Green New Construction Rating Systems

EnerGuide Rating Service for New Houses
Certified Energy Advisors use a modeling software for your blueprints to confirm that your homes are built with the most advanced construction practices for energy efficiency. Receive upgrade suggestions related to passive solar gain (window placement and size), high efficiency heating, increased insulation, air tightness and more.

R – 2000
R-2000 is made-in-Canada home building technology with a worldwide reputation for energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. The R-2000 Standard is a series of technical requirements for new home performance that go way beyond building codes.

Built Green Certified Builders in BC
These builders have completed the CHBA-BC certification process and are trained to build homes that meet a collection of the items on the Built Green Checklist. Categories include: Energy, Operational Systems, Building Materials, Exterior & Interior Finishes, Indoor Air Quality, Waste Management, Water Conservation, Business Practices and Innovative Design.

Canada Green Building Council – LEED Building Certifier
Information on how to get LEED certification for Canadian builders or buildings. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a Green Building Rating System. Builders receive points from building choices from five principal LEED® categories:

- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Materials and Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality

Green New Construction Building Design

Net zero
A Net-Zero Energy Home supplies to the grid an annual output of electricity that is equal to the amount of power purchased from the grid. In many cases the entire energy consumption (heating, cooling and electrical) of a Net-Zero Energy Home can be provided by renewable energy sources.

House as a System Building Science
A house is more than just four walls and a roof. It's a complex system of different components that interact and determine the performance of the home and the health, safety and comfort of the people living in it. Along with improvements in the technology, the building industry has gained a better understanding of air, heat and moisture movement in a home, and the need to manage the indoor environment in a deliberate and systematic way.

Green Building Product Searches

• EcoProducts - A Broad Range of Green Household Products
• Metro Vancouver Build Smart - Green Building Supplies, Best Practices & Case Studies
• Built Green Canada Product List - Building Resources that meet the Built Green Rating System for New Homes
• Lighthouse Sustainable Building Center - A showroom of interior and exterior green building products as well as a website listing or products.
• Greenworks Building Supply Store, Vancouver - An outlet store for many green building products as well as an informative website.
• Green Home Guide - Based in the U.S. but with product information & related articles

Alternative Energy-based Communities

SunRivers Geothermal Community, Kamloops, BC

Drake Landing Solar Community, Okotoks, Alberta

Other Related “Green New Construction” Topics

Carbon Neutral
Carbon Neutral status means that the emissions from an operation, activity or series of activities have been calculated, reduced where possible and then the remaining emissions have been 'offset' through climate-friendly projects. Through this process, CO2 emissions can be reduced to net zero. 

Carbon Credits
Here's how it works: if you add polluting emissions to the atmosphere, you can effectively subtract them by purchasing 'carbon offsets'. Carbon offsets are simply credits for emission reductions achieved by projects elsewhere, such as wind farms, solar installations, or energy efficiency projects. By purchasing these credits, you can apply them to your own emissions and reduce your net climate impact.