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THINKING
GREEN
56 ontario home builder Summer 2017 ohba.caManufacturers are
trying to stay ahead of
the curve in the demand
for environmentally
friendly products
By T r ac y H a n e s
E
ven in the most frigid of winters, Ontario has
become one of the greenest places in North America.
This isn’t about changing weather patterns, but
about raising the bar for energy efficiency and
sustainability in the province’s new homes.
While construction practices and methods have played a
role, improved versions of existing products and emerging new
ones have put many Ontario builders well ahead of the curve
on their road to achieving Net Zero, the Ontario Building Code’s
target by 2030.
Energy efficiency has long been a part of the conversation,
but aspects such as indoor air quality, water conservation and
penetration, and provision of natural light are gaining traction.
Builders and buyers are also becoming more concerned about what
products are best for the environment and best for their health.
Efficiency doesn’t refer to just energy anymore. Due to
increasingly compact homes such as condos or townhomes,
space is another big consideration for builders as they
deliberate what products to use and the cost involved.
“I was at a BILD breakfast recently and I must have heard
the word ‘affordability’ 50 times,” says Dan Murphy, sales and
marketing director for Reliance Home Comfort.
John Godden, Toronto consultant and rater for R-2000,
Energy Star, EnerGuide and LEED for Homes, says looking at
a LEED checklist is a good way to determine what products
are environmentally friendly, based on how they are made,
how much recycled content they include and which ones are
acceptable in terms of indoor air quality.
“One of the big changes is that products are getting away
from using formaldehyde glue—that’s almost a moot point
now,” says Godden. “And paints have gone from low-VOC to
almost no VOCs. But the caution is ‘greenwashing’—a lot of
companies are bragging about their products, but some of them
might not be that (environmentally friendly).”
Godden applauds the new generation of hot water heaters
and combination systems and says air source heat pumps have
come a long way too. “They used to only work in above-freezing
temperatures, but they now work at lower temperatures and are
claiming high rates of return. People are considering using heat
pumps now because energy loads are so much lower.”
The builders who are early adopters are already well beyond
ohba.ca ontario home builder Summer 2017 57Code standards and using products that will take them
to the next level, says Andy Goyda, market development
Code Pink! manager for Owens Corning Canada and an EnerQuality
Owens Corning’s CodeBord Air Barrier System
Hall of Fame member who has championed Energy Star
24
and Net Zero for new homes in Ontario.
Goyda says several Ontario builders are planning to
ALL in ONE build Net Zero Ready homes now, which will cost $10,000
Eliminates the need for an additional
weather barrier to $15,000 more than a Code-built home. He says the only
difference between Net Zero Ready and Net Zero homes
more efficient
Thanks to 24” centres vs 16” centres are the solar panels, which would bump the cost of the
latter to $40,000 above Code.
earth-friendly But those panels won’t always be so expensive, Goyda
Foamular energy-saving, moisture-
resistant Extruded Polystyrene predicts. “Low-E argon windows are standard now
Insulation features 70% lower global in production homes now, but they used to be cost-
70
warming potential than the previous prohibitive. The same thing will happen with solar panels,
formulation
and as part of its climate change program, the Ontario
government will be offering a $20,000 incentive in 2019
for homeowners to put renewables on their homes.”
Here is a look at some of the newest green and
sustainable product innovations.
INSULATION AND AIR BARRIERS
Ontario builders have pretty much perfected the building
envelope, thanks to products that insulate, seal and form a
barrier from air and moisture. Owens Corning has created a
CodeBord Air Barrier System (CABS) to meet current Code
standards and beyond. It acts as an exterior air and weather
barrier, eliminating the need for a building wrap.
