• Green is 50: Builder Challenge

The Green is 50: Builder Challenge is aimed at improving the building process to save money and produce a better,  greener housing product.  Builders have a unique opportunity to increase their capacity to keep up with the code, market changes and the ever increasing demand for greener homes.

The first challenge homes have focused on achieving a 50% reduction in total home energy consumption.

Through building a Green is 50 home, builders improve their construction process, detailing, quality and build capacity within their organizations for continuous green improvement.

Challenge Homes are modelled using HERS Index (Homes Energy Rating System). The point system and home labelling program helps builders accurately model the total energy performance of the homes they build.

Industry Supported

Sponsors include a broad cross-section of the building products industry and from Ontario’s largest electric utility.

The Green Builder Challenge is an industry-lead initiative that helps to level the playing field to improve both a builder’s bottom line and the quality of their homes.

The Green is 50: Builders’ Challenge will act as a market based catalyst with usable metrics that are easy for builder and homeowners to understand.

Rise to the Challenge!

The pilot project is complete and a detailed report is being prepared. See further information regarding the Green is 50: Builders Challenge pilot project in Our Successes. 

If you are an Energy Evaluator working with a builder or Builder planning or currently building an energy efficient home and want to know if it will meet the challenge, please Contact Us.

Research and Reports

1. •Green is 50 pilot project report
   

The pilot project for Green is 50: Builder Challenge is complete with more 25 builders participating.  Stayed tuned for the release of the report in early 2011 which includes a comparison of EnerGuide vs HERS energy rating scales, energy consumption data and products on over 65 homes.

•Ryerson University Graduate study on the “Best” Envelope Design

To meet the 2012 building codes and beyond, envelopes with higher R values and good air tightness are required. There is a need for industry professionals and researchers to work together in developing appropriate new wood frame envelope systems that address thermal requirements economically and practically.

Researchers will take input from industry, current wall constructions and analyze the thermal characteristics of alternative envelope systems and the interface details.  The study will be based on wood frame building envelope wall assemblies such as nodes where walls meet basement concrete slabs, joist headers and roof joists will be studied, including window details and thermal breaks.  Detailed investigation of common and progressive envelope designs will provide meaningful data informing the design/build community of the strengths and weaknesses of various design options including constructability, cost and performance.

This study will provide a comprehensive thermal performance assessment of alternative residential building envelope designs that achieve higher thermal standards that will be required for future housing.   Detailed understanding of the moisture condensation and thermal behaviour of wall assemblies will present the forward-looking building community with means of keeping ahead of building code requirements and ahead of competing building companies.

The objective of this study is to determine the performance and environmental impact of a variety of wood-frame envelope assemblies suitable for new construction of residential houses that achieve good thermal performance. Various envelope designs will be rated according to a series of criteria and ratings based on the US HERS system.

The findings will be summarized in a detailed report, including itemized accounts of the rating scores, by Rick Roos, Ryerson Graduate student.

1. •Municipal Engagements
   

The Sustainable Housing Foundation is dedicated to being an objective third party information source to municipalities.  We have begun the dialogue with the Town of Markham and the Town of Richmond Hill.

Contact Us if:

1. •you preparing policy around energy efficient, sustainable developments,
   

2. •seeking information regarding the current certifications or labels in Canada,
   

3. •information and clarity regarding the energy rating scales (EnerGuide and HERS),
   

4. •are in the initial planning stages with a builder. 
   

We can help!

1. •Builders’ Den
   

The Builders’ Den is a builder and manufacturer engagement session that is a take-off of the popular TV show the Dragons’ Den.  In the Builders’ Den, green product manufactures have 5 minutes to pitch their green product to a group of about 30 builders over dinner. Each builder is given “builder bucks” to invest in the products and show their support by giving their builder bucks to the sales reps. The session encourages interaction and discussion between manufacturers and builders in a casual session where builders are able to ask the manufacturers the tough questions about what works and how.

What the builders are saying:

“The Builders’ Den was very useful, and I think this format has huge potential — it’s a great improvement over just sitting in a seminar.”
Lou Bada, contacts manager at Starlane Homes

“It was truly a great experience. I look forward to more in the future.”
Marco DeSimone, owner of Royal Park Homes

Manufactures who have presented in past Builders Den’s are:

•Roxul Inc.

•Building Products of Canada

•Hisi

•Centimeter

•Your Solar Home

•Renewability

•Uponor

•Venmar

•Customer Insight - C.Caswell & Associates

•Redmond/Williams  

•All Weather Windows

1. •  Airmax Technologies
   
   

Contact Us if you are a manufacturer interested presenting at the next Builders Den or a builder interested in attending.

Challenges

•The Envelope Challenge

Sponsored by Roxul Inc. and Building Products of Canada with technical support from Clearshpere and research support from Ryerson University Graduate Studies, Building Science, the Sustainable Housing Foundation is launching the Envelope Challenge in 2011.

As part of his graduate studies, Rick Roos will examine a number of high performance walls types recently or currently being built that meet or exceed the upcoming 2012 building code to produce a framework for assessing the strengths and weakness of various building envelope typologies according to criteria defined through industry consultation.  Envelope designs submitted by the Sustainable Housing Foundation’s Envelope Challenge participants will undergo in-depth engineering analysis. A rating scale will be devised to appropriately convey the strengths and weaknesses of the envelope analysis criteria.

Computer modelling, manual calculation and on-site measurements will provide data for rating the envelope designs in terms of the agreed set of criteria. The following is an initial list that will be more fully developed in consultation with industry.

1. • Thermal resistance
   

2. •Moisture dynamics
   

3. •Durability
   

4. •Construction costs
   

5. •Environmental impact
   

6. •Air tightness
   

7. •Ease of construction