Earth Day…Making a New Home, a Better Home for You and For Future Generations!   

By Professor K.D. Pressnail

When it comes to heating and cooling our homes, the day is not too far away when we will have to reduce our wasteful ways. If concern for the environment doesn’t lead us to change our ways, economics will! Unless something radically changes in our energy supply, heating and cooling our homes in this province will soon become a lot more expensive. $110 a barrel for oil may seem exorbitant, yet many economists are predicting that recent price rises in carbon-based energy are just the beginning. Soon, $110 a barrel may seem like a bargain. Although we can easily begin driving more "responsible" vehicles and permanently park and recycle our fuel-wasting "automohulks," what are we supposed to do with our buildings?

Most Canadian consumers want to tread more lightly on this earth, and they are willing to pay a premium to make this place a better place for future generations. So what can you do? Fortunately, when it comes to buildings, there are many things that we, as consumers, can do and they begin at home.

If you plan to buy a new home, consider buying a home that is close to where you work and serviced well by public transit. Next, don’t assume that just because a new home meets the building code, that it is “energy-efficient." If you want energy-efficiency you will have to go far beyond the building code and seek out a builder who is "enlightened." Ask your prospective builder for predicted energy costs and energy upgrades and low energy packages. The best choices often involve higher initial capital costs; however, these costs will be quickly recovered through lower operating costs.

Although there is growing consumer awareness for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings, when it comes to homes, the R2000 standard, or the Energuide 80, home is perhaps a better reference point. Look at the energy–upgrade options offered and aim high. See if your builder can make your new home 50% more energy-efficient than a R2000 home. It may sound fanciful, but it isn’t. We already have the technology to build far better...now.

The cost premium for building better than R2000 now can be less than $15,000 for an average-sized, 2100 square foot home. Considering that homes that we build today will be here for a hundred years or more, and will have an initial building cost of $200,000 or more, a premium of $15,000 should seem small. If not, consider the energy cost savings. Based on today’s energy prices, an average home in the GTA built to the Ontario Building Code will cost about $1,800 per year to heat. An R2000 home will cost about $1,200 to heat, and the target home suggested here will cost about $600 per year to heat. If the cost premium appears to be a barrier, then know that upgrading an existing building later on is very expensive. Upgrading later will cost you up 3-4 times more than building it right the first time.

Finally, ask the question, do you really need an average-sized 2100 square foot home? If the $15,000 premium is still a barrier, then consider reducing your floor area by 10% and put the cost savings into energy-upgrades. You will not only reduce your heating and cooling costs thereby lessening the burden that you place on future generations, your home may become more valuable in the future. As energy prices rise, buyers will seek out and pay a premium for fuel-efficient homes. This trend is just beginning to appear in the real estate market.

In the end, building better homes now makes economic and environmental sense. It’s the responsible thing to do today…better homes for us and better homes for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. Applying the test offered by the late Chief Dan George “…have I done everything I could to earn my grandchild’s fondness?”  I believe that he did. Now it’s our turn…
 

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