“The beauty is that it’s very affordable—a tried and
true technology. And instead of 16-inch centres, you can
go to 24 inches and increase the efficiency of the wall
system,” says Goyda of the framing technique where studs
in exterior walls, floor joists and rafters are 24” apart,
reducing the amount of lumber required, while preventing
thermal bridging. “You can seal the foam and use it as an
“the builders who are air barrier, which makes it very cost-effective to build a
Net Zero Ready home.”
early adopters are
Using the system along with batt, blown-in and rigid
foam insulation, builders can achieve one-and-a-half air
exchanges or less, says Goyda. The Foamular Extruded
already well beyond Polystyrene rigid foam insulation that is part of the
CABS system is excellent for warding off moisture issues
in basements. Used from the foundation to footings and
Code standards and using under slab, its closed-cell foam prevents any moisture
from entering the basement and makes the space very
comfortable.
products that will take Owens Corning EcoTouch Pink Fiberglas and ProPink
Fiberglas blown insulation include 73% recycled
them to the next level.”
content, are GreenGuard indoor air quality certified
and formaldehyde-free to ensure a healthy indoor
environment.
Isolofoam, a Quebec manufacturer of expanded
polystyrene insulation products, has also developed an
OBC compliance package for builders, as well as those
that qualify for LEED credits. Its EPS products contain no
ozone-damaging gas and incorporate recycled plastics and
non-toxic glue.
58 ontario home builder Summer 2017 ohba.caWATER AND SPACE HEATING with some as high as 99%.
When the new OBC took effect in January, water heater “We’ve introduced recirculating technology for tankless
efficiency requirements went up by 15%, and one way this units,” says Pacheco. “If hot water is in the lines overnight
has been addressed is through new high-input storage and nobody uses water, it gets cold and you have to wait
tanks that are more than 90% efficient, says Dan Murphy for a few seconds for warm-up. This unit has a circulating
of Reliance Home Comfort. Those are traditional tanks pump with a thermostatic valve, so it circulates warm water
and what most Ontario homeowners are used to, but to keep from wasting it. The unit is also programmable, so
tankless units are coming on strong. water is not heated when it doesn’t have to be.”
The interest in tankless system is twofold, according to Redmond-Williams Distributing has introduced the
Murphy. “One is the Code change that’s demanding more Bosch 9800 SE Tankless Water Heater to the Canadian
efficiency. Then there are space and affordability issues. market, with major builders such as Mattamy signing
With townhouses stacked and back-to-back, there are fewer up, says Bob Hiscott, director of marketing. It has a 99%
exterior walls and choices of where to vent. With combination thermal efficiency rating, with another advantage being
units, builders only have to have one appliance to vent.” the ease of installation.
“When used in combination with an air handler for “It has two-inch venting, which is a big feature,” says
space heating, they perform even better,” adds Gladimir Hiscott. For combination heating, it pairs well with the
Pacheco, project manager and technical consultant for Red Zone HVS High Velocity Air Handler. Used with a
home builders for Reliance Home Comfort. “More builders mini duct system that can fit in a two-by-four wall cavity,
are using tankless and combination systems because they no bulkheads are required, “so from a construction
don’t take the space of traditional tanks. You can hang the standpoint, builders love it.”
units on a wall or put them in a closet.” Hiscott says because the Code is changing for water
Some tankless units have a minimum of 94% efficiency, storage tanks; their cost will increase by $500 or $600 as
they become more efficient. Air handlers are cheaper than
furnaces. And while a bit more expensive than traditional
water heaters, tankless heaters that can be used in tandem
Perfect Fit with air handlers to save on energy costs are “really taking
Bosch 24” Glass Door Counter-Depth Bottom Freezer off,” says Hiscott.
As for geothermal systems, “interest continues to
24
bubble up a bit,” Pacheco says. “But people are waiting
european class for more government incentives. They are really leaning
Elegant but just 24”wide, it can be toward tankless and HRVs.”
integrated with cabinetry With homes getting tighter, Heat Recovery Ventilators
bright idea (HRVs) have been commonplace for some time and are
LED lights are glare-free, energy- mandated by Code. They eliminate condensation problems
efficient and last the appliance’s
lifetime.
in tight houses and provide a constant flow of fresh
air, which improves indoor air quality. Their minimum
cool efficiency efficiency has increased from 55 to 75 Sensible Heat-
Employs Isobutane as a coolant,
which uses just 357 kW of energy a Recovery Efficiency (SRE). Some builders are starting to
year. The amount used would only discover Energy Heat Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) that
fill a lighter! recover humidity as well as heat, but they’re not yet cost-
effective for many.
