Canadian Builders Association Looking Green

The Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) are not happy chaps at the moment! There is concern in the industry that building codes are being compromised by the use of programs that were not designed in Canada and that are replacing Canadian based standards.

The newly developing interest in green homes and sustainable energy has meant that several new green programs and standards in construction and house building have been introduced that do not have CHBA approval.

Their concern is centred on the new LEED-H standard that is currently being developed in Canada by the Canadian Green Building Council. The CHBA are concerned that municipalities will regulate the building of new houses by insisting on LEED compliance, thus circumnavigating the CHBA system of codes and standards.

The vice president of CHBA pointed out that the LEED standards are developed by a private group to suit their own agenda, and that this is not the way building standards are introduced in the country. He added that the codes and standards development processes are rigorous, transparent and involve a lot of accountability.

Interest in homes with high-energy efficiency and sustainable building practices has prompted several new 'green' programs and standards to be introduced in Canada.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The LEED standards are based on five principal categories: energy and atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, materials and resources, sustainable sites and water efficiency.

Currently they are only applied to commercial and multi-housing construction, but now standards for LEED -H are being developed to include domestic housing.

CHBA has developed an outline for domestic housing; R-2000 was introduced twenty years ago and has had several updates since then. Its mandate was to build super energy efficient homes; a criterion that has brought international demand for Canadian home designs from all over the world. Countries such as Chile, Ireland and Russia are just a few of the countries that have used Canadian building consultants and expertise.

However, builders have said that back home in Canada, the R-2000 was a tough sell. Rather than spend extra money on energy efficiency, prospective home owners would opt to spend their money on upgraded finishes, which gave more visual enjoyment.

As with many green issues, until the Government step in to legislate and demand forms of energy-saving, by law, home owners the world over will often choose to spend their home owner's money on visual appeal.

The CHBA have said that it is time to upgrade their R-2000 standard to serve its original purpose which was to provide an elite standard of energy and environmental performance that will stimulate innovation within the home building industry.

Sounds like something has stimulated innovation within the Canadian Home Builders Association....?

Tags: GREEN HOMES, CANADIAN GREEN HOMES, CANADIAN BUILDERS ASSOCIATION, CHBA, CONSTRUCTION, BUILDING