HomeStars – News and Updates
Cathy Rust, who wrote for HomeStars for a number of years and penned some articles that are still popular today, now has her own blog – A Mom’s Guide to Green Building Materials. Cathy has stepped out on her own and focussed her attention on environmentally friendly building with her own company called Butterfly Effect Consulting. A three time mom, she’s both an experienced builder and renovator, as well as an environmentalist and to top it all off, a Certified LEEDS Professional. (and if you don’t know about LEEDS, you should)
She’s decided to take a different and unique approach to blogging and dealing with green building by looking at it from a Mom’s perspective. As a mom, you can’t spend all your time seeking out the best environmentally friendly products, because you have kids running around constantly, so you’re looking for the quick and best solution.
She’s got some great early posts in the blog including a post about Snob, a store at Carlaw and Dundas in Toronto which focussed on quality African made products, and a look at the micro solar energy business.
If you care about building using good, environmentally friendly products, add her to your reading list. This applies to companies too. If you can show your clients you know how to preserve the environment, while building a great house, it may be the factor that turns that renovation lead and proposal into the sale. And you can follow her on Twitter here.
Posted by BrianS
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When you think of “green electricity” the first thing you may imagine is an array of solar panels on a home’s roof. While the energy produced by these panels is “green” as in, it doesn’t generate any greenhouse gases, green electricity is usually more generally referred to as electric power from renewable sources that is supplied to the main electricity grid.
The “pros” of green electricity:
Subscribing to a service that provides green electricity to the ‘grid’ is one way of lowering your home’s carbon footprint. While it is more expensive than traditional electricity, it is a lot less expensive than installing a set of solar photovoltaic panels (panels that generate electricity) on your rooftop. Further, it is maintanence and monitoring free. It is the easiest and cheapest way of reducing your home’s carbon footprint.
The “cons” of green electricity:
The majority of green electricity currently supplied to the grid in Ontario comes from ”low impact hydro” and wind farms. You may look outside on a particularly calm day and wonder why your lights are still on and you have no trouble running the vacuum cleaner; in other words, your power supply is not affected by how windy it is.
When you purchase your electricity from a green supplier, the supplier agrees to supply the same amount of watts to the grid in renewable power as you consume. So, for example, if your household uses 900 kwh of electricity per month, your utility company would supply 900 kwh of electricity from renewable resources per month to the grid, thereby offsetting the amount of electricity you’ve consumed, but not at the exact time you are using it.
Currently, electricity storage is a stumbling block for renewable energy companies. The company or person who develops the most reliable storage method will be the goose with the golden egg.
A final drawback to “green” electricity is that you are still tied to the main power grid. If one of your goals of using renewable energy is energy independence, then you should consider solar panels or a roof top wind turbine.
Currently in Ontario, Bullfrog Power is the only retail supplier of green electricity to consumers. For more information go to http://www.bullfrogpower.com.
For solar panel suppliers and small wind turbine suppliers in Ontario go to: http://www.cleanairalliance.org/choices/renewables.html
Posted by CathyR
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Archetype Homes
It is estimated that homes and buildings account for 30% of all energy use in Canada. The Archetype Homes built up at the Kortright Centre are made not for other builders to copy, but rather to learn about which are the best and most efficient practices and equipment for decreasing our homes’ carbon footprint in Ontario. In the two model homes, several different heating and cooling techniques have been used including current “best practices” and those considered to be the wave of the future.
House A represents current best practices for reducing energy consumption. Specifically:
- Heating and Hot water system: A single-panel thermal plate domestic hot water heater is used in conjunction with a 98% AFUE efficient wall-mounted condensing boiler. This system provides heat for the radiant flooring for the basement floors, and hot water for domestic use.
Condensing boiler in House A
- Drain Water Heat Recovery coils are wrapped around the cold water pipes leading to the hot water tank to capture waste heat from showers and the dishwasher. This heat preheats water going into the hot water tank, so less energy is needed to raise the temperature of the cold water.
Drain Water Heat Recovery Coils
- An air source heat pump absorbs heat from the outside air, passes through a compressor and is then used to heat the home. In the summer the system is reversed. This system is usually backed up with an oil or gas system.
- A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) brings fresh air in from the outside and exhausts stale air from the inside while transferring the heat from the stale air to the fresh air.