Builders need to educate homebuyers on some of the
green components, says Murphy, such as HRVs: how they
work and why these products are valuable.
KITCHEN APPLIANCES
The huge trend towards foodie culture and cooking at
home has created a demand for stylish appliances that
are small enough to fit in compact condos or townhouses,
according to Steve Preiner, director of marketing for BSH
Home Appliances.
Bosch has introduced a new line of 24-inch European
format refrigerators featuring tempered glass fronts
with stainless steel, black or white panels beneath. The
fridges can also be integrated with cabinetry.
“They are easy to clean and follow European minimalist
design philosophy with a ridge on the edge rather than
60 ontario home builder Summer 2017 ohba.ca“as developments get handles,” says Preiner. “Builders want to go with latest
trend, and from a design standpoint, this is definitely one.”
The Energy Star-qualified fridges use Isobutane as a
denser, builders are coolant, which Bosch introduced to North America, using
just 357 kW of energy a year. “The amount of coolant used is
trying to take advantage
about the amount that would fill a lighter,” says Preiner. “It
has been used in Europe for 10 years and it is highly efficient.
Europeans have been used to living in tighter spaces for a
of european design and long time. As developments get denser here, builders are
trying to take advantage of European design and technology.”
Bosch has a full suite of European format 24-inch
technology.” appliances that also includes cooktops and wall ovens, as
well as dishwashers as compact as 18 inches wide.
“These are a solution for builders who are building small
units and dealing with consumers who don’t want to
compromise on features or performance,” says Preiner. “They
are spending more and more on their living space and they
want high efficiency along with maximum space efficiency.”
Water Tight Preiner says sustainability and energy efficiency are
Eddy IQ Smart Meter part of the European heritage when it comes to electricity
and water. He says Bosch goes to great lengths to be
environmentally responsible in its manufacturing practices,
such as ensuring rags used to wipe solvent from products
aren’t washed where water can go down the drain and into
the sewer system; and is highly efficient with its packaging.
MONITORING AND METERING
Automated systems and systems that can be controlled and
monitored from smartphones are must-haves for many
homeowners. Launched in 2011, the cleanly designed Nest
Learning Thermostat remains on the hot list. Research
shows the model to save about 0.5 tons of CO2 per year on
average as it learns homeowners’ habits. That means that
100,000 Nest Thermostats could reduce carbon emissions
habit forming by the same amount as taking 10,000 cars off the road.
Learns homeowner water usage and Eddy Homes, meanwhile, has launched a new round-the-
sends an alert of any irregularities.
clock smart metering service that homeowners can use to
ever vigilant track their water consumption and protect against floods
The system is monitored 24 hours a day, and leaks. The Eddy IQ smart meter learns homeowner
throughout the year by a control centre,
and can remotely shut off water supply. water usage habits and will alert them when there is an
anomaly. It can be paired with sensors that track humidity
builder-friendly and temperature and will send an alert when there is a
Beyond value added for the homeowner,
it also helps builders spot slight leaks be- flood caused by leaking toilets, running faucets or burst
fore closing, in case of trades accidentally pipes. The system is monitored by a 24-hour control centre
nicking water lines during construction. and can be used remotely to shut off water supply.
“Builders are recognizing this as something that’s
necessary and it benefits them well before closing, as it
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allows them to know of any leaks they can’t see,” says
Sue Cerilli, Eddy IQ director of new construction and
365
development. “For example, a drywaller may hammer a
wall and nick a water line, which causes a minor drip that’s
not ordinarily noticed until it causes damage.”
Homeowners benefit too, not only because they are
alerted of any issue, but because many insurance companies
offer a discount on home insurance rates. They can also track
their water usage to see how they can save on water bills. The
monthly monitoring fee starts at $9.95 a month. OHB
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