talked about for some time. Obviously, renovation is dramatically different than building from scratch, and renovators are a horse of a different colour (meant in the positive sense), which is why it has taken much longer to get to this point of green departure in renovator training. Thankfully, we’re finally there, with nowhere to go but up. BILD looks forward to working with EnerQuality as a marketing partner to lead

our renovator members to the green waters and I believe we will find that renovators are very thirsty for green information, education and training. . Horses LEEPing I might be working this equine analogy a little too hard with the subtitle but I would say that green education and training is about to take a quantum “LEEP” forward and I’ll tell you why. In early June, BILD was selected by Natural Resources Canada and EnerQuality to participate in the Local Energy Efficiency Partnership/Technology Adoption Pilot, (LEEP/TAP). Under LEEP/TAP, several homebuilders and renovators with active projects in the City of Vaughan are working side by side with the City of Vaughan building department in a professionally facilitated process to identify green materials, products and technologies they would like to implement in Discovery Homes. While the Discovery Homes represent a great way to market the message of sustainable development and green building to would-be new homeowners, the LEEP process will be equally valuable in furthering information transfer and education and training opportunities within the industry. With all this drinking going on, my next column may be on drunk horses. Cheers. Stephen Dupuis is president and CEO, Building Industry & Land Development Association

GREEN BUILDING FESTIVAL PROGRAM SCHEDULE The Green Building Festival (GBF) program showcases revolutionary innovation in green building from across the country and around the world. Day One (Wednesday, Sept 22) of GBF features visionary Keynotes providing a window into the forefront of sustainable development through real world examples achieving measurable results. The day is capped off with the annual Lifetime Achievement Awards for Green Building show and reception. Over the next two days, attendees have the option to choose between a number of focused sessions ranging from specific design approaches, to project financing, to common challenge areas. These sessions are designed for builders, designers and policy makers with a focus on providing real, actionable learning that can be applied in your organization today. In between sessions, attendees have access to the over 400 exhibitors that make up the GBF/IIDEX/Light Canada annual exposition. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2010 Time

Code

Session Title

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

GB-W01

Registration

Speaker(s)

12:00 – 12:45 PM

Lunch

Andrew Bowerbank, Mayor Adams

12:45 – 1:30 PM

Session 1: Principles of Place: Vibrant, Inspiring, Sustainable Session 2: Environmental Urbanism: Rethinking Urbanism in Environmental Terms Session 3: Making Cities Sustainable and Livable: Strategies for Success

Mark Edlen & Bob Packard Stephen Teeple

1:30 – 2:15 PM 2:15 – 3:00 PM 3:00 – 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 – 4:15 PM

Session 4: Stadthaus, Murray Grove: 9 Story Timber High-Rise Session 5: Sustainable Development: The U.K. Experience Session 6: Wadi Hanifah Restoration Project, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Session 7: Towards the CarbonNeutral City

4:15 – 5:00 PM 5:00 – 5:45 PM 5:45 – 6:30 PM 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Michel Trocme

Craig Liddell Nick Hayes Ajon Moriyama & George Stockton Thomas Auer

Green Building Festival Cocktail Party @ Café Soleil

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

GB-W02

8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

GB-W03

8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

GB-W04

Introduction to Energy Simulation Using eQUEST Best Practices for Full Height Basement Insulation - OAA CORE ENERGY STAR for New Homes Builder Workshop - OAA CORE

Brian Fountain Michael Lio Al Schmidt SBM fall 2010

25

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 Time

Code

Session Title

9:00 – 11:00 AM

GB-T01

Sustainable Development: Policy, Planning and Infrastructure Session 1: Building Green Cities at No Cost Session 2: Green Building & Public Policy — Incentives that Work Session 3: Community Energy Systems in Canada

9:00 – 11:00 AM

GB-T02

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

9:00 – 11:00 AM

GB-T03

GB-T04

GB-T05

Derek Satnik Susan Spencer Lewin, Mary Ellen Richardson, Derek Macartney, & Mark Salerno

Debbie Baxter

John Kokko Peter DuckworthPilkington

Advanced Approaches to Green Building Session 1: The Holcim Awards: Recognizing Important Contributions to Sustainable Construction Session 2: Design Your Own Adventure: Combining Energy and Cost Analysis with Autodesk Revit Architecture Session 3: SMART GRID Taking Our Cue From Nature

Luc Robitaille

Session 1: Design for Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Alexandru Taranu, Daniel Leeming, Robert Freedman, Eric Turcotte, & Rick Merrill

Jay Polding Chris Beaver

Design Panel on Sustainable & Healthy Communities

Achieving Optimal Indoor Environments Session 1: Green Acoustics: General Lessons & The Role of Sound Masking Session 2: Forget What You Have Been Told About IAQ

26 SBM fall 2010

Richard Vermeulen

Maximizing Returns on Green Building Investment Session 1: When Green Means Business: How Striving for Sustainable Facilities for Your Company Can Pay Off Session 2: Recommissioning: Why It’s the Lowest Cost Way to Improve Building Performance Session 3: Lessons Learned from a First-Generation of Green Buildings

9:00 – 11:00 AM

Speaker(s)

Stan Klas Ed Lowans

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 Time

Code

Session Title

Speaker(s)

9:00 – 11:00 AM

GB-T01

Gerry Cornwell

1:00 – 3:00 PM

GB-T06

Session 3:Development: Achieving Optimal Sustainable Policy, Performance FromInfrastructure Lighting Systems Planning and

9:00 AM 1:00––11:00 3:00 PM

GB-T02 GB-T07

9:00 – 11:00 AM

GB-T03

1:00 – 3:00 PM

GB-T08

1:00 – 3:00 PM 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

GB-T09 GB-T04

8:30 – 9:30 AM

GB-T10

9:00 – 11:00 AM

GB-T05

8:30 – 9:30 AM

GB-T11

Advanced Solutions for Thermal Session 1: Building Green Cities at No Control Richard Vermeulen Cost Session Infrared Session1:2:Gas-Fired Green Building & Heating: Public Jim McLellan Derek Satnik Sustainable or Bells Policy — Technology Incentives that Workand Whistles? Session 3: Community Energy Systems Susan Spencer Session in 2: Canada Shading in HighGeorge Strickland Lewin, Performance Facades Mary Ellen Session 3: Radiant Heating and Cooling Richardson, Jerry Leyte for Commercial Buildings: Reducing Derek Macartney, & Energy Consumption While Improving Mark Salerno Indoor Environmental Quality Maximizing Returns on Building: Green Business Panel on Green Building Investment Financing, Risk, and Commercial Markets Session 1: When Green Means Debbie Baxter Business: Striving Green for Sustainable Session 1:How Leveraging Building Chris Ouellette Facilities Your Company Can Pay Assets:for Unlocking Green Value in Off Financing Session 2: Recommissioning: Session 2: Green FinanceWhy 101 It’s John Kokko Andrew the Lowest Cost Way to Improve MacSkimming Building Performance Session 3: 3: Lessons Learned from Session The Sustainability of a Peter DuckworthSimon MacMahon First-Generation of Green Buildings Canada’s Commercial Real Estate Pilkington Industry Session 4:Approaches Green Design: Risky Advanced to Green Stéphane Boucher Business forBuilding Design Consultants Green Building Case Studies Session The Holcim Luc Robitaille Session 1: A1: Grander View:Awards: The Making Steve Kemp Recognizing Important Contributions to of Canada’s Most Energy-Efficient Sustainable Construction Office Own Adventure: Session Jay Polding Session2:2:Design Corus Your Entertainment: From Michelle Xuereb, Combining Black Energytoand Cost Analysis Green Caroline Robbie & with Autodesk Revit Architecture Scott Dyer Session 3: SMART GRID Taking Our Chris Beaver Cue From Nature Water and Stormwater: Technologies for Low Design Panel onImpact Sustainable & Healthy Communities Session 1: Advanced Eco-technologies for Lowfor Impact Session 1: Design Sustainable and Healthy Communities Session 2: Water, The Low Hanging Fruit in Sustainability One Planet House Retrofit

Vanessa Keitges Alexandru Taranu, Daniel DavidLeeming, G. Sim Robert Freedman, Eric Turcotte, & Rick Merrill

Session 1: One Planet House Retrofit Achieving Optimal Indoor Environments

Rodney Wilts & Scott Demark

Sustainability: Lessons fromGeneral the Past Session 1: Green Acoustics: and a Vision to the Future Lessons & The Role of Sound Masking

