THE PUSH TO GREENER HOUSING

The Globe & Mail, April 4th, 2008
Home buyers are ready and willing to go green, and the market is increasingly able to help them do it.

Everyone is green today. Environmental responsibility is our mantra. But are homeowners interested only when there is a financial payback, or are they truly committed to saving the planet? And more importantly, is the marketplace offering green choices? It looks like the answer may be leaning toward yes on both counts.

A few years ago, Chris Chopik launched an environmentally focused website (www.evolutiongreen.com), gave up his car and took a place on the boards of several green organizations. Mr. Chopik is also a sales representative with Bosley Real Estate Ltd., and takes every opportunity to educate clients about ways of maximizing their homes' potential using green methods and materials.

"Once people become more aware of green issues, they recognize the advantages," he says. "If a house, because it is well-insulated and has an efficient heating system, costs $300 less a month to maintain than a similar neighbouring house, that house is worth more."

An Eco Home survey conducted by Royal LePage Real Estate suggests Canadians are looking for greener homes and are ready to put their real estate dollars on the line for these purchases. Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of the 1,266 people surveyed said they would look for an environmentally improved property when buying their next home, and 63 per cent said they would pay more for an eco-friendly home.

Consumers may be willing, but is the marketplace ready for them?

Consider Craig and Margot Perlmutter, who searched for several years before finding the north Toronto home they moved into last December, with newborn son Nate.

"No one really mentioned green features to us," Ms. Perlmutter says. "The environment is important to us — we run Camp Tamakwa, located in Algonquin Park — and also saving money on the cost of running the home. In the end, we chose a good quality home within our budget and in the area we wanted. It does have new windows but that is really the only green feature."

Anne Lok, an agent with Homelife/Realty One Ltd., combines her real estate work with an interest in architecture, design and the environment. She points out that location and budget are still the primary concerns for buyers. However, that doesn't rule out going green.

"When buying a resale home, purchasers have the opportunity to add green features, including draft-proofing using weather stripping and caulking, changing to Energy Star appliances and switching to low-flow toilets and showerheads," she notes.

With new construction, she says, the cost of new technologies over many units makes the switch to green more feasible. Examples include Toronto condominium projects, such as one at Sheppard and Bayview by Shane Baghai that will use wind, solar and hybrid-power generation to reduce electricity consumption; the Minto building near Yonge and Eglinton that has a rainwater collection system; and the M5V condo by Tas Design Build at Peter and King streets, which has a heat-recovery ventilator in the middle of the building and low-emission finishes. "More and more builders are joining the green movement," Ms. Lok says.

The changes are being seen in subdivisions, too. Mario Kani of Sustainable Edge Ltd., a company that, among other environmentally friendly services, designs mechanical systems for buildings and homes, notes that the Energy Star designation is helping to create green building on a large scale.

"There is a certain protocol that is followed when building an Energy Star home," he says. "Builders can use that to market their homes."

Sean Mason of Ontario's Mason Homes is doing exactly that, as his company, the BILT Green Builder of the Year for 2007, prepares to launch a green brand. "We are making Energy Star our standard," he says.

"Better building envelopes and … resource management are part of the green brand. This means not wasting lumber and building materials and recycling waste such as cardboard and wood chips," Mr. Mason explains.

"Water management includes low-flow toilets and showerheads and letting homeowners collect rainwater. Improved indoor air quality means things like not using just any old materials, but making sure that, say, caulking is not giving off toxic emissions," he says, adding: "We plan to incorporate better land use to take advantage of natural light."

Real estate agent Tom Lebour of Royal LePage is having his own Energy Star home built in Clarkson Village, part of a Thornridge Homes development. He says that in Mississauga, where he works, he sees homeowners changing windows, toilets, and deck materials to make their homes greener. "I have sold several homes with solar panels installed over the garage roof, to heat the in-ground swimming pool. These create huge cost savings."

New green technologies available for builders and developers include hepa filters on mechanical systems and green flooring such as marmolium and green carpets and underlays, to improve indoor air quality.

Another area that has undergone a revolution is window glazing. Mr. Kani of Sustainable Edge points out that not only can windows now be triple-glazed, they can come with such gases as argon between the panes for greater insulation value, and can be treated with special finishes to attract the sun's rays or block them, depending on the need.

"If a building faces the right way, this can help to make it warmer in winter and the special e-coatings can enhance this. In the summer, the building will ideally have an overhang to create shade," Mr. Kani says.

Using the sun correctly in building design is one way to be green without incurring extra costs involved in new technologies.

"It's great to grab some free heat and light from the sun," says Carolyn Moss a principal of Moss Sund Architects, a Toronto-based firm specializing in environmentally friendly concerns.

"Use of reclaimed and local materials is another excellent way to be green that is both beautiful and sustainable. There is wood flooring from old barns and from the bottom of the Great Lakes, and there is exquisite stone from Ontario that can be used instead of something shipped from somewhere like China," she says.

Ms. Moss says there is also a flood of new green building products, such as papercrete for countertops, which is made from recycled paper.

Eric Tomas, an architectural designer, says there's no question consumers are increasingly interested in living in green homes.

"Many people, when renovating, will take measures such as having an excellent heating system if there will be a financial payback," he says.

"A geothermal heating/cooling system — where there are pipes in the ground making use of the heat or the coolness of the underground environment — is one of the best systems from all points of view, including the cost to run it," Mr. Tomas says.

"I think consumers have to demand the changes, manufacturers have to produce new products and technology and the government has to mandate ecological responsibility," he says. "Hopefully, soon, being green will be an everyday thing, just part of how we do things."

Things that work

A wide range of building materials, technologies and design techniques result in environmentally friendly homes. Here's a look at some of them:

Design: Take advantage of the lay of the land. Position buildings so they are heated by the sun in colder months and protected in hot weather.

Insulation/ventilation: Make sure the building envelope (roof, walls, windows) is well-insulated and also well-ventilated. Mario Kani of Sustainable Edge Ltd. points out that the building code calls for R19 insulation for walls and R40 for roofs. "We advise R30 to R35 for walls and R45 for roofs," he says.

Heating/cooling: New heating and cooling systems have excellent payback, as well as being eco-friendly. Geothermal systems use underground pipes that take advantage of the Earth's temperature in all seasons, helping the home to be warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Windows: The most recent advance is triple glazing with special gases between the layers for added insulation and coatings that can either repel the sun's rays or enhance them, depending on what is needed.

Recyling: Reclaimed materials are increasingly popular, such as flooring made from old barns or logs dredged from the bottom of lakes.

New products/technology: New materials come on the market every day, such as Galvalume sheet steel that reflects heat and can be used for extra insulation; or solar hot-water heating systems.

Water management: Low-flow toilets and showerheads and rainwater collection systems are increasingly popular, thanks in part to municipal programs and rebates.