- A high-efficiency hydronic air handler with an electrically commutated motor blower saves electricity by reducing the frequency of furnace “cycling” (turning off and on).
- A sealed wood stove is used to warm the main living area without needing to turn up the furnace.
- A programmable thermometer is installed to adjust for night time and away time during the day.
- The house is positioned so that the windows can take advantage of the sun’s light and heat in the winter (passive solar heating) and landscaped to provide heat relief in the summer via a pergola.
House B represents future developments in energy efficiency including the use of renewable energy. While the structural design and positioning of the home are the same as House A, further advances in heating and cooling have been added to study and see which are cost-effective as well as efficient. Specifically:
- House B is heated with in-floor radiant heating throughout the entire house.
- Uses a micro-cogeneration unit that produces electricity from its own waste heat.
- Has a horizontal, closed loop ground source heat pump (geo-thermal system), combined with a one-panel solar evacuated tube hot water system which produces hot water, room heating and cooling.
- 3 kilowatt wind turbine system.
3KW Wind Turbine
- A floor-by-floor zoned cooling air handler capable of maintaining different temperatures in different areas of the house
- A thermal storage sealed masonry fireplace
House B's micro cogeneration heat and hot water system
- An enthalpy recovery ventilator which not only recovers heat, but also exchanges humidity
- Home automation temperature and lighting control
- Automated blinds to control heating and cooling via the windows.
Related posts:
http://blog.homestars.com/archives/2009/05/27/archetype-homes-at-kortright-centre-three-types-of-eco-friendly-insulation/
http://blog.homestars.com/archives/2009/05/19/the-archetype-homes-water-efficiency-and-xerascaping/
http://blog.homestars.com/archives/2009/05/05/archetype-homes-construction-waste-and-innovative-building-techniques/
http://blog.homestars.com/archives/2009/04/28/the-archetype-homes-at-the-kortright-conservation-centre-green-homes-and-models-of-leed-efficiency/
Posted by CathyR
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If you have ever considered putting solar hot water heaters on your roof, you might consider doing it this year, especially if you live within the Enbridge Gas distribution area (Ontario only).
Bullfrog Power has teamed up with Enbridge and EnerWorks to provide homeowners with even more incentive to add a solar hotwater heating system to their home. Bullfrog applied for and received a $1.4 million grant from Natural Resoures Canada to start the Solar Water Heating Program to make solar water heating more affordable to homeowners.
The solar water heaters are provided by EnerWorks, are Canadian made, and the first to be CSA approved for year-round use.
Advantages of solar water heating:
Solar hot water heating is used for washing clothes, dishes, showers and baths (not swimming pool heating in this case) and can save up to 60% of your annual hot water heating bill.
It does not affect the temperature of your water but works with your current hotwater system to provide you with consistent hotwater by displacing gas or electricity when the sun is shining.
When the sun shines, it heats the water that passes through the installed solar panels on your roof, and is then stored in your hotwater tank.
This program is available until December, 2010.
How to apply:
- For an initial site evaluation call 1-866-775-8808, or visit http://www.bullfrogpower.com/solar
- If your home is eligible, certified installers will help you book an energy audit. (Necessary to apply for the federal Eco-Energy Grant).
- After the energy audit, installers will install the solar panels.
How much will government incentives and grants save you? Example:
For an average 12X4 system of two panels and a family of four using 75 litres of water per day –
Cost including installation: $10,000 (approximately)
Solar Water Heating Program: $2,500 (approximately)
Less provincial and govenment incentives, grants and tax credits: $2,500 (approximately)
Total cost to homeowner: $5,000.
Note: if you live in Ward 30 in Toronto, you can apply for an additional $1000 credit through the ward’s Solar Neighbourhood Program.
Monthly cost based on loan provided by TD Bank amortized over 10 years at prime plus 3.25%: $56/month.
(Cost/month without rebates approx. $83/month.)
Posted by CathyR
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Archetype House
While the sustainable houses at Kortright Centre were built to showcase “best green building practices” one of the features of the homes, that may get lost over time, was the careful consideration of minimizing waste and energy use during construction. The goal of the homes was not only to showcase a “green home” but also to create ways to minimize the carbon footprint from the beginning of construction right through to the finished product.
