leed-mortage-discount / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

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...

Real estate

Downsizing your home: buying tips for seniors

Buying a house in retirement Are you planning to downsize, move closer to family, or relocate to your dream retirement destination? While changing homes is typically associated with younger adults, many seniors are making the decision to buy a home in retirement. However, buying at 65 isn’t quite the same as buying at ...

How to Handle a Power Outage in Cold Weather
Lifestyle and environment

How to handle a power outage in cold weather

Why be prepared for power outages in cold weather? From celebrating holidays to snow related activities like skiing or snowboarding, followed by curling up by the fire and enjoying hot chocolate with a good book or your favorite website (;-), winter can be a beautiful time of the year. However, the enchanting snowy sea...

Warm light and dimmable LED bulbs
Lighting

All about LED bulbs - video

DIY video about choosing the best LED bulbs and DIY lighting fixture installation tips. LED bulbs are here to stay, it's time to make the leap. The colours are warmer now, the bulbs are dimable and the price is coming down. Incandescent bulbs give off lots of unwanted heat, which in summer months makes your air condit...

Lifestyle and environment

Emergency preparedness guide for homes

We are seeing more frequent and more severe weather events as our climate changes, and all evidence points to that trend continuing. Here we have a list of ways to prepare yourself in the event of grid failure or absence of municipal services.  Storing emergency food and water: City water systems will remain pressurize...

Do you need a backup heat source with central heat pumps in a power outage?
Heating and cooling

Do heat pumps need a backup heat source?

Having a backup heat source that can operate without electricity should be an important consideration for many homeowners in colder climate zones, especially those who rely on a heat pump or electricity as their primary source of heat. In this guide, we will explore the various factors that can influence the need for a...

LEED Homes

Find a LEED Provider

LEED Canada for Homes Providers: Atlantic Canada: Quebec: ThermalWise Jordan MacDonald [email protected] T: (902) 407-9276 Toll Free:1 (877) 771-9276 Mailing address: P.O. Box 31236 Halifax, NS B3K 5Y1 Office: 2459 Agricola Street Halifax www.thermalwise.ca   Évaluations Écohabitat...

LEED for Homes Checklist
LEED Homes

The LEED for Homes Checklist

The checklist will help you understand the requirements for each LEED category, and help you decide on your targeted level of certification. It will not only be used for the evaluation of your project, but you can use it for tracking your progress. The checklist will allow you to: Meet the criteria for each category D...

LEED Homes

The 19 LEED for Homes Prerequisites

This is designed to offer only an overview of the 19 LEED for homes prerequisites that must be met for certification. Not all categories have prerequisites, and some have more than one. Please refer to the rating system for more details. Innovation & Design Process (ID)  1.1 Preliminary rating:   Conduct a prelimin...

LEED for homes rating system.
LEED Homes

What is LEED?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized rating system for commercial buildings and homes administered by the CaGBC (Canada Green Building Council)  to encourage sustainable building practices. While the commercial program has been in effect for much longer, LEED for Homes C...

Yukon's first LEED certified home
LEED Homes

The Yukon's First LEED Certified Home

The Yukon's first LEED certified home was born of new city policies designed to develop people-friendly neighbourhoods. Unused city land between large lots was re-zoned to allow for new housing that promoted community engagement. New zoning regulations for these more modestly sized lots included maximum setbacks to kee...