Sustainability Now

The Sustainable Housing Foundation is inviting builders to take part in exploring the myths of the residential construction industry. At the heart of this discussion is the common myths about energy efficiency and production and the need to clarify these misconceptions if we are to move the sustainability conversation forward. Join us as our board members will talk for 10 minutes each on a particular myth and were hoping to have a lively discussion to follow. The first myth that…

  The Sustainable Housing Foundation is inviting builders to take part in the Hybrid House initiative—a groundbreaking approach to self-sustaining homes. At the heart of this concept is the nanogrid, an advanced energy system that seamlessly integrates solar panels, battery storage, and smart energy management. The goal? To create the ultimate energy-resilient home. For those living in rural areas—or anywhere experiencing an increase in power outages—a nanogrid acts as your home’s personal energy manager. It ensures your lights stay on,…

Traditional building energy modeling requires specialized expertise and significant time and resources, often making it less cost-effective, particularly for smaller projects. AI and machine learning (ML) techniques address these challenges by improving both the accuracy and speed of energy modeling. AI can help process large datasets that include building geometry, material properties, climate data, occupancy behavior and historical energy use, to identify patterns and generate insights. ML algorithms can predict energy consumption by training on past data, helping designers estimate…

Low Carbon Home Builder’s Coalition Annual Dinner   Environmental, Social Governance, Embodied Carbon and a celebration of Better Builder magazine’s 50th issue. The idea behind the LCHC is to annually benchmark as many homes as possible in the last 4 years to see how progress in new home construction is stacking up against federal commitments — a type of report card for residential builders. In 2023, the coalition effectively got 527 cars off the road and saved their home buyers…

The impact of climate change has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored. Nowhere is this movement more impactful than the construction industry. As the Ontario Building Code did not harmonize with the National Building Code, Ontario builders have a chance to voluntarily show leadership and forward thinking. In Ontario, simply ceasing to use fossil fuels as an energy source is not a possibility with Ontario’s specific challenges.   Builders, manufacturers, and governing bodies all recognize the…

This past June, a Canadian builder, was on a flight back to Toronto from Florida after Game Seven of the Stanley Cup final. Along the way, the builder struck up a conversation with an American developer, comparing notes on home energy efficiency. Surprisingly, this person made a comment that Canadian builders were not doing their part in reducing CO2 emissions compared to their U.S. counterparts.   The American builder’s observation was far from the truth. Unbeknown to him, this builder…

On April 10, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) announced that they would not completely harmonize the Ontario Building Code (OBC) with the National Building Code (NBC) 2020 9.36 and would preserve the use of SB-10 and SB-12. This is a victory to preserve builder choice — not just for energy compliance for building permits, but for allowing fairness in meeting local green building standards that solely reference government programs like Energy Star. The Home Energy Rating System…

Federal climate change policy and the National Building Code (NBC) are targeting Net Zero Energy Ready new homes and buildings by 2030.  Local Ontario Green Building Standards are referencing the NBC 2020 step code Tier 4 and 5 or Zero Rated Home. How does this relate to current OBC prescriptions for energy performance, Energy Star or higher? The long-awaited Super Semi Demonstration Project report sheds light on this topic and raises important questions. How do we measure zero energy carbon…

June 19, 2024 12 Noon to 5 PM Flemingdon Golf Course, Toronto The annual Green Builder Challenge Golf Tournament, hosted  by the Sustainable Housing Foundation’s President John Godden, is happening on Wednesday June 19th in the afternoon and you are invited to attend. Lunch and beverages will be provided before the first T-off time at 1 PM so come early and enjoy a relaxing lunch on the patio and great networking opportunity with your colleagues from the sustainable building industry…