Stan Klas

Session What You Have Been Session2: 1: Forget Sustainability: Lessons from Told About IAQ the Past and a Vision to the Future

Ed Lowans Lyle Scott SBM fall 2010

27

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2010 Time

Code

Session Title

Speaker(s)

8:30 – 11:30 AM

GB-F01

John Godden & Gord Cooke

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

GB-F02

8:30 – 11:30 AM

GB-F03

Cost-Effectively Meeting and Surpassing the 2012 Ontario Building Code for Lowrise Residential Housing Sustainable Stormwater Practices: Fundamentals Solar Opportunity for Builders

8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

GB-F04

8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

GB-F05

8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

GB-F06

Integrated Design Process Workshop Life Cycle Costing for Green Building Design Understanding Standard 189.1: The Green Standard for HighPerformance Buildings

Chris Denich Svend De Bruyn & Alex Waters Rodney Wilts Robert Charette Tom Lawrence

SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS Design Panel on Sustainable & Healthy Communities This 3 hour course will provide an overview of current design for sustainable and healthy development at the street, block, neighbourhood scale with emphasis on the role of designers. The Course will include a series of presentations by 7 prominent professionals in the field of urban design and members of the Council for Canadian Urbanism. One Planet House Retrofit This seminar is an in-depth case study of a deep green sustainability retrofit in Ottawa, Canada. This project involves the demolition of all but the shell of an existing 1920's home, and retrofits it to meet LEED Platinum/PassivHaus standards. Using the One Planet framework the design of this home looks broadly at sustainability, including net zero energy, ultra-low potable water usage, sustainable materials, exemplary indoor air quality, on-site food growing, and responsible site selection. Cost-Effectively Meeting and Surpassing the 2012 Ontario Building Code for Lowrise Residential This seminar features two of Canada’s top residential green building consultants: Gord Cooke and John Godden, discussing the upcoming changes to the 2012 Ontario Building Code and what builders need to know about meeting them.

Register at:

www.GreenBuildingFest.com

28 SBM fall 2010

A Message from the

Conference Chair

I

am proud to have been involved with the Green Building Festival since its inception in 2005. The organizing committee has always tried to make the Festival a dynamic experience for industry professionals by providing educational opportunities on the best in green building design. The unique venues over the past years (including the CBC building, Ontario Place and others) have also effectively contributed to the evolving character of the Festival. In 2009, the Festival took a bold and positive step by partnering with the IDEX Conference, Canada’s largest interior design show. This merger effectively demonstrated how green building strategies have evolved over the years, from an exercise in engineering and energy efficiency to a discipline actively incorporating elements of creative design. The focus of green buildings also began to transcend beyond individual buildings to consider whole sustainable communities. Recently, I have seen a new shift in green design and development that puts a greater emphasis on social and cultural factors. Fifty per cent of North America’s population lives in urban centres and people spend 90 per cent of

their time living, working, and playing inside buildings. Slowly, green buildings are becoming common knowledge. And slowly, the concept is spreading beyond builders, architects, engineers, and designers. Someday, doctors, teachers, and other professionals will have a better understanding of how the built environment can improve their social services.

Jeremy Rifkin

With populations expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, we cannot afford to build cities with the traditional practices that have contributed 40 per cent of the carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Buildings need to become an integral part of the solution to climate change and stand as a testament to our ability to find a solution to this hu-

man-made problem. The Festival continues to effectively present a wide range of practical solutions and strategies by demonstrating how green buildings, at the community scale, can provide effective solutions to global climate concerns. Thanks to the hard work of Sustainable Buildings Canada and MMPI (IIDEX organizers), and with support from Toronto and Region Conservation, and the Toronto Chapter of the CaGBC, the agenda for this year’s Festival is focusing on the practical aspects of deep green community building. I am very pleased that this year’s Environmental Keynote is Jeremy Rifkin. Mr. Rifkin has been an advisor to the European Union for the past decade and is the principal architect of its Third Industrial Revolution (a long-term economic sustainability plan) to address the triple challenge of the global economic crisis, energy security, and climate change. The Third Industrial Revolution was formally endorsed by the European Parliament in 2007 and is now being implemented by various agencies within the European Commission. There will, as always be a day of amazing plenary sessions that will review strategies to support

community housing, green financing, water conservation, and much more. Leading green building projects that are having a dramatic impact across Europe, the Middle East and North America will be presented. Indepth training seminars will to educate professionals on new energy modeling software, solar energy integration, the 2012 Ontario Building Code and more. A formal market report on electric vehicle infrastructure in Ontario will be launched for the first time and we have the privilege of hosting a public discussion between the mayors of Toronto and Portland, Oregon. There will be no shortage of ideas, information, examples, and new opportunities. It is important to recognize that Ontario is as global leader in green economic strategies, the Greater Toronto Area is the epicenter of the province’s leadership activity, and the Green Building Festival is the industry’s key conduit to showcase this dynamic leadership. I encourage each of you to take full advantage of what the 2010 Green Building Festival has to offer, bring your associates and stay for the receptions and celebrations! Andrew Bowerbank 2010 Conference Chair of the GBF

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The Annual Green Building Festival A Brief History of Time Well-Spent By Mike Singleton Executive Director of Sustainable Buildings Canada

T CaGBC Toronto Chapter Booth

his year marks the sixth anniversary of the annual Green Building Festival (GBF). Since its inception in 2005, the GBF has featured the finest examples and the leading practitioners of the green building movement, largely due to the terrific work of our Program Director, Tom Ponessa. With a blend of national and international speakers, the GBF has always been Canada’s leading technical conference for the design, construction, and operation of sustainable buildings and communities. The GBF has also been the crowning achievement for Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC) and as executive director of SBC, I have seen firsthand the benefits that a worldclass festival brings. Along the way, we have had a lot of help from the community and from a few key people and organizations, such as the event coordinators, the Innovolve Group, and our Operations Manager, Jeff Ranson. Over the years, key support has come from our delivery partners, the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

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30 SBM FALL 2010

Sustainable Housing Foundation

Last year, for the first time, we co-located the GBF at the annual Interior Design Show (IIDEX) and the success of that partnership resulted in us renewing that arrangement for 2010. The support, insight, and overwhelming capabilities of the IIDEX team is allowing us to again feature a series of great speakers, exhibitors, and workshops. This year, we have amplified our training activities – offering eight concurrent training sessions over two days, which will be of specific interest to the green building community. Since our first year, we have attempted to marry an overarching theme to the selection of our speakers and the respective projects. The themes were also intended to be part of a “continuum of sustainability” over the years – building each year towards bigger ideas and bigger scope. This year, our theme goes beyond just a buildings perspective, focusing on how buildings interact with neighbourhoods and cities, and how city planning and policy can impact the nature of green development. As part of that theme, we have engaged a Conference Chair who understands the connections between buildings and communities. As former executive director of the Canada Green Building Council, Toronto Chapter and the World Green Building Council, Andrew Bowerbank brings a unique combination of skill-sets. Andrew has recently created a new initiative – EC3, which has as its foundation a collaborative approach to energy, climate, and communications, recognizing the interactions inherent in climate change. One of EC3’s first efforts is the launching of a building and renewable energy integrated approach to refuelling electric vehicles. Andrew will be officially launching the program as part of the Festival and we look forward to collaborating with EC3 in the future. One of the activities we are most proud of with the Festival is the annual recognition of individuals as part of the Lifetime Achievement Awards. As usual, we have three individuals who are being recognized. This year, we are also pleased to present one Special Achievement Award. All the awards will be given out at the cocktail reception

Mindscape Innovations Booth

immediately following the plenary sessions on Wednesday, September 22. I sincerely hope that you can join us

this year. It promises to be the must-attend event for visitors and participants alike who share an interest in sustainable living.

