SPRING 2014
GREEN BEHIND THE SCENES A HOUSE TOUR
ECO-Logical Landscaping EMBODIED ENERGY THE HIDDEN CRITERIA
INTERVIEW: LAURIE SIMMONDS OF THE GREEN LIVING SHOW OUR GREEN HOME . SPRING 2014 . 1
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Publisher: Paul Cassel Managing Editor: Justin Fava Writer: Jessica Lockhart Contributor: Chris Magwood Designer: Gord Naunton Research Associate: Cody Anderson Business Development: Victoria Formosa
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Embodied Energy: The Hidden Criteria by Chris Magwood
If you are thinking of renovating your home in an environmentally responsible way, your first thoughts are probably related to your home’s energy efficiency. But whether your renovation is extensive or only cosmetic, you can have a sizable impact on the environment with your material choices. The harvesting, manufacturing and transportation process behind every building material leaves a vast energy and carbon footprint on the planet, regardless of whether the material impacts the operational energy efficiency of your home. This is known as the “embodied energy” or EE of building materials, a little-discussed but very important consideration for the environment.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimates that a typical home in Toronto has about 2,352 gigajoules of energy embodied in its construction materials. That’s the equivalent of about 16,500 gallons of gasoline per home! To put this issue into perspective, it takes the equivalent of 16,500 gallons of gas to produce the building materials in one typical urban house, according to the CMHC. And every time we renovate,
we add more expended energy to that total. Fortunately, it is quite easy to consider embodied energy when making renovation decisions. For example, if you are going to be adding insulation to your attic, you have a choice of several materials, which have very different embodied energy to achieve an R-40 value in the attic of a 1,000 square foot home: Cellulose – 963 megajoules of embodied energy Mineral wool – 14,691 megajoules Fiberglass – 24,780 megajoules Spray foam – 14,760 – 16,937 megajoules What does this mean? In real world terms, the difference is the equivalent of 4-8 years worth of energy savings! Though you will be saving, the high EE attic insulation option will not produce a net reduction in energy consumption for approximately 6 years.
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But if you use cellulose, the lowest EE option, the environment will derive a net benefit less than a year. Large differences in embodied energy exist in every material category. The EE of conventional latex paints is very high, at 31 megajoules per square meter of coverage, while competing options like milk paint (3.2 MJ) and clay plaster (3.6 MJ) are much easier on the planet. Interestingly, there tends to be a correlation between the toxicity impacts of materials and the EE. Toxic processes tend to consume a lot of energy, so a lower EE material is generally better for the environment in more ways than one. Viewing your renovation through the lens of embodied energy can help you to make a real difference when you buy materials. The choices are usually straightforward and often don’t cost more. So on your next building project, put a little mental energy into embodied energy! n
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Chris Magwood is a director at The Endeavour Centre, a not-for-profit sustainable building school in Peterborough, Ontario. His most recent book, Making Better Buildings, presents embodied energy figures and a wide range of other criteria for evaluating sustainable building materials.
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Q&A Laurie Simmonds of the Green Living Show by Jessica Wynne Lockhart
Laurie at the ‘Victory! Celebrating Environmental Wins’ presentation at the 2013 Green Living Show
As the CEO and President of Green Living Enterprises, Laurie Simmonds puts her money where her mouth is - she uses non-toxic cleaning supplies, drives a Prius, rides a bicycle, and her closet is full of upcycled garments. Simmonds is also responsible for launching the Green Living Show, an event that has grown to become the largest green consumer show in the world, attracting more than 40,000 visitors annually. But it had far from humble beginnings. When the show launched in 2007, exhibitor spots sold out nearly immediately and Green Living had to double their floor space. “We had a big show, right out of the gate,” recalls Simmonds. “It was a very interesting time. Green living was really being tabled in public conversation.” We spoke with Simmonds to learn more about what that time was like—and what has changed since the first Green Living Show.
Do you think there’s something unique about Torontonians that has allowed the concept of green living to develop and grow? We are perfectly positioned to host the show in Toronto, where there’s a huge conversation about clean energy, energy conservation and conservation of our natural resources. Canadians are very well educated in that area and they really walk the talk. Canadians also have a reputation for their desire to protect their natural resources and to support 6 . OUR GREEN HOME . SPRING 2014
their farms. For example, we have the largest consumption of organic and local food of anywhere. You would think that California would be leading the way when in fact it’s Ontario—there’s more consumed in Toronto than in Los Angeles.
become more accessible to a wider audience. It’s also increased transparency with much more visible labeling. The public is very educated and the press is all over companies that greenwash. The risk of greenwashing is far too detrimental to the shareholder value of a company.