Building Material Choice: When deciding which building materials to use, many considerations were taken into account. Local products were chosen when possible to decrease transport emissions. Other material considerations were:
- including recycled content,
- “environmentally-friendly nature”
- durability and long life
- potential to be reused or recycled at end of life.
Some of the construction materials used were:
- Steel for the roof, which is 100% recyclable at end of life — with a life span of at least 50 years,
- Recycled-content foundation blocks and 98% recycled content interior drywall
- High Volume Fly-Ash Concrete
- Recycled paint
- FSC wood
- Soy insulation
- Bamboo Flooring
- Recycled glass countertops
Construction Waste was minimized in two ways:
Building Technique:
- Framing was constructed using upright 2×6′s placed every 24 inches instead of the standard 2×4′s placed every 16″.
- “Stick count cut-list estimating” allowed builders to minimize waste and use wood framing materials as efficiently as possible. FSC engineered wood joists were used. These joists are made from smaller, faster growing trees than those needed for roofing and flooring.
Recycling Waste Material:
80% of all left over building scraps were divided between their respective recycling bins and sent to the appropriate recyclers. Materials that were recycled were:
- Brick
- Concrete
- Corrugated cardboard
- Food leftovers (for composting)
- Gravel
- PVC piping
- Lumber scraps
- Lunch packaging
- Scrap metal
- Shrink-wrap
- Styrofoam
The Use of Solar Power on the Job Site:
Solar Trailer
Perhaps one of the most innovative technologies used during construction was solar power. While we have a tendency to think about solar power as electricity generators for homes and businesses, it turns out, by its nature, to be more easily transportable than hydro lines. Metro Compactor Group, the company responsible for recycling the building materials, demonstrated Canada’s first solar powered, top-loading, dual-compartment compactor, to compress waste.
Solar powered trailers were used to power all the tools used on the job site, as well as the lighting and even the washrooms.
To learn more about the Archetype homes or to book a tour, click here.
To read the post on Archectype House Design, click here.
Up next: Landscaping and water conservation and wind turbines.
Posted by CathyR
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I spent Tuesday at the National Home Show (where you can write a review and get $7 off your ticket) speaking with many of the different exhibitors about why their products stand out from others at the show. I spoke with hot tub exhibitors, patio furniture and awning suppliers, solar water heaters for domestic hot water use and solar water heaters specifically for swimming pools, siding representatives, roofing companies, interior lighting specialists, exterior lighting specialists, skylight and ceiling fan exhibitors and a snap and click ceramic flooring company. I’m sure I’ve missed a few, after all there are over 700 exhibitors. Below is a very brief list of some of the exhibitors I spoke with.
Hot tubs:
Hydro Pool hot tub
Perhaps the thing that stuck me the most were the hot tub displays. I have to admit that at past Home Shows I usually brush right past these exhibits, having little interest in buying one and thinking that all hot tubs are pretty much like the other. Our family is considering getting a hot tub for our petit backyard. But one of our kids has a chlorine sensitivity so a traditional hot tub is out. Glory be, now there are ozone and sodium bromine hot tubs which avoid chlorine altogether. A hot tub may be in our future afterall. I spoke with Holland Hills Distributing and HydroPool Industries, both of whom offer the saltwater conversion kits not to mention hot tubs in various sizes from petit right up to giant spa length. For the “greenies” out there, HydroPool manufactures their hot tubs in the east end of Toronto, and is the first carbon neutral hot tub company out there.
Roofing:
Slate metal roofing by Interlock
Metal roofing, while siginificantly more expensive than ashphalt has the added benefit of being durable. KasselWood (booth #2001) (gives a transferrable lifetime warranty on its steel roofing. Metal has the advantages that it’s wind resistant, durable, and in the winter snow slides right off preventing build up. The aesthetic quality of the metal roof is continually improving and now from the ground it is difficult to tell a slate roof from a aluminum or steel roof. Interlock manufactures a durable aluminum roof simuated to look like slate, shake or tile. They even have a solar panel integrated roofing system.
Solar Hot Water:
There are many different varieties of solar hot water heaters. One that seems to be gaining popularity is the “evacuated tube” system. Water flows across the top of the panel where it becomes heated by copper tubes which in turn have been heated by the evacuated tubing sitting exposed to the sun. The advantage of this system is that if one of the tubes breaks it is easily and cheaply replaceable. (From Globe Solar Energy, booth # 1239). Each panel costs approximately $4000 (including installation). One panel is enough for regular hotwater use for a family of four.