ALLIANCE

SURVEYS

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Top International Practitioners Offer Insight and Education In Sustainability By Tom Ponessa M. Arch, LEED AP, Director of Programs Sustainable Buildings Canada

T

he sixth annual Green Building Festival (GBF) will again feature a roster of some of the best practitioners and projects in sustainable building and design. From the beginning, the Green Building Festival (GBF), delivered by Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC), has been Canada’s leading technical conference for the design, construction, and operation of the sustainable built environment. GBF’s goal is to provide a level of depth and solutions that participants can begin applying in their practices immediAjon Moriyama ately. It has been a great pleasure and a career highlight for me to act as director of the GBF and interact with the best and the brightest. They in turn have generously praised the GBF for the advanced level of sustainable design knowledge we deliver. This year promises to be one of the best we’ve ever held. Thanks to the generosity of Platinum sponsors Ontario Power Authority and the High Performance New Construction program, Gold sponsors Delcan, Enbridge and GreenSaver, and Bronze sponsor Autodesk, we are able to deliver an a program second to none. The kickoff to the GBF will be a series of seven plenary speakers on September 22 who will focus on “The City”; their presentations will range from buildings, planning, and policy to water, energy, and innovations with materials, specifically a nine-storey wood highrise. It wasn’t until the second year of the GBF that we really found our stride and established it as not only a high quality conference, but a great experience for the delegates as well. Two of the people that made it a success will be appearing at this year’s conference.

32 SBM fall 2010

Thomas Auer from Transsolar (Germany) engaged the audience in 2006 with his presentation of the Manitoba Hydro Building and its energy-conserving innovations. This year, he will illustrate how that building informed the climate engineering Transsolar has proposed for Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. It’s designed as the ecological city of the future, a self-sufficient sustainable city with high-density living and working space. A specialist in the fields of integrated building systems and energy-efficient building design, Thomas has worked in collaboration with internationally-known architects and developed energy concepts for projects around the world noted for innovative design and low-energy use. These concepts have incorporated interior and exterior comfort in the Thomas Auer design of low-carbon projects, from individual building scale to urban district scale. Thomas is a partner and managing director of Transsolar, a climate engineering firm with offices in Stuttgart, Munich and New York. Thomas teaches at Yale University School of Architecture, and he speaks frequently at conferences and symposia. The other 2006 alumnus is Toronto’s Ajon Moriyama, chair of the GBF that year. This year, Ajon will be presenting Wadi Hanifah in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), a vital water resource so severely degraded from municipal and industrial wastewater as to be considered dead. Implementing a unique strategy of naturalization and bioremediation, the river and related ecology have been restored, ensuring the future viability of the Wadi and creating a thriving system of parks and naturalized green spaces for the use and enjoyment of the people of Riyadh. Ajon, a partner at Moriyama & Teshima Architects, is an accomplished designer who joined M&T in 1989 after working with Arata Isozaki & Associates in Tokyo. Ajon has contributed to the design of numerous

award-winning projects and design competitions including the New Canadian War Museum, the Saudi Arabian National Museum in Riyadh, Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, the Aga Khan Delegation Building, the Bata Shoe Museum, the design of the master plan and environmentally sustainable infrastructure facilities for the 520hectare campus of Kuwait University, in Kuwait and – most currently – the Holy Cities of Makkah Master Plan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

George Stockton

Presenting with Ajon will be George Stockton, a landscape architect and planner who has been working with Moriyama & Teshima Planners Limited since 1969. Now president of the firm, he has been project director of several long-term environmentally sensitive visionary plans which have won significant international awards from the Waterfront Center in Washington: the Wadi Hanifah Comprehensive Development Plan, Ramsey Lake Community Improvement Plan, 100-year conceptual master plan for the Meewasin Valley in Saskatchewan, and 100-year vision for Ontario’s Niagara Parks. George’s landscaping projects, which include university and corporate campuses and a major green roof for the new Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, are equally respectful of existing natural features and ecological conditions. This year, the mayors of Portland and Toronto give presentations on their respective sustainable city initiatives. Over the years,

Portland has pioneered and become synonymous with visionary sustainable planning. We are excited to be able to bring in two people who have made that vision a reality. Developer Mark Edlen and architect Bob Packard have often teamed up to deliver buildings that are not only green, but transform the immediate urban area. Mark, CEO of GED, will address the 10 essential Principles of Place™ where people can Mark Edlen work, live, and learn. GED believes that people are increasingly interested in living more meaningful lives. Creating places that offer fresh air, foster creativity, and incorporate art and culture helps them achieve that goal. Mark is internationally recognized for his expertise and success in creating mixed-use commercial, residential, educational, and retail developments. He has overseen the development of 56 projects, totaling approximately $4.8 billion since the inception of GED. GED recently partnered with ZGF Architects LLP (ZGF) to develop Twelve|West, a mixed-use building in downtown Portland, Oregon, designed to achieve two LEED Platinum certifications. Bob Packard, ZGF’s managing partner, will present the successful application of the Principles of Place to this building. Wind turbines sit prominently atop the building, the first such installation on a U.S. urban highrise. The building has already won several honours, including the American Institute of Architect’s COTE Award recognizing the Top 10 Green Projects in the U.S., and

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33

the International Interior Design Association’s Smart Environments Award, awarded in conjunction with Metropolis magazine. Bob Packard joined ZGF Architects in 1979 and became managing partner in 1984, responsible for directing the firm’s strategic, financial, and operational activities. Bob helped form policy for architects, locally and nationally, to embrace the 2030 Bob Packard Challenge and commit to other sustainable design initiatives. He has led a wide range of nationally recognized projects in health care, research, transportation/light rail, and other civic buildings, including the MAX light rail system in Portland, recipient of a 2000 Presidential Design Award, the Children’s Hospital in Denver, National Institutes of Health, embassies, and consulates worldwide for the U.S. Department of State, Portland International Airport and Port of Portland Headquarters Building, and Twelve|West mixed-use development in Portland. He received his B.A. from Willamette University and his Masters in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado’s College of Environmental Design Two of Toronto’s leading practitioners will address the green city in terms of buildings and master plans. Over the past decade, Toronto has been redefining community and cooperative housing and brought innovative thinking into the mix. Stephen Teeple will present his design for the 60 Richmond Street East Co-Op.

‘Environmental urbanism’ defines Teeple Architects’ approach to design practice, whereby sustainable attributes are embraced as an expressive force and woven into the conceptual basis of the built and urban form. Stephen will discuss how the form, space, and sentient experience of the city can be positively influenced by imagining them in environmental terms. Stephen is a graduate of the University of Waterloo where he Stephen Steeple received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1980. In 1989, he received his Master of Science in Building Design from Columbia University. Stephen Teeple established Teeple Architects in 1989. His work has exemplified sensitive and personal responses to site, landscape, and program. Recent projects include the new Creative Arts Building at Langara College in Vancouver, BC, Sherbourne Park Pavilion in Toronto, and the Hawking Centre (Expansion of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics) in Waterloo. Stephen’s work also includes mixeduse residential projects in Toronto, including 60 Richmond Housing Co-Operative, 318 Richmond Street West condominium, and the M5V condominium. At the master plan scale, Michel Trocmé will present the work of Urban Strategies, one of the premier urban design firms in Canada. This session focuses on a number of new sustainable solutions that cities around the world are using to meet carbon neutral objectives. Drawing from recent projects in North America, Europe,

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34 SBM fall 2010

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and Asia, Michel will highlight elements of sustainable infrastructure and best practices being integrated into the planning for new sustainable and liveable communities. Michel is lead urban designer on a wide range of public and private sector projects, including urban revitalization frameworks, new community designs, and regional planning. Drawing on over two decades of experience in North AmerMichel Trocmè ica, Europe, and Asia, Michel develops visionary and practical solutions to a variety of challenged environments and his goal is to create high-quality, engaging, and distinctive environments that foster community and a strong sense of place. He has taught urban design at Harvard Design School, the University of Toronto, and York University. Two U.K. speakers round off the agenda for Day 1. Nick Hayes, international director of BRE, the U.K.’s Building Research Establishment, will introduce BRE and in particular, BREEAM, BRE’s Environmental Assessment Method for Buildings. Established in 1988, BREEAM now has 1.2 million registrations, with about 300,000 certified worldwide. BREEAM is tailored to address a wide range of specific building types, including industrial, retail, schools, and healthcare, and can provide assessments from pre-design through post-construction. The latest version of BREEAM, named ‘BREEAM in Use’ has been developed to make existing buildings more sustainable, and is attracting significant international interest. Nick will also discuss the Code for Sustainable Homes, developed by BRE, now set by the U.K. government to provide mandatory targets for new-build housing, and the role of the BRE Innovation Parks in building full-scale demonstration homes that meet or exceed the Code. Expanding the issue of sustainability beyond the buildings, Nick will highlight how the BREEAM approach can support the delivery of sustainable communities, in particular through the newly developed BREEAM Communities standard and the role of the ‘GreenPrint’ methodology. Nick is a chartered mechanical engineer who joined BRE in 1994. Previously, as director of the Sustainable Development Group, he managed a team of over 60 specialists in sustainable development, energy technologies, energy modeling, design, and procurement. Craig Liddell will deliver what may well be the most provocative presentation we have ever scheduled. Stadthaus Murray Grove is the tallest timber residential structure in the world. The nine-storey building is the first of this height with loadbearing walls, floors, and cores made entirely from timber. Stadthaus was assembled in just 27 days, using the KLH structural cross-laminated timber panel system. Research shows that Stadthaus stores 186 tons of carbon within its structure Craig Lidell

