buy-green-homes / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Real estate

Real estate

For most of us, purchasing or building a home will be the biggest investment of our lives. This section is about knowing what to look for in new homes to get the best value for your dollar, or what to look for in a building lot for the same reasons. What to look for in a location: Being close to where you work and pla...

Green building tax credits & grants 2023
Grants and incentives

Green building tax credits & grants 2023

Important to note: some programs may be discontinued, some new ones may be out there. Please help us keep this page updated if any of these don't work out or you know of others out there and drop a note in the comments at the bottom. According to the EnerQuality Green Building survey in October 2009, 40% of Ontario hom...

The LEED Platinum Beachaus II in Vancouver, BC
LEED Homes

The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) Measures the Environmental Benefit of the LEED Certification Program.

After certifying its first LEED project in 2005, the CaGBC collected data over the next eight years, measuring the direct impact LEED Canada made on various aspects of the environment, including greenhouse gas emissions, national energy and water consumption and waste diversion. The results were compelling: A 312,006 C...

Artistic rendition of one of the pre-fab net zero energy homes, Alberta
Off-grid and Net-Zero Housing

Net Zero Energy Community in Calgary, Alberta

Landmark Homes Inc. In Calgary Alberta, In partnership with Brookfield Residential Properties, has just started construction on a community of 27 prefabricated net zero energy homes, the first of its kind in Alberta. A ‘Net Zero Energy’ home on an annual basis generates as much or more power than it consumes, and each ...

Green homes climate change
Lifestyle and environment

Green buildings are better situated to handle climate extremes

The U.S. Green Building Council and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning released a landmark report Feb. 29 that describes how green buildings advance resiliency in disasters. “Green Building and Climate Resilience: Understanding Impacts and Preparing for Changing Conditions” ...

Home construction
How to Find Qualified Green Building Professionals

Hiring professionals or doing it yourself

1. Hiring an architect: We discussed previously the idea of choosing an architect that specializes in high-performance Eco-friendly home design and can co-ordinate the work. They should be able to help you find general contractors and subcontractors that can help you carry out your work according to plan. This route is...

Decentralized Energy Generation for LEED, Passive House & Green Homes
Renewable energy

Which is the Best Type of Home Energy Generation for Green Homes?

Home Energy Generation, which option is best? How the electrical grid is fed near you will be a huge factor in determining the carbon footprint of your home, with or without your own renewable power generation such as having solar panels on your roof. If you live near a windfarm, that's where most of your power comes f...

Resilient Homes, why they're important in dealing with Climate Change
Lifestyle and environment

Resilient Homes; Why we need to build to withstand climate change events

Future-proofing homes for Climate Change:  Anticipating future climatic challenges and constructing resilient buildings to withstand them should be an important consideration when building any new home - but we're often told that "a Green Home costs more", and too many people then decide in the face of resistance from ...

Real estate

Are you selling a house? Here are the top 10 things homebuyers look for

A market study by AVID Ratings Canada for the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) surveyed 12,000 homebuyers across Canada to see what Canadians are looking for when they go house shopping. We were pleased but not at all surprised by the results - here they are: The top 10 assets that homebuyers value: 1. Walk-i...

Building Green Homes on a Budget is Possible - Our top tips
Planning and Design

Top tips for planning and building a green home on a budget

Proper planning is the key to successfully building a sustainable green home. An energy-efficient ‘eco home’ doesn’t necessarily need to cost a lot more than a code-built home because a lot of that depends on design, but choosing and finding green building materials can take a bit longer as they often need to be specia...

House built by Matthew Smith of Mapleridge Homes
LEED Homes

LEED comes to the gatineau hills

Developer Luc Bélisle will be partnering with Matthew Smith of Mapleridge Homes to build the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified housing project in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec. Phase 1 will have 12 lots available, but the developer has 470 acres total on which he hopes to build about 1...