The idea that began some nine years ago has grown to about 500 members with about 10,500 registered homes in Alberta and British Columbia. It has received federal, municipal and local government recognition, and some cities are actually offering rebate programs for homes built under Built Green™ auspices.

The Built Green™ Society of Canada, which runs the program, recently created the position of Executive Officer and has made new provisions to its bylaws that give each member a vote in response to its burgeoning growth.

“We recently hired Ann Ralph as our Executive Officer and her office will be instrumental in handling requests that we’ve received from Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia to become part of the Built Green™ program,” says Built Green™ Society of Canada President David Bengert.

“Before, five board members were the only ones allowed to vote, now we’ve extended the right to all members. We believe these changes will result in better operation for the board and boost its perception and accommodate growth.”
Bengert says they are “very excited” with the changes and welcome the opportunity to bring more provinces into their ‘green’ fold.

Seeds of green
The Built Green™ movement, Bengert says, was actually born in the U.S. in 2000, in Colorado to be exact. Bengert, the general manager for Jayman MasterBUILT’s styleMagic Centres, was in Denver working on a project for the Calgary-based builder.

“They had a Built Green™ Colorado and our project had to meet their standards, and we figured that since their standards were already close to what we were implementing in our projects in Calgary, we thought it would also be a great idea to bring this home,” he recalls. “Today, Built Green™ Colorado is the one borrowing some of our ideas.”

Bengert says he firmly believed then and now that to be successful, a green housing program had to be driven by the whole industry. In June 2002, as President of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association — Calgary Region (CHBA-CR), Jay Westman of Jayman MasterBUILT committed to the development and launch of such a program. And the rest, as they say, is history.

“We wanted the home building industry to take a leading position in environmental programs,” says Bengert. “We figured that it was better if the industry itself took the initiative and imposed our own environmental guidelines rather than have the government step in with their own rules which was what would have happened.”

Built for success
‘Green’ is the word nowadays and, as Bengert says, no one thinks Kyoto is just another city in Japan. The Kyoto Accord to reduce greenhouse gases is very much in everyone’s minds these days, he says, and Built Green™ is turning in pretty solid numbers in its effect on the industry and the environment.

According to the society, Built Green™ Canada has resulted in the cumulative reduction of 51,457 tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) since 2004. The cumulative reduction in water use since that period is at 2,528,190,000 litres while the industry’s total reduction in landfill waste is 2,866 tonnes.

There are over 22,000 homes that are EnerGuide labeled in Canada, and Calgary represents 24 per cent of the total, he says.

“The average new home generates five tonnes of waste that goes into a landfill. Built Green™ requires a minimum reduction of 10 per cent,” he points out.

He clarifies the notion that building ‘green’ is expensive. It depends on the level of ‘green’ you want, Bengert says. “All Jayman MasterBUILT homes are built to at least Built Green™ Bronze standards and our homes are very competitively priced.”

Bengert points out that the additional cost of building ‘green’ is recuperated — sometimes almost immediately — by the savings you make in energy consumption. “At today’s mortgage rates, you probably have to add about $10,000 to the cost of a house built to Built Green™ Gold or Platinum standards, and that translates to about $40 additional a month. And that’s equal to the energy savings you can make every month.”

Green = growth
Built Green™ homes have less of an environmental impact than traditionally built homes. They are resource efficient and produce less waste than typical products and have a long lifecycle requiring less maintenance. Materials used in construction are also renewable or replaceable within a period of time. The use of local materials is also encouraged to reduce transportation costs and stimulating the local economy.

The Built Green™ program has three levels of achievement – Bronze, Silver and Gold. Points are awarded based on a minimum EnerGuide rating for each of the three levels. Additional points are selected from seven other areas in the Built Green™ checklist to give a cumulative total. Each separate category has minimum point totals that must be selected. All homes have an air test done by a qualified third party and receive a Built Green™ Certificate and seal.

“Built Green™ adds value to new home construction by promoting and recognizing the use of practices and products that represents resource-efficient and environmentally friendly construction,” Bengert says. CL

Why Built Green™?

The primary purpose of Built GreenTM is to encourage homebuilders to use technologies, products and practices that will:
• Provide greater energy efficiency and reduce pollution
• Provide healthier indoor air
• Reduce water usage
• Preserve natural resources
• Improve durability and reduce maintenance
 
The program concentrates on four areas of environmental concern:
• Energy Efficiency
• Indoor Air Quality
• Resource Use (including Waste Management)
• Overall Environmental Impact

For more information, visit http://www.builtgreencanada.ca