for its lifetime. The entire building was completed within 49 weeks of starting, estimated to be a saving of five months over a concrete frame building. Craig, commercial director of KLH UK, is passionate about the environment and the use of sustainable materials within the construction industry. Craig studied environmental management and has responsibility for the day-to-day running of the company, managing Nick Hayes all the commercial aspects of the business, including new business, business development, and operational issues. A final mention should be made about one of the breakouts occurring on Day 2 of the conference. “Design for Sustainable and Healthy Communities” is a three-hour master session which will provide an overview of current design for sustainable and healthy development at the street, block, and neighbourhood scale, with emphasis on the role of designers. Examples of urban design work from across the province and country, in areas such as downtown revitalization and regeneration, intensification and infill, transitoriented development, green urban extensions will be presented, including opportunities for architects, landscape architects, and other design professionals. Specific urban design methods and tools to achieve such developments will be presented, including measuring tools such as LEED ND (Neighbourhood Development). The course will include a series of presentations by seven prominent professionals in the field of urban design and members of the Council for Canadian Urbanism: Robert Freedman, MRAIC, LSUC, Director of Urban Design, City of Toronto Dan Leeming, MCIP, RPP, Partner, The Planning Partnership, Toronto Alex Taranu, OAA, MRAIC, RPP, MCIP, Manager, Urban Design, City of Brampton Eric Turcotte, OAA, MRAIC, Senior Associate, Urban Strategies, Toronto Rick Merrill, OAA, Partner, The Planning Partnership, Toronto Mark Guslits, B. Arch, OAA, MRAIC, Vice President, HOK Canada Once again, the GBF offers delegates advanced “deep green” learning opportunities that deliver the “how” of sustainable design. GBF is proudly hosted by Sustainable Buildings Canada, Canada’s leading label neutral and objective green building association supporting, educating, and empowering building professionals to achieve a high level of sustainability performance. More information on the conference sessions can be found at http://www.iidexneocon.com/2010/index.php/seminars/ . We hope to see you there. Jeremy Rifkin

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The Drivers for Continual Improvement By Gord Cooke

M

ore and more, Ontario builders are beginning to ask me: “What is the best way to cost effectively meet the new Ontario Building Code requirements coming in 2012?” As Mike Lio and others will tell you, there are many paths to take and each will suit different builders, but my answer is same for all builders: Begin a companywide process of continual improvement and whatever path you choose, it will be more cost effective. Across North America, building codes are changing, and the political push for more durable, healthier, and ever more efficient homes is strong. In the States and across Canada, builders are realizing that they will likely be changing not just what, but how, they build every three to five years. This is far cry from how their parents built homes, where traditional methods consistently won out over innovation. Current builders need to begin a journey towards continual improvement, not only to meet new code and label changes, but simply to stay competitive. Energy efficiency is only one aspect. Cost, throughput, comfort, indoor air quality, health, and safety, and durability are all aspects that can be improved by engaging in a continual improvement process. In the past, builders chose their building materials largely based on cost and brand: Brand-X insulation versus BrandY insulation, or Brand-A hot water tank versus Brand-B hot water tanks. But soon builders will be making more substantive choices, such as choosing between upgrading the HVAC efficiency or the wall insulation levels, or between on air tightness or ventilation efficiency. This will require everyone from the contracts manager to the architect to take a more holistic approach to homebuilding. The role of contracts manager might change the most, for I think that days of

36 SBM fall 2010

getting six or seven quotes for the same job are over. Leading managers will be moving towards strategic partnerships with two, or perhaps three, key trades who will not be “hammered down” for the lowest price, but consulted and brought into the process to give input into how to make their job easier and more cost-effective. John Godden and I are friends and colleagues, but we rarely present together; in fact, we only share the stage once a year at the Green Building Festival in Toronto. Last year, we talked about best practices across North America, and this year we will be addressing the issue of Cost Effectively Meeting and Surpassing the 2012 Ontario Building Code for Low-rise Residential Housing. This course will explore the how the 2012 Building Code is raising the bar on energy efficiency to EnerGuide 80, and how that will move Energy Star and other voluntary labelling programs to EnerGuide 83 and above.

These levels of efficiency can be challenge for production builders, but for those who do it right, it’s an opportunity to build better and more cost-effectively. This seminar will look at the most cost effective ways to meet EnerGuide 80 and 83 in a production building context. The focus will be on cost effectiveness, quality control, and innovation. But we will also look at strategies for continual improvement, not just for energy, but for all the other benefits mentioned above. Now is the time to start thinking seriously about a strategy for 2012, either to meet code or Energy Star or to surpass both by a significant margin. For more, attend our seminar at the Green Building Festival, Friday, September 24 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Its code GB-F01 and you can register at www.GreenBuildingFest. com. Gord Cooke is the President of Building Knowledge Canada

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Sustainable Condo display 2008

An Insider’s Guide to the Green Building Festival

T

he Green Building Festival is an opportunity to see the very best from around the world, to get inspired by what is possible, and to learn how it all works. We try to bring together not just the latest ideas, but the tangible insights that bring relevance to these projects. By We want people to leave with information they can Jeff use in their practices today. Ranson This year we have partnered with a number of associations to provide indepth technical training sessions for building practitioners. This ranges from a course on eQuest energy modelling software, to Energy Star for Homes training, to designing effective waste water management systems. Our partners include ASHRAE, the Sustainable Housing Foundation, the CSA, and EnerQuality. We also have a series of seminars on Thursday, Sept 23 that focus on very specific topics.

38 SBM fall 2010

One session walks through different heating and cooling approaches, another looks at principles for creating optimal indoor environments (lighting, acoustics, air quality). There are also sessions that get deep on financial implications and investment opportunities related to green building. Our plenary day on Wednesday, September 22, the central event of the GBF, is largely focused on the role of the urban environment in the next century, and features examples from around the globe of amazing projects from world-class cities. These range from individual buildings, to master plans, to public spaces. We are fortunate to welcome the mayor of Portland, Oregon as our guest, and the day will begin with a Portland-Toronto dialogue including leading architects from both cities presenting their work. Oth-

er presentations include projects from the U.K., Asia, and two very different projects in the Middle East. Besides trying to provide useful information that you can integrate right away, we want to connect you with the right people. Historically, the GBF audience is comprised of the real leaders in the industry and the intimate environment gives you plenty of opportunities to interact. Whether it’s the opening Mayors’ Lunch or the Lifetime Achievement Awards reception on Wednesday, September 22, or a special edition of Green Drinks Toronto in the trade show lounge on the 23rd, we try to recognize the value of networking. The Green Building section of the IIDEX/Neocon trade show features dozens of suppliers and service providers of all varieties, and the broader show including the Light Canada expo has over 400 exhibitors and gets 15,000-plus visitors. While you’re there, come by the EC3 initiative networking area to talk about latest developments in business and sustain-

2009 Lifetime Awards winners: Bach, Munro, Hough

ability initiatives. Because there is so much going on, I frequently get asked what I would do if I were an attendee at the festival. So here is what my itinerary would be: Tuesday, Day 1 (Sept. 22) This is the not-to-be missed day of the festival, and I would start with the Mayors’ Lunch, then stay to soak up all the information and inspiration of the plenary presentations. These international plenary speakers are the focal point to the whole show. I would then attend the special presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Awards. And of course stay for the reception following the awards. It’s always a great time to catch up with friends in the industry.

shops presented by the CaGBC Toronto chapter look great. Friday, Day 4 (Sept. 25) Finally, on Saturday I would wind things down by attending one of the two green Lenard Hart building tours. Either the Evergreen Brickworks tour, arguably the premier green building initiative in the province, or the Whatever route you may choose, I sin60 Richmond St. Co-Op tour, which is a cerely hope you enjoy your journey through fabulous building architecturally -- a merg- the festival. er of completely unique design that is green Jeff Ranson of Sustainable Buildings Canaand also affordable housing built on a tight da Page has been GP_SustBuilders_Ad_Layout 1 10-09-01 1:05 PM 1 the show manager for the GBF budget is truly remarkable. since 2007.