Globe Solar Energy Panel
There is another solar hot water system that is design specifically for swimming pools. It consists of black PVC pipes which are used to heat the water. The entire system hooks into a pool’s existing pump mechanism. The cost for a standard system (pool being approximately 18′ x 36′), is about $4000 for an area with direct southern exposure (see the Enersol Solar Products booth, #1449).
Building exterior/construction:
James Hardie siding products are a mixture of Portland Cement and sand. The siding is durable, stable, fire and wind resistant and is available in simulated wood varieties from cedar shake style to wood grained. The colour palette is also varied but sticks to the pastel shades of Eastern seaboard historic homes. Cost is about double the cost of vinyl siding.
Shouldice designer stone is a manufactured concrete stone offering a variety of products from architectural stone mouldings to shale and antique stone for exterior house finishing.
Geo-thermal heating and cooling.
There are three exhibitors of geo-thermal energy systems for your home. As awareness in this type of heating and cooling increases, the number of contractors getting into the business is also increasing. In order to install geo-thermal systems properly a contractor must have received the proper training. Check with the distributor of the system you choose to get qualified installers. Geothermal systems can provide heating, cooling and hot water heating.
Avekes Canada Ltd. booth#2041, NextEnergy Inc. booth# 1415, Polar Bear Geo-Thermal systems, booth# 1349.
Nifty products:
Snapstone tile
SnapStone is a fast and easy ceramic tile that can be laid over any level floor without applying a subfloor first. This is a DIY flooring material tat can be laid in one day. Snap the tiles together, grout and it’s done. (booth #1542).
AirScape 1.7 are used to reduce air conditioning use in a home. Installed into the attic of your home and designed to work at night, it sucks warm air out of the house and draws cooler night air in through open windows. Cost of fan plus installation is approximately $700-$1000, it pays for itself within the first year or two of use (depending on how often air conditioning is used. Great for older homes too without central air conditioners and poor circulation. Booth #2109.
LED replacements potlights. At 4Watts per light, the cost savings between an LED potlight and 50Watt potlight will be significant. While it’s best to install these lights during new construction, there is a retrofit kit available to replace existing halogen potlights. Available in a variety of colour temperatures, and unlike CFL potlights, these are dimmable, and don’t need any “warm up” time to reach full lighting power. Cost: $39 per bulb, $20 for the retrofit kit. LEDs also have a long life span (usually over 50000 hours). Booth #2109.
Velux makes window skylights, best of all, they come equipped with a rain sensor so that if you’ve left it open and it starts to rain, it will close on its own. There is also a model that comes with a solar-powered blind — great for attics with no direct power source. Approximate cost for a 24″ skylight with installaton, $4000. Booth#1639.
Posted by CathyR
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Business Week has a good article this week about the trends in homebuilding.
Based on some of what is going to happen this year at the biggest show in the industry, the International Builders Show.
You’ll have to read the article yourself to get the whole story, but here’s my summary of the main points:
Indoor/Outdoor Living – more porches, and outdoor spaces
The Return of the Basement Upgrading the basement is always popular, but this year they predict that, especially in more densely populated areas, where real estate prices are high, more basements will be made into living areas.
The Death of the Living Room – Kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms all become one room. I can vouch for this one as our house has this layout, with one other small library on the main floor.
The Home Office No longer just a spare bedroom, the home office is evolving into an entirely separate structure. Our house has one of these also, where I work on HomeStars and my personal business. With the ability to work online more employees can do work from home, and need a comfortable place where they can go, get away from their family and distractions for a time and be productive.
Wireless, but not Cordless That little computer nook that was a side part of a kitchen or family room is starting to disappear. But families need somewhere they can plug in their devices, often near the TV or their Internet connection.
The Soft Loft Lofts are starting to close up. Less concrete and exposed brick and more traditional floor plans are coming in style, even in downtown cores.
Say Bye to Bling Need I say more, in this economy!
The Green Badge of Honor Despite the declining economy, green will still be the trend. Making your home eco friendly is part of the building practices of 2009.