We also see green values integrated into every company’s product line. There isn’t a major corporation that doesn’t address the environment both operationally and with the products and services that they’re selling. There’s a conversation in every product.
What’s the biggest change that you’ve seen since starting the Green Living Show?
What have been your favourite things that you’ve found at the show?
Green is a core value now. People don’t think of it as a separate issue. When you talk about green or eco-friendly, it’s really more about healthy and sustainable living. It’s a lifestyle choice and people are choosing products that are healthier and that save them money. According to a 2011 Environics survey, the number one concern of Canadians is the environment. Another 2012 consumer survey indicates that 73 per cent of people would switch brands to buy from a company that supports good causes.
One year, I bought a gorgeous little handbag stitched from pop can tabs, which was made by a woman’s micro-entrepreneurship in a developing country. This year, there’s some solar shingles that I’m really keen to look at that and see how they can be integrated into my home. Every year I buy beautiful things. We always laugh at how much we spend at our own show - we’re there all the time so we’re shopping nonstop. n
The idea of “green living” really peaked around 2007, when Al Gore came out with his documentary An Inconvenient Truth. How did the recession affect the demand for green products? We saw a growth despite the recession. For instance, when the bottom fell out of the real estate market, the only category that was still growing was the home products. People were improving the environmental efficiency of their homes with new HVAC systems and they were renovating with up-cycled or non-toxic materials. The growth in demand for wood from responsibly-managed forests surged. The big connection between health and the environment was very loud and clear, so we also saw a huge growth in non-toxic cleaning supplies, health and wellness products and packaged food products. The growth has created a competitive marketplace, bringing prices down and increasing the quality of each product in each category as they OUR GREEN HOME . SPRING 2014 . 7
Darkshadow House by Jessica Wynne Lockhart
Don’t let its moniker mislead you - inside the Darkshadow House, it’s bright and airy. Around every corner are architectural “reveals”- from the floating open-rise stairs to the ventilation shaft that runs up the north wall. But the greatest reveal is that, though the house was designed for energy efficiency, there are no obvious signs of it. “Sustainability is not about technology or mechanical features that can be purchased from a shopping list, but rather an integrated process of design,” explains Paul Syme, the lead architect. Working with 3rd Uncle Design, Syme used principles of passive technologies to renovate and add to the 1939 home, relying on natural processes in addition to technology. Case in point: in the living area, a polished concrete floor is embedded with hydronic heating, but passive elements also come into play. During the winter the sun warms the floor, which continues to release heat even after the sun has passed, while in the summer months the sun is too high for the south-facing room to absorb much direct sunlight. 8 . OUR GREEN HOME . SPRING 2014
Active controls include individual programmable thermostats in each room and a home automation system that allows the temperature to be adjusted remotely. The house is also solar-ready with ducts to accommodate electrical feeds for roof-mounted panels and plumbing configured for solar-heated water.
Gas bills for the home total less than $40 per month. Syme says that green technology has reached a level of sophistication that can make it invisible to occupants. The back patio is a perfect example, where south-facing panels slide open to morph the living room into an indoor-outdoor space. In hot weather, there’s no air-conditioning drone synonymous with summer nights, even though the patio
sits directly over the home’s cooling system—three geothermal wells. Rather than burning fossil fuels, these wells transfer heat both to and from the earth. “When you sit in our backyard, it’s silent,” says the owner. “That’s the beauty of heating and cooling with geothermal”. It’s the cooling system that really sets the Dark Shadow house apart. Since liquid holds more BTUs (heat units) than air, the pumps move more heat through the small diameter tubing running throughout the ceiling and floor than a traditional, bulkier, ductwork and high amperage fans system. Thermal performance is further enhanced by soybased spray foam insulation. Although Syme chose to retain the home’s original masonry, a new interior steel and wood structural frame was added to upgrade the building envelope.