STANDING TALL

Wednesday, Day 2 (Sept. 23) I would love to catch a couple of the seminars, and spend a good amount of time walking and talking on the show floor. IIDEX/Neocon is one of the best looking industry shows around, a bi-product of its interior design roots. There are some really interesting exhibits from companies like Teknion and InterfaceFlor, and the architecture and interior design crowd are always lively. I would show up early for the 4 p.m. free environmental keynote address to get a good seat. Speaking is international author and environmental economist, Jeremy Rifkin. After the talk, I would head down to the trade show lounge for the “Green Drinks” event. Thursday, Day 3 (Sept. 24) This the day I would roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty, so to speak, by registering for one of the half-day or full-day technical training sessions. These are real practical, how-to information sessions. The lowrise homebuilders’ session has been really popular the past two years, and the new “Integrated Design Process” and “Lifecycle costing of Green Building Design” work-

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SBM SBMfall fall2010 2010 39

Getting in Control of Energy Use: Case Studies of Real-Time Energy Monitoring By Scott Rouse

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f you want to successfully manage a building’s energy use, you have to become more precise in how you measure energy consumption. This is the heart of an energy management plan. The following three case studies show how more accurate real-time measurement can lead to improved energy management and significant cost reductions. Our three-stage formula (Understand Right, Use Right, Buy Right) has been developed on the basis of hundreds of successes (and a few failures), working for the last two decades with large commercial, industrial, and institutional customers to improve their energy management practices. We contend that this formula, properly applied, will always result in reduced energy consumption, thus reducing energy costs, reducing the environment footprint, and increasing sustainability. Understand Right: The right information + the right expertise = Know-how “Know-how” is what you get when you unite expertise with information and produce actionable knowledge. This is easy to say, but in energy management, it’s not easy to do. The energy sector is complicated, composed of globalized markets supplied by multiple supply sources, and twisted by varied jurisdictional energy policies. From the customer’s perspective, local distribution companies provide standardized services that may or may not meet customers’ needs. Complicating things further, companies often divide roles and responsibilities, such that who pays the bill is often separated from who manages and/ or consumes the energy. Probably the biggest problem we’ve encountered working in energy management is that useful information is just not available to the customer. This is seen from a typical electricity bill.

mine a ‘weighted’ or average cost per kilowatt hour. The kWh is also multiplied by the ‘provincial benefit’ which some customers consider a tax, since the rate applies to the total kWh regardless of time of use. Peak real and apparent demand (kW and kVA )is multiplied by the respective utility rate; however, only the utility knows when the peak (s) occurred. Other costs are based on customer costs, HST etc. Knowing kWh, peak kW and kVa reveals little for the customer to ‘Understand Right’. For example: Is energy use better or worse than the previous month or in comparison with others? Is peak demand consistent or has an unusual peak occurred for a 15-minute period? What is the power factor (pf) and why is pf not shown on the bill? Is the energy use weather, occupancy or production sensitive? Are there demand response or load-shifting opportunities? If you do not have the right information, how can the right choice or decision be made to ‘Use Right’? By investing in the right tools and expertise, better information can be made available, not only for electricity, but for all utilities. Use Right: Know-how + leadership and partnership = Actionable Plan Let’s look at a recent example we encountered. An energy audit and benchmarking process compared hourly gas consumption profiles for two ‘sister’ buildings. The initial view was that Building 1 was the better energy performer, but to our surprise, after collecting and analyzing the data, Building 2 dramatically outperformed building 1. Figure 2 - Monthly gas profile (hourly data supplied by Enbridge).

Figure 1 - Typical data provided on a electricity bill.

An entire month’s electricity use is reduced to four numbers that track consumption: total energy sued (kWh), demand (kW), 15-minute peak (peak kW), and apparent power (kVA). These numbers allow the utility company to calculate a bill, but provide the customer little insight. The costs can be grouped into three components. The commodity cost is based on energy (kWh) used, typically 60 per cent of the bill. Hour-by-hour consumption is multiplied by the respective Hourly Ontario Electricity Price (HOEP), then divided by total kWh to deter-

40 SBM fall 2010

It is impossible to see the difference using monthly data. To get to the bottom of the problem, the property manager empowered us to work with Enbridge to access hourly data and generate more defined and informed consumption profiles. With the right information, we went further to track hourly use against heating degree days (HDD). Figure 2 shows a major discrepancy between the buildings’ base loads (the space between “0” and the lower dips of the blue line), that the buildings respond very differently to occupancy — night and weekend use (the blue line’s troughs) versus workday use (the peaks), and substantial contrast between the buildings’ response to HDD (the red line tracks hourly HDD). These graphs raise clearly defined questions so that we knew how to move forward: Notably, to develop a recommissioning plan to help us identify and correct building performance issue without sacrificing tenant comfort.

Figure 3

Figure 4

But no solution will be implemented given know-how alone. For effective action to be taken, an organization not only needs know how, but have the partnerships and leadership in place to move forward. Without the leadership of the property manager, partnerships between the operational team, Enbridge, and an energy management expert this diagnostic would not have happened.

Figure 5

Figure 5 Identifying and then fixing cycling loads from an electric ramp heater produced energy savings along with reducing the demand peak by 500 kW. Conclusion These case studies resulted in reduced energy costs, reduced environmental footprints, and improved sustainability. Our point is that anyone can achieve similar results by applying this simple formula. Understand Right by investing in the tools needed to properly understand building performance. Use Right by applying those tools to create an informed and actionable plan, and Buy Right by investing in the expertise and equipment needed to achieve results. Scott Rouse is the President of Energy@Work Inc., a leading edge energy management consulting firm based in Toronto. They work with large commercial, industrial and institutional clients to improve their energy performance across the triple bottom line. Visit their website for more information: www.energy-efficiency.com

Buy Right: Actionable Plan + Implementation = Results Let’s turn to some additional case studies where the same ‘Understand Right, Use Right, Buy Right” formula was put into place to generate sustainable energy savings. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are case study examples on problems identified and their solutions: Figure 3 Real-time monitoring was used to diagnose a scheduling issue that removed unnecessary energy use between 2 am and 4 am —property saved $80k / year. Figure 4 The technical director reviewed daily steam consumption from real time monitoring. On day 6, he realized that if steam use was maintained for the month, it would result in a significant budget shortfall. The problem was identified, system was properly isolated and on day 11 returned to normal and saving 20,000 lbs / day of steam.

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SBM fall 2010

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The Benefits of Building Green

Appleby Woods Condominiums built by Del Ridge Homes with geothermal and solar technology

42 SBM fall 2010

Geothermal Loops

By Dave De Sylva

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hy? It is a question that many ask. Why spend the money, the time, especially the effort. It is not easy to find an extra $4Million to spend on solar arrays, ground source technology and energy farms. It takes time to explore the inner workings of sustainability concepts and in particular how we can convince the establishment of government review to understand and accept them and then, of course, implement them. The answer is simple. It is worth the effort. The nature of change always includes the concept of rewards. Whether it manifests as different consequences in physical appearance or monetary gain we are guided and influenced by results. It becomes a measure of worth – a “right” side of an equation. If you invest then you expect the results to make it worthwhile. This is true of several events in the field of sustainable technology. Firstly, as a builder and developer of building “net-zero”, we are well received by the public. Although some purchasers have little or no knowledge of the engineering of building green, almost all are enthusiastic about the explanation. For us, selling real green space is easier. The added result is the ability to predict with great certainty that operational energies and costs are greatly reduced and condominium costs have a “plus” side of green energy income to them – meaning even lower condo fees. Secondly, since the purchaser has paid no premium for this technology, his investment increases in value when time shows that owning the space is cheaper. The resale value is better. The measure of the reward though, should not be limited to monetary equivalence. The efficiencies of a sustainable building present a pride of ownership that is just now evolving. The public is charged about making a difference and what better place to demonstrate that than in the largest single purchase of a person’s life?

