We have talked a lot about reducing car emissions.. but what about homes? According to Natural Resources Canada, “housing” accounts for 16% of the greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.
With this in mind a Crown corporation called Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) did a survey, found that 90% of home buyers are interested in the concept of sustainable home building and that 50% is willing to pay a premium for this. This led to the launch of an initiative called EQuilibrium, and CMHC invited professionals (builders, developers, architects) to submit their SD proposals. The goal is to bring “private and public sectors together to develop homes, and eventually communities, that address occupant health and comfort, energy efficiency, renewable energy production, resource conservation, reduced environmental impact and affordability”.
There is a lot of resources on sustainable home building gathered, and twelve demonstration homes have been built throughout Canada based on sustainable principles, i.e. using passive solar heating and cooling, energy efficient appliances and lighting, and water conservation and re-use. Check it out on their web site.