“This not only eliminates thermal bridging, but also allows the spray insulation to be continuous on the interior face of the masonry, which provides an effective air barrier,” explains Syme. Additionally, the basement slab was replaced with continuous under-floor insulation and vapour barrier. The owner is already realizing the savings for the 3462-square foot house. Gas bills total less than $40 per month—the majority of which is customer charge, debt recovery and delivery—while electricity costs total about $200 per month. The owners also received about $12,000 in government rebates for the ground source heat pump. Savings aside, the home is beautuful. Fixtures salvaged from the A.G.O. light the way to the upper level, which is lined with reclaimed elm hardwood floors. A Bulthaup kitchen, made with sustainable materials, serves as central link to the main level’s loft-like space. The Darkshadow House is still a work in progress. Solar panels and native species focused landscaping are yet to come. A green roof will be installed above the bedroom adding insulation value, while rainwater will be collected to irrigate the garden. The execution may be complex, but from the owner’s perspective, the value proposition is simple: “If we’re going to live here for 20 years, let’s make it energy efficient.” n
OUR GREEN HOME . SPRING 2014 . 9
Eco-Logical Landscaping by Jessica Wynne Lockhart
There’s no better way to “go green” in your home than in the one place that you can do it literally - your backyard. “There’s the need to pay closer attention to the effects that our activities have on the environment. Gardeners are very sensitive to that because our work revolves around soil, sun, water and wind,” explains professional gardener Mark Cullen.
Here are five easy ways to ensure that your garden is green: 1. Go native. The first step to planning your eco-friendly yard is to figure out what plants will grow best in the environment.
“You want a sun-loving plant in the sun. That might sound obvious and yet too frequently we see people who place plants in inappropriate locations,” says Cullen. He advises sourcing out plant species that are native to the area. In addition to thriving naturally, they’ll attract beneficial bugs that aid in pollination and reduce resource use, including water. If you do decide to plant non-natives, choose non-invasive species. Even common landscaping plants can have detrimental effects on the surrounding environment. Take, for example,
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periwinkle: “People use it in their yard and the next thing you know it’s migrated down into a ravine and taken over all of the beautiful trilliums,” says Cullen. For links to a full list of species native to the GTA, and a helpful guide to natives and invasives created by Evergreen, visit OurGreenHome.ca.
2. Branch out. If you lost a tree during December’s ice storm in Toronto, you’re not alone. But before you replant, consider reaching out to an arborist to select the best species for your yard. “Slower growing trees usually add greater overall value to your property. They are hardier and more structurally sound” says Carla Grant of Forests Ontario. Healthy, mature trees can increase the value of an average home by over $19,000 according to MoneySense Magazine (September 2013). Trees can also provide direct economic benefits, says Chris Chopik, a board member at LEAF and green real estate instructor at the Toronto Real Estate Board. Well-placed trees can result in homes using 25 per cent less energy for cooling. LEAF (yourleaf.org), a non-profit dedicated to fostering urban forests, offers a tree planting program that sends a professional to your home. After assessing your site, they’ll recommend appropriate native species of trees, shrubs and plants. Through the subsidized program, your selected items are then planted by LEAF for you. As for the dreaded winter storms, while some species are highly susceptible to damage (silver
maples, black oaks and willows), others are considered ice-resistant (black walnut and spruce). While it’s impossible to prevent damage entirely, it can be minimized by inspecting mature trees regularly and pruning them proactively.
3. Don’t be bugged. The key to natural pest control is ensuring that your plants are healthy. Stressed plants are much more likely to be attacked by pests and disease. Soil, in particular, is vital to the success of your garden. “The organic gardener’s mantra is ‘I’ll feed the soil and the soil will take care of the plants’” says Cullen, who recommends adding an inch of compost every year. If you do find yourself fighting insects, be aware that chemical insecticides kill beneficial pollinators in your garden. Instead, you can use an organic pest control method, which may include encouraging beneficial critters (such as toads) that eat bugs, or using a gentle dish soap insecticide wash.
4. Create the perfect green. Rather than laying sod, consider xeriscaping, which is lowmaintenance, prevents run-off, and reduces water use. If you do long for a lawn, the latest trend is eco-friendly lawn seed, which requires less watering, mowing and fertilizing. However, with this type of seed, your lawn should be made of it exclusively. “You need to manage your expectations. It’s not going to look like a golf course,” says Cullen. Continued on page 12
OUR GREEN HOME . SPRING 2014 . 11
Continued from page 11
If these aren’t the routes for you - and Astroturf isn’t going to cut it either - make sure your lawn is managed appropriately. Refrain from watering it during a drought period and using a high-quality environmentally friendly fertilizer, such as corn gluten or one that’s phosphorus-free.