Finally, governments can use these examples to show that what others say is impossible is not true. It is this category though where real rewards are somewhat lacking. During a recent survey of municipalities in and around the GTA, only 2 out of 17 made an effort to provide any type of incentive to build green. By this I mean real green. I do not mean to adhere to the peripheral notions by adding token changes to yesterday’s designs. In both examples, the municipality actually agreed to reduce some of it’s charges in direct relationship to a reduction in operational energies. While some of the remaining 15 local governments state that they cannot “reward” through incentives, I suggest to them that they cannot afford not to. By not rewarding investment in strong sustainable technology, the other 15 local governments by consequence are encouraging the norm. They, by their position, indirectly reward the landlords of mediocrity.

Governments have an exquisite ability to set new rules and announce that they support bold change. With only 2 exceptions, their voices cannot be heard. On a provincial level, the Ontario government has undergone some criticism for reducing the FIT rate on smaller PV systems. The media, in its role to report general public emotion, details the change in government position on rate as being unfair, and minimizes the true fact that the program itself simply succeeded by rewarding thousands of homeowners for having the insight and strength to make a change. In simple terms, the Province succeeded. The more important chapter of this is where the grid became enhanced by thousands of small PV units adding in their own ways, a level of security – bolstering the old fashioned method of energy generation – and through it all, an awareness of PV workings that may otherwise never have been seen by so many - what a reward!

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SBM fall 2010

43

Are Energy Star Homes Better Built Now Than in 2005?

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have recently been moving my office and sorting through the past five years of business files and I discovered a Toronto Star article on the first occupied Energy star home built by Mason Homes in 2005. Apart from four version changes in the prescriptive spec in the past five years, I wonder if the there has been any real improvements in the construction of the homes? We have moved from Energy Star being “fleet average” of an ERS rating of 78, to almost every home achieving a rating of 80

when it gets an Energy Star label. Currently all builder-supplied appliances must be Energy Star rated, if available. In the case of A/C this has backfired, in that builders already find it tough to compete with after-market vendors installing 13 SEER A/C with Ozone depleting refrigerants. The best scenario would be that builders can sell and market A/C with R410A refrigerants, which do not have HCFCs. Version four of Energy Star requires builders to supply and install 14.5 SEER systems, which cost

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$1000s more. As it stands, there is an incentive for homebuyers to get the worst possible A/C and the builder looses the sale. Early versions required peak electrical reductions of 1200 kWhs on an average-sized home, which translates into a 10% overall reduction. This was focused on demand reduction at peak, saving homeowners money and lessening the chances of a blackout. Currently Energy Star version four only requires 400 kWhs and no longer recognizes Ontario’s peak energy reduction needs. Certainly the homes have more features, such as better insulation, air-tested envelopes, and Energy Star labels on mechanicals, but does this mean we are building a better house? More builders than ever have taken a one-day training course, and signed a licensing agreement, which has more to do with marketing than engaging in a process for building better homes. Are we loosing the opportunity to build capacity towards continuous improvement by not doing more to integrate the building process? Energy Star is product focused, whereas the industry needs process. Are we gaining anything by putting an Energy Star label on a poorly built home? Does a home buyer living in a well built Energy Star home really understand the value of what he/she has purchased? Selling a quality control process is not as easy as selling a label. Come 2012, it is conceivable that many builders will no longer see the same value in the Energy Star label, when the code moves up to EnerGuide 80. When Energy Star moves to 83 there will be considerable confusion in the market place (i.e. is an Energy Star home and 80, and 83 or some other level) New Energy Star builders, who have not made the investment of time and resources into the program, may decide to revert to the code. For those builders who have built process improvement into their business plan, the temptation to retreat will not be as strong. The looming question for these builders is what is Energy Star version five in practical terms, and how will those leading builders who are well beyond the current Energy Star minimums continue to differentiate themselves? With only 16 months left, and not much direction from NRCan, I am recommending to my builders that they forge their own path and become the authors of their own destiny. Larger builders such as Royal Pine, GreenPark, Brookfield, and Empire Communities are developing their own brands to support a consistent leadership position in the marketplace. The key moving forward may be more about how you sell a house to a municipality rather than to the homeowner. What builders are seeking is predictable, achievable, and affordable stable green standard. John Godden is the President of Clearsphere and on the boards of CRESNET and the Sustainable Housing Foundation.

44 SBM fall 2010

Prioritizing Renewable Upgrades By Peter Kinsey

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verywhere you look these days, photovoltaic (PV) and to a lesser extent geothermal systems are in the media and getting a lot of attention as the best renewable energy solution, while solar air panels remain something of a well-kept secret. This is despite the fact that solar air systems are extremely simple, and they are very easy on the budget. From the perspective of a home’s energy load, it’s well established that the biggest portion of the domestic energy load is space heating, which accounts for 60 per cent of annual energy consumed. Next is hot water - for a family of four it is approximately 25 per cent of the load. The remaining 15 per cent are the result of various electrical loads. Still, most people first think of PV when they think about adding renewable energy for their home. This is the reverse of their home’s energy priorities. Again, in terms of cost effectiveness, the most affordable solution for utilizing renewable energy is solar air heating, with solar hot water being second, and solar PV being the most expensive. I would say that all things being equal, PV should not be a homeowner’s first venture into renewable energy. But, the fact is that all things are not equal and subsidies, rebates, and government agendas play a big role in shaping the choices available to builders and consumers around renewable energy. Recently, solar PV in Ontario has been subsidized with the very substantive Feed-in-Tariff (FiT or MicroFiT) program. Paying about 10 times the market rate, or about 80 cents per kW for roof mount, and 68 cents per kW for ground mount solar power. The homeowner signs a contract to receive the incentive over a 20 year period which drastically reduces the payback time. This makes PV now one of the most attractive investments in the marketplace, with up to a 12 per cent return. I am all for installing PV systems on every roof in Ontario, but even with these large subsidies, builders and homeowners should still think about which renewable system they want to try first. And, solar air is still a better, safer, and more strategic investment for first time renewable investors. There are a number of ways in which solar

air panels can be incorporated into a home’s heating system, from a simple connection to the return air ductwork of a furnace, to preheating the incoming fresh air for a Solar-fed HRV, or even as a stand alone system dedicated to heating a room. The concept is extremely simple, panel are approximately 3.5’ x 7’ and can be mounted on south facing wall or roof, with either one or two five-inch ductwork penetrations depending on the system. For a simplified furnace connection, an in-line fan is used to draw approx. 200 cfm of air from the return air ductwork and passes it through the solar air panel, raising the

air temp by 40 º F, and then it is returned back into the return air ductwork air stream. The integral sensor and controls only allow this function to happen when there is energy to harvest, and the furnace is in heating mode. A two-panel system in this configuration can harvest up to 6,800 btu/hr, and provide a 60ºF temperature rise. A solar-fed HRV utilizes only one duct, as the fresh air for the HRV passes through the Solar Air Panel first pre-heating the incoming fresh air. Again, the integral sensor and controls only allow this function to happen during the heating season. See page 47

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An Energy Plan for a Growing Community heightened by the fact that the town’s population is expected to grow from the current 23,000 to as many as 150,000 by 2051. Among the leading initiatives is the requirement that all new homes must meet or exceed the Energy Star for New Homes standard. In 2005, East Gwillimbury became the

By Dan Stone

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he Town of East Gwillimbury has made great strides towards becoming one of the foremost sustainable communities in Canada. The importance of taking such a leadership role is

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46 SBM fall 2010

first town to make this a mandatory requirement for new development and subsequently required all new institutional, commercial and industrial construction meet or exceed LEED NC Silver performance level. In December 2009, council formally adopted the town’s Community Energy Plan, one of the boldest and most comprehensive plans developed in Canada. The town thus became one of the first municipalities to prepare a Community Energy Plan as part of an official plan review process and incorporate energy policies into the official plan. Funding for the development of the Community Energy Plan was provided through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Municipal Fund. The research team, led by international energy expert Peter Garforth, collected and analyzed data to establish a baseline and explored global best practices to establish a plan that positions the town to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 to 50 per cent below baseline levels within the next 25 to 30 years. The Community Energy Plan’s overall objective is to achieve energy efficiencies and reduce the per capita GHG contributions by the town over both the 2031 planning horizon and longer term. The six core recommendations of the Community Energy Plan are: • Energy Efficient Buildings: Implement very efficient building standards, expanding on the town’s current green building policies for new development, together with an energy performance labelling system for existing buildings. • Renewable Energy Sources: Promote alternative forms of energy by installing significant renewable energy sources, including solar and wind. • Land use and Compact Urban Form: Create energy efficiencies through planning and development policies which require more compact, mixed-use neighbourhoods with increased opportunities for local employment. • District Heating and Energy: Implement a district energy system to serve the majority of growth in the town’s Central Growth Area with the development of combined heat and power facilities providing thermal energy distribution through a community controlled Energy Service Company utility. • Transportation Efficiencies: Increase transportation efficiency through the provision of public transit, the promotion of alternative forms of transportation, and developing a live/work community.

