Supplemented training available, through partnership with
Blue House Energy
EDMONTON, AB, Jan. 17, 2022 /CNW/ - Kicking off the new year,
Built Green Canada launches its Net Zero Energy+ program for single
family new homes, a new level of achievement within the
organization's long-held, industry friendly green building
program.
While builders continue to progress their industry with
increasing sustainable building practices, consumers' interest in
greater energy performance within a healthier home environment
gains traction; all the while, all orders of government have
prioritized their climate mitigation files.
By 2030, the Government of Canada aim is that all provinces and
territories adopt a net zero energy ready building code. For our
context, "net zero" refers to a home producing as much energy as it
uses in a year. Today, there are Canadian builders reaching this
target, while many more have a ways to go. For builders and their
trades to span that gap—while continuing to conduct business in
their fast-paced industry—it means research and investing in new
practices. Fortunately, there are programs created to foster this
process, such as Built Green's new program.
Built Green Canada remains committed to guiding incremental
improvement through its four certification levels—each with
increased energy performance requirements, alongside improvement
outlined in other key areas of sustainable building. And, with the
launch of Built Green's Net Zero Energy+ program, there is the
option for another level of achievement—which building code will
require by 2030. While this course is focused on Net Zero
achievement, it takes a holistic approach (as with all of Built
Green's programs) that goes beyond energy—represented in the
program's title, with the plus sign.
"This is about encouraging progress. All of our certification
levels support incremental improvements, and we're here to
support—and learn from—industry," says Chief Executive Officer
Jenifer Christenson. "We recognize
builders, consumers and government are at different stages of the
sustainability trajectory, and all those making steps forward are
to be applauded."
Consistent with its other programs, BUILT
GREEN® Net Zero
Energy+ for Single Family New Homes maintains energy efficiency
as its fundamental component, integrating the EnerGuide
label through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). It then goes
beyond energy efficiency, moving the industry toward a more
holistic approach to sustainable building practices: including the
preservation of natural resources, reduction of pollution,
ventilation and air quality, and home durability. As such, builders
and their customers get a two-in-one: the BUILT GREEN® label and
the EnerGuide label, offering verification of the energy
performance and the green features integrated into the home.
Built Green's certification is on the build, and while its
interest is also on the builder and those who have contributed [to
the build], it does not certify the builder, nor the Energy
Advisor, as the program is about each product: each home built. The
third-party energy certification is through NRCan-licensed
third-party Service Organizations.
Builders pursuing this certification are required to pass the
training course, BUILT GREENÒ Net Zero Energy for New Construction,
and may work with any Energy Advisor licensed through NRCan who has
also passed the training. One of the organization's mandates is
around offering industry options, instead of a prescriptive
approach, and this extends to process, as well as the programs
themselves.
BUILT GREEN® Net Zero
Energy for New Construction introduces concepts and
techniques for developing high performance and net zero new
construction projects. In addition to advanced envelope and
mechanical system content, the course includes discussion on how
occupant behaviour impacts the overall energy use in a house and
affects the sizing of renewable energy systems. The training has
seven modules, takes an estimated 20 hours to complete
and is a partnership between Built Green Canada and Blue House
Energy.
Working in partnership with Built Green Canada, Blue House
Energy took content they'd developed for training Energy Advisors,
and—with input from leading industry experts—tailored and expanded
it for builders.
"This course was created in anticipation of what builders will
need to know and do, before Net Zero building code changes come
into effect," says Shawna Henderson,
CEO of Blue House Energy. "Our self-directed (on-demand),
interactive training model has proven to be a great fit for busy
industry pros, so we're excited to offer this course on another
critical topic."
Thank you to those that contributed to the development of the
training program, including: Andy
Cockburn, NAIMA; Andy Oding,
Building Knowledge Canada; Bob
Deeks, RDC Fine Homes; Dara
Bowser, Bowser Technical; Dave
Krasman, Jayman BUILT; Dave
Turnbull, Enerspec Consulting; Haito
Yu, Landmark Group; Jeffrey
Robinson, EnerTech Solutions Ltd; Matt Grace, Integral Group; Built Green's
Technical Standards Committee; and its Board of Directors.
SOURCE Built Green Canada