Edmonton’s green revolution

Owning a home comes with big responsibilities – one of the biggest being monthly utility bills. With this winter’s bitter cold snap, your upcoming bill might come with a bit of sticker shock. Outright electrocution in some cases.

Even more worrisome is that electricity prices have been going up for some time. According to energy comparison website energyrates.ca, Alberta’s energy prices have increased by 34 per cent between November 2020 and 2021.

Homebuilders have noticed and are taking initiatives to help consumers in the fight against rising energy bills while saving the environment as well. Many have taken up the Built Green program, and some are taking the next level to Net Zero homes.

Built Green Canada is an industry-driven, national, non-profit organization committed to working with builders interested in responsible sustainability practices in the residential building sector. It uses a certification program that promotes healthy building measures, such as no or low volatile organic compounds, heat recovery ventilators for fresh air and high efficiency features. It also serves to underline the economic and health benefits of building “green.”

This year, Built Green Canada launched its Net Zero Energy+ program for single family new homes, which it calls “a new level of achievement within the organization’s long-held, industry friendly green building program.” They’ve created a labelling program which provides the industry and consumers with clear and precise technical requirements for two levels of labelling: Net Zero and Net Zero Ready Homes.

The initiative will help in achieving the Government of Canada’s 2030 target to have all provinces and territories adopt a net zero energy ready building code.

Today, there are Canadian builders reaching this target, while many more have a ways to go. In Edmonton, Effect Home Builders and Excel Homes are among those who have embraced the program to give their homeowners an edge in the energy wars.

Equipping Net Zero homes

Simply put, Net Zero homes are homes that produce as much energy as they consume. A Net Zero home can include features like a fresh air system (HRV), double-coated triple-pane windows, solar panels, energy-efficient appliances, and LED lighting, not to mention an airtight exterior envelope that locks in the temperature. Cooler in summer, warmer in the winter and unbelievably quiet all the time with the tamping down of outside noise.

The result is an energy-efficient home and exceptional living experience. Net Zero homeowners will save on their utility bills, be protected from energy price increases, and live in a healthier, quieter, more durable and comfortable home.

One of the biggest challenges is surmounting the perception that building energy-efficient homes is more expensive. Although building better-insulated, air-tight homes does come with higher upfront costs, the savings one can get in utility costs down the road will balance it out.

The financing of the increase on the buyers’ mortgage is covered by the utility savings. Further to this, they can also get 25 percent of your CMHC premium back after you move in, and electrical rate shifting allows you to cover even more in the summer when they are over producing power with their solar panels. All in all, you can make money by building a Net Zero home.

The effect of green homes

Effect Home Builders has been one of the most decorated custom home builders in Edmonton for their environmentally-sustainable home designs. In 2020, they took home the BILD Alberta’s Energy Efficiency Award. In 2012, they won the National and Provincial Green Home Award from the Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA). That same year, Effect also won Best Infill Project – Green Home of the Year Awards.

Suffice to say, Effect Home Builders takes energy-saving design seriously. Effect Homes’ Sydney Bond says the cost savings it affords homeowners in their utility bills is worth every penny they spend to build one.

“Buying a home can be one of the biggest investments of your life, so ensuring you have a home that is built properly and will keep your family healthy and safe is crucial. It may feel like more of an investment up front, but you are protected in the future from costly fixes, and expensive utility bills. It’s about both climate AND financial resiliency,” she tells Edmonton New Home + Condo Guide.
They specialize in building infill homes and acreages where they have the added advantage of easily orienting their homes to maximize use of solar panels.

“Effect has always endeavored to build houses better than industry standard. We believe that building houses to this standard means paying close attention to the building envelope and applying the important building science principles of House As A System,” Bond says. “This means houses built to this standard will perform very well, be less expensive to heat and cool, and be protected from water damage and other ecological factors.”

Although Effect does not have a dedicated showhome, they do frequently tour clients through projects in progress to show them all the stages of construction. “They can also tour a selection of our completed homes at the yearly Eco-Solar Home Tour,” she says. Those can be arranged through ecosolar.ca.

Visit effecthomes.ca for more information.

Excel’s green homes

Excel Homes has also made environmental sustainability a key feature in their homes, and they are part of the Built Green initiative.
The Marketing Manager at Excel Homes, Kristina Plank, says that since 1988, more than 12,000 Alberta families have trusted Excel to construct their home, and since 2007, they have delivered more than 3,000+ homes registered as energy-efficient BUILT GREEN® homes.

“One of our company’s key values is Responsibility. We consider the impact of our actions and choices, today and tomorrow, and lead the industry in many areas including safety and sustainability,” Plank says. “We’ve partnered with Built Green to certify the construction of energy-efficient and environmentally responsible homes. Together with Built Green, the result is a healthy, smart home designed for a happy family.”

Excel Homes offers a wide selection of proven floor plans equipped with energy-efficient features, from appliances to insulation. Many of the company’s show homes in the seven communities they build in are already Built Green Canada certified, and it is clear for visitors to see just how much value it brings to their homes.

Plank says, in fact, all their-single-family homes are Built Green certified. “The cost of using Built Green materials is minimal. The long-term benefits of lower utility bills helps balance out the incremental increase.” She believes that the CHBA rebates for building Built Green homes helps encourage more homebuyers to partake in the program.

Excel Homes showhomes can be found in the communities of Cavanagh, The Orchards, Citadel, Edgemont, Keswick Landing, and soon in Cy Becker Landing and Vita Crystallina.

Find out more at excelhomes.ca.