In June 2010, council adopted its new consolidated official plan, which includes a series of progressive policies focused on sustainable development and energy efficiency in order to successfully implement the Community Energy Plan. The town is cautiously optimistic about East Gwillimbury’s progressive policy initiatives with the Community Energy Plan and the new official plan. It is well understood that the true measure of success will be the town’s ability to implement these policies. Implementation will require a strong commitment both at the political and staff level, but most importantly, continued partnerships with the development community. To date, the town has been fortunate in delivering successful energy efficient developments under the town’s green building policies in partnership with some of the more progressive members of the development community including Minto Homes, Fifthshire Homes and Fieldgate Commercial Developments, who have embraced the town’s policy requirements for Energy Star and LEED. Achieving the ambitious C E targets of the Community Energy Plan will be a challenge for the town, particularly when faced with significant growth and close to a fourfold increase in both residential and employment population, forecast under the new official plan over the next 20 years. Central to the implementation strategy is the commitment to apply sustainable development policy equitably to all new development. The town will continue to allow for, encourage, and incent innovation and new technology to be introduced by the private sector. In response to growing concerns with the larger issue of climate change and increased energy costs, the town will position itself as the community of choice for residents and investors committed to sustainable development and who recognize the short and long term economic value and marketability of energy efficient development. The town’s advancement in sustainable development is the result of the vision and leadership of the mayor and council. According to Mayor James Young, “I strongly believe that we need to re-invent the way that we approach development with a stronger focus on building strong, energy-efficient and sustainable communities. In East Gwillimbury, we are committed to working with our partners in the industry to find new ways to achieve our objectives in a way that makes sense now and for future generations.” The town has initiated policy research to implement the renewable energy supply and generation element of the Community Energy Plan. The project includes an assessment of the application of the Merton Rule OMMUNITY

From left to right: Bryan Tuckey - Commissioner of Planning & Development Region of York, Peter Garforth - Garforth International Energy Consultants, James Young - Mayor of East Gwillimbury, Peter Love - Principal, Elenchus & former Chief Energy Conservation Officer for Ontario, Tom Webster - Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of East Gwillimbury

to East Gwillimbury and, with scalability, to the economics and costing of the various other communities across Ontario and Can- on-site renewable energy options, and a recada. Funding for this project is being pro- ommended policy approach for the town. It vided by the Ontario Power Authority. The is expected that the policy approach will be Merton Rule is named after the London phased in over time and include a “menu” borough, which and range of renewable energy includes Wimbleoptions, which could be emdon, which adoptployed for new development, ed a 10 per cent depending on individual projminimum renewect characteristics and circumP able energy requirestances. Included in the analyment for new comsis are a range of programs and mercial buildings in incentives, including Ontario’s 2003. This was later FIT program. amended to include CONSOLIDATED The results of this study are OFFICIAL PLAN 2031 residential units in expected this fall and will inOne Plan developments over clude consultation with renew10 units. In 2005, able energy technology supplithe London regioners and the development indusal government adopted a prescriptive renew- try. able policy. Currently, approximately 200 The town hopes private sector engageboroughs in the U.K. have successfully ad- ment will result in pilot or demonstration opted a similar policy. projects, which could be advanced in the This project is undertaken by a team led short term to help measure how successfulby Ontario’s former Chief Energy Conser- ly the Merton Rule could be applied in East vation Officer Peter Love and includes tech- Gwillimbury and Ontario. nical and municipal law experts, including a former employee of Borough of Mer- By Dan Stone Manager of Policy Planning, ton. The research study includes an evalu- Town of East Gwillimbury and Peter Love, ation of the various technologies available, Associate, Elenchus.

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June 2010

Continued from page 45

Stand alone systems are perfect for lofts above garages, additions, and even for dumping heat into common areas. Most solar air panels have a small integral

PV panel which powers an internal fan which draws air directly from the room, heats the air, and then dumps the heated air back into the room. These systems come with their own thermostat, and the panels can be ganged together to increase capacity. In sum, I won’t deny that it’s a great time to think about investing in a roof top PV system, but I would also suggest that builders and homeowners also look at the more affordable solar air option because it’s the one that directly addresses heating, the largest single energy load in the house. Peter Kinsey is the President of Canadian In-Floor Heating. SBM fall 2010

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Is Our Focus on Insulation and Ventilation Forgetting Something?

The Root Cause of Disposable Roof Syndrome By Don Noble GreenSaver

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hy are so many townhome roof decks (the material between the trusses and joists and the insulative or weatherproofing layers) that are only 20 to 30 years old being replaced? Some are being replaced for the second or third time after showing signs of deterioration, rot, and the invasion of mould. Home inspectors are frequently flagging the problem, and buyers are demanding it be fixed as a condition of sale. New homebuyers undertaking Tarion warranty inspections are demanding mould and roof deterioration problems be dealt with. In stark contrast, there are roof decks in Toronto that are more than 120 years old and in great shape! What’s wrong with modern construction? How does a builder avoid the “disposable roof syndrome”? Over the past seven years with GreenSaver, I have inspected upward of 2,000 attics in the GTA. Even apparently well-built homes, only two years old, show signs of mould and roof deterioration. Townhomes are rampant with attic mould, and property managers are struggling to convince homeowners of the need to spend thousands of dollars per unit to renovate and reinsulate the attic. Conventional wisdom tells us we want an attic to be cold and dry in winter, so we

48 SBM fall 2010

add more insulation and ventilation. What if, in some cases, these “solutions” are making the problem worse? Building science tells us that hot moist air rises in the column of a home, creating stack effect: a high-pressure zone at the top of a home where the colder it is outside, the stronger the force. In homes with a humidifier or increased human activity, vapour pressure exacerbates the problem. With many new homes having stucco on outside walls, the only exit is into the attic. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. commissioned a study in the 1980s which demonstrated that a hole in the building envelope only four sq. centimeters allows about 30 litres of water to pass through into the attic. It determined that close to 100 per cent of moisture migrating into an attic is hitching a ride on air leakage; almost none passes through the vapour barrier. Most modern vapour barriers run from top plate to top plate. There is almost always a gap between the top plate and the vapour barrier. If a 30- by 20-foot home has approximately 200 linear feet of top plate, and a top plate has two sides, and if the gap was an average of 1/256th of an inch, the equivalent hole in the home is approximately 19 sq. inches or 122 sq. centimeters. Here, the CMHC model estimates 915 litres of water enters the attic in a season. In addition, the top plates and vapour barriers are pockmarked with a laundry list of penetrations and breaches to the build-

ing envelope, including electrical boxes, an ever-increasing variety of wire penetrations, pot lights, poor tape joins, ducts in attics, increasingly popular complex ceilings, plumbing stacks, and chimney chases. During the 1970s, government programs were introduced to reduce energy use in homes. These promoted increased levels of insulation in the attics of existing homes, but since attic mould and rotting roofs were not a problem at the time, sealing the attic floor was not a focus. For new homes, building codes added the requirement for a vapour barrier, which may have inadvertently introduced a false sense of security. I think we can all agree that promoting a higher level of insulation is a good thing, but should this come with a warning? How do we educate homeowners and builders that if the attic floor is not well sealed, the colder attic air has little ability to hold and carry away the moisture being forced into the attic by stack effect? As air moves through the insulation, moisture will either condense out in the insulation or on the roof deck and structure. In a long, cold winter, this builds up and is released during the first warm spell. This is commonly the root cause of mould and roof deterioration. Often roofers will suggest adding powered roof ventilation such as turbine vents. If the attic floor is not well sealed, these can depressurize the attic, pulling more hot moist air through the insulation and into the attic. Many mould prob-