5. Seed to stalk sustainability. The key to creating a green outdoor oasis is to think longterm. Eighteenth century landscape architect Capability Brown believed that gardens should be planted to peak at 200 years. Cullen thinks the concept should be applied today, but with city dwellers perhaps aiming at 20 years, not 200! “You buy plants and trees when they’re small and you don’t always think about what they’re going to become,” says Cullen. “If your garden looks perfect the day you planted it, you’ve overplanted it,” says Cullen. “It needs time.” n
Fruit-Bearing Native Trees & Shrubs • heritage apple (variety “Wealthy”) • heritage apple (variety “Golden Russet”) • apricot (variety “Puget Gold”) • Canada plum • pin cherry • black chokeberry • common elderberry • American hazelnut • highbush cranberry • lowbush blueberry • northern wild raisin • nannyberry • purple flowering raspberry • pasture rose (tea) • smooth serviceberry
Eco-Logical Landscaping Links • Full List of Species Native to the GTA • Recommended Fruit-Bearing Native Trees & Shrubs • Evergreen’s Natives and Invasives Guide
Available at OurGreenHome.ca
HELP
is on the way! by Justin Fava
The City of Toronto is lending a helping hand to homeowners going green. Launched on March 25th, 2014, the $10 million Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) offers low interest financing to make green retrofits. According to Marco Iacampo, Supervisor of Environmental Policy at the City of Toronto, the program was made possible by an amendment to the Local Improvement Charge (LIC) regulation, which now allows municipalities to lend money to private property owners and expands its definitions to include energy savings. “The appeal of the program is the City’s below-market interest rates and extended repay-
ment terms”, says Iacampo. After pre-qualifying, a Natural Resources Canada certified Energy Advisor will assess the home and provide a report on the home’s energy efficiency and recommended improvements. The homeowner then enters into an agreement with the City of Toronto and selects the contractors to carry out the work. The charges are applied over 5, 10 or 15 years to the homeowner’s property tax bills. Continued on page 14
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Continued from page 13
Improvements supported by HELP: • High efficiency furnace/boiler • High efficiency central air conditioner • High efficiency water heater • Heat recovery/energy recovery ventilator • Drain water heat recovery system • Window/door replacement • Air sealing (i.e. weather stripping, caulking) • Attic insulation • Exterior wall insulation • Basement insulation • Toilet replacement • Heat recovery/energy recovery ventilator Says Brent Kopperson, Executive Director at the Windfall Ecology Centre, “Low hanging fruit in terms of energy savings for home owners are replacing a low or mid-efficiency furnace with a high-efficiency one, upgrading insulation, as well as simple air sealing around leaky areas with caulking or spray foam. Leaky areas are identified by Certified Energy Auditors (CEA’s) by doing a Blower Door Test at the time of the home visit”. According to Toronto Hydro, as much as 60% of an average home’s energy use goes towards heating and cooling. By installing Energy Star qualified heating and cooling systems, typical homeowners can save up to $325 a year. Incentives available include: up to $650 from Toronto Hydro’s Heating and Cooling Incentive; $2,000
from Enbridge Gas’ Community Energy Conservation Program and; 10% refund via the Canadian Mortgage & Housing Corporation’s Green Home Mortgage Loan Insurance Premium Refund. But how much do the participants’ savings cost the City? “Nothing”, says Iacampo. An administration fee is applied and collected over the term to make HELP revenue/cost neutral. As a pilot program, there are many eyes paying close attention the outcome of this project. The City’s long term goal is to expand the program to other neighborhoods and possibly widening the definition of the LIC regulation so that the program can include more improvements, such as weather resilience and flood proofing. With the tool of low interest financing, the Home Energy Loan Program is making energy savings more accessible to Toronto residents. By leveraging the City’s credit rating to take advantage of improvements in building materials and home energy systems, participants’ finances and the environment are both getting some HELP! Full details of the Home Energy Loan Program can be found at: www.toronto.ca/livegreen n
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