lems are not diagnosed until a hot summer day when cold, air-conditioned air in the home reverses the stack effect and pulls attic smells into the home. The telltale signs of roof deterioration from the outside are roof decks that appear to be drooping between each roof truss, ice build-up in the eves in winter, and eves that are deformed or pulled off from the weight of ice. From inside, we first see rust bleeding from roof nails and plywood cracking, then mould and rot. Given that there are countless existing problem homes, how can we solve the “disposable roof syndrome”? Retrofitting existing homes Often mould and water damage problems are first brought to the attention of insurance companies, who focus on fixing the damage, not necessarily the source of the problem. If the roof deck is damaged, roofers will often recommend replacement of the roof deck without considering air sealing the attic floor. In order to have access to the entire attic floor, all existing insulation may need to be removed, and where there is a low slope roof or inaccessible sections, the roof deck may need to be removed. Two-component spray foam insulation is the only way to retrofit an effective air barrier. Ideally, the entire attic floor is skim coated, and at times,

the foam is wrapped around the exterior top plate into the soffit cavity. Where there is a very low heel height, medium density foam can provide higher R-values. Blocked soffit ventilation is commonly opened up and rafter ventilation retrofitted. Moving forward with new homes As homeowners demand features such as higher ceilings (increasing stack effect), humidifiers (increasing vapour pressure), and increased insulation levels, builders need to be more vigilant about controlling moisture migration into the attic. A growing number of builders are turning to building envelope consultants to assist with construction techniques and operational solutions. Dealing with the standard attic air leak-

age areas, such as lighting fixtures, plumbing stacks, attic hatches, wire penetrations, and chimneys, should be routine. The joint leakage between drywall and vapour barrier and the top plates of exterior and partition walls is more difficult. Sealant between the vapour barrier and framing is part of the solution. Sealing all penetrations into the exterior walls can be more difficult. Spray foaming the exterior walls and the perimeter of floor cavities between levels is also an option, if budget allows. We suggest you consider at least a skim coat of spray foam to seal all partition and exterior wall top plates and any drop ceiling. To accomplish this, consider having a contractor who specializes in attic air sealing (possibly other than the drywaller) responsible for attic air sealing, insulation and ventilation (such as rafter vents or dams). Use a raised heel truss to allow for proper levels of insulation, ventilation, and room for workers to air seal the perimeter of the attic floor. Avoid heat ducts in attic, or spray foam them if it can’t be avoided. From a new home builder or renovator’s perspective, if you have a call back from a client with moisture or mould problems originating from air migration into the attic, or ice damming, the cost can be high. Avoiding this with proper attic air sealing, insulation and ventilation solutions will leave the client comfortable and happy.

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rawDESIGN Brings New Life to MINI

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evving up green initiatives for auto-brands in North America while infusing new power into the MINI brand, rawDESIGN created an aesthetically bold and environmentally friendly MINI flagship for BMW Canada. The project represents Canada’s first full service stand-alone MINI dealership. Completed in Spring 2010, the new 20,000 square foot dealership, which reflects the vivid and graphic sensibility of the MINI brand, also features a green roof, solar thermal hot water system and an efficient foamed-in-place exterior wall insulation system. Taking sustainability to the next level, the car dealership has also integrated a special storm waMirroring MINI’s fuel efficient environmental outlook, the new MINI flagship designed by rawDesign features a ter retention plan for the site that reuses rainwater for landscape irrigation and us- green roof and a solar thermal hot water system. Named Best Emerging Practice in March 2009 by the Ontario Association of Architects rawDESIGN is known for avant-garde thinking evidenced by the MINI concept. es permeable paving to maintain localized ground water runoff. process, the MINI dealership met 82% of to be one of the first car dealerships in the The project started in 2007 as the City country to step up to the plate on building of Toronto began to ramp up their Green the City’s new targets. Cars are notoriously unfriendly to the green. Since 2007, many international auDevelopment Guidelines - guidelines that closely mirror those of the LEED program. environment, and as Canada’s first stand- to-brands have followed suite in the North At the conclusion of the Site Plan Approval alone MINI dealership, it was a challenge American scene.

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50 SBM fall 2010

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Vaughan’s New City Hall is a Model of Sustainability

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he City of Vaughan has evolved from a small rural town to a major urban centre. In the past three decades, it has seen its population grow from 36,000 to more than 280,000 – a figure which is expected to increase to more than 418,000 by 2031. To meet the longterm needs of this rapidly growing municipality, Vaughan Council approved a resolution to build a new City Hall in 2003. From day one, the building was designed to set a new standard for environmentally-responsible and civic-minded development. Set to open its doors this fall, the 280,000 squarefoot structure with its leading-edge technologies and green design elements is proposed for LEED Gold certification. This would position the building as one of the largest civic buildings in Canada to achieve this status. The new City Hall is phase 1 of a threephase Civic Centre campus that will include a public resource library, civic square, reflecting pool/skating rink, gardens and parkland. Designed by the award-winning Canadian architectural firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna and Blumberg (KPMB), the project has received national attention with a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence as well as local recognition with a Vaughan Urban Design Award. The design incorporates elements like daylighting, passive solar shading, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and natural ventilation, to create a healthier work environment. A dramatic 10-storey clock tower, acts as a solar chimney, drawing in fresh air that flows through the building’s raised floors while exhausting warm air from the chimney top. This type of passive solar technology enhances natural ventilation, and reduces the reliance on mechanical systems. Overall, the City Hall is expected to realize savings of 25 per cent in operational costs per year compared to a conventional building of the same size. The building’s full-height glass windows provide maximum exposure to natural light, minimizing the use of artificial lighting. The windows open in sections to let in fresh air. When a window is opened, the building’s mechanical systems shut down and ventilators draw fresh air in. Approximately 50 per cent of the roof will consist of low-growth vegetation, forming a green roof. The green roof naturally filters storm water and lessens runoff from the site, reducing demands on the municipality’s storm water infrastructure. The new City Hall is designed with a whole-building approach to sustainability. “It (the new City Hall) reflects the characteristics that define our City; namely, innovation, service excellence and environmental stewardship,” said City Manager Clay-

Vaughan’s New City Hall proposed for LEED Gold certification

ton Harris. “It represents an exciting step forward in a City already recognized for its quality of life, business opportunities and

economic prosperity.” Article submitted by the City of Vaughan, Corporate Communications.

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51

New Code. New Energy Efficiency Requirements. New Costs.

Are you ready?

By

Michael Lio Speaking in Code

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he new 2012 Ontario Building Code will be mandating new energy efficiency requirements for housing, giving new home builders more choice and maybe, if they’re not ready, more headaches. The new requirements, approved by the provincial legislature in December of last year, raise the level of energy efficiency for new housing in Ontario to EnerGuide 80. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that the new home building industry in Ontario is undergoing a profound transformation. The climate change agenda is changing the nature of building around the world. The steady march towards net zero housing can be seen in country after country. Astute builders have an opportunity to embrace the upcoming changes, test and measure new approaches and choose what they can build and sell cost-effectively. The astute builder has an opportunity to gain a market advantage on their slower-moving competition. The challenge that every builder faces, however, is that a business transformation of this magnitude takes a sustained effort over an extended period of time. For most builders, adopting and implementing this kind of change can take two, or even three, years. Builders who have embraced Energy Star for New Homes, however, have already successfully perfected the techniques that all builders will be required to demonstrate in their new homes after 2012. What most builders don’t

52 SBM fall 2010

realize is that the new code offers 37 prescriptive compliance approaches! For gas heated houses in Southern Ontario, where there is one compliance approach today, there will be 13 in 2012, as shown in the figure. The builder who takes the time to test and measure will be able to pick the lowest cost combination of insulation and mechanical systems and will become more profitable. The builder who hasn’t taken the time runs the risk of adding needless costs to each new house. Builders should, at the very least, consider taking training on the new code requirements. The 37 prescriptive approaches to compliance offer tremendous choice for the builder. Good choices depend on a deep

understanding of the implications of each choice. Assessing the cost, availability, trade acceptance, and defect risk of alternatives for insulation, space and water heating equipment, ventilation systems, windows and skylights can be a daunting exercise. At least two service organizations offer training on the 2012 code. EnerQuality Corp., as part of their on-going commitment to builders in the province, and Home Ratings Ontario Inc. now offer training for builders on making sense of the many new ways of complying with the code. The new 2012 Building Code will change the nature of housing in Ontario. Are you ready?

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