Aging in Place With an aging population – boomers who are reaching senior years – builders can’t ignore a population that needs wider doors, single level houses, and ramps to accomodate a new demographic.
Posted by BrianS
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When I went to the Fall Home Show a few weeks ago, I came across some really interesting exhibits. One of the ones that got my attention was of the old shipping container turned living space. The idea behind Ecopods is to take empty shipping containers that are sitting around taking up space and turning them in to useable, practical shelters. I had the chance to speak with Dwight Doerksen, the owner of Ecopods and he filled me on some of the details.
Construction: The Ecopod’s dimensions are 8′x8′x20′. There are larger ones available, but portability is one of the benefits of this size. The material is Corten steel which contains a natural rust inhibitor so the integrity of the box stays in tact. One of the long sides of the box is cut out and replaced with double-glazed thermal paned glass window and sliding door. The “cut-out” becomes a deck which is reattached to the box with custom hinges to make a deck. As Dwight says:
…you can close the deck by flipping the electrical panel switch to supply the power to the 12 volt winch and the door closes by means of a handheld remote control. It takes about a minute to close and with the back doors locked, the pod is again returned to the form and strength of the original container. There is no conventionally-constructed building on the market that can compare to the strength and durability of the Ecopod.
The Ecopod is insulated using a new soya-based insulation which is impervious to moisture (insulation was provided by Avenue Insulation). The walls are panneled in birch veneer, the floor and deck are covered with a recycled rubber flooring which is also water resistant.
Self-sufficiency: The Ecopod was designed to be a self-contained off-grid unit. One 80 Watt solar panel and 12 Volt battery are included in the basic model, and can power lighting, a computer and even a small fridge. There is a satellite radio and speakers hardwired into the unit as well.
Ordering time, delivery and set-up: If ordered now, the Ecopod would be available for delivery by Spring 2009. Cost for the basic model runs at just under $42,000, with delivery being extra. Installation or set up is quick and easy provided the ground is level. The unit sits on four concrete pads.
Dwight told me that the containers are a bit like large Lego blocks and can be stacked or put together side by side or facing each other so that one might be out-fitted as a sitting area and another a bedroom.
Posted by CathyR
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As people become more conscious of the electricity they use and their ever rising hydro and gas bills, alternative forms of electricity and heat generation are being explored not just by treehuggers but also by regular Torontonians. Naturally, many people have concerns about the expense and effectiveness of solar panels, particularly in our dark and snowy climate.
In an effort to convince Torontonians that Solar panels — the kind that generate electricity (photovoltaic) and hotwater (solar thermal) — really work, The Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC) is offering a tour tomorrow (Saturday June 14th) of four homes in Cedarvale with solar panels in action.
This year at the Strawberries and Asparagus Festival, the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative is launching the first ever free and guided residential solar tour. This exciting new initiative will commence at 11am on the grounds of the festival where participants will proceed by Hydrogen Bus to visit four residential
destinations. Participants will have the chance to view the featured
photovoltaic or solar thermal installations and an opportunity to speak with
homeowners about their solar experience. The bus trips in between also
offer a chance for an ongoing solar power question/answer period.
Refreshments will be provided at the Pinewood stop of the tour. (TREC)
It promises to be very informative and gives interested homeowners the opportunity to ask questions about the effectiveness, expense, practicality, etc. of solar panels already in use. If you’re interested in finding out more about the tour, or the use of renewable energy in general, contact TREC.
:: The Globe and Mail
http://www.cedarvalepark.com/2008/04/11/strawberries-and-asparagus-june-14th-2008/
http://trec.on.ca/
Posted by CathyR
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I had heard a rumour that Toronto increases your property taxes if you add a solar panel or other renewable energy feature to your home (such as a geothermal furnace or mini-wind turbine) because it’s considered a capital improvement. So, I checked with Cindy Bromley, the Communications Manager for the Finances and Administration Department at the city. She wrote to me and said: “There are no Toronto tax incentives or penalties for home power generation.”
I have to admit, I was kind of disappointed to discover this if only because I thought it would have made a great story. Cindy did, however, send me some useful links on what’s happening on the city and taxpayer level regarding some energy efficiency initiatives.
Below is a list of the links she sent me. In the first link, there is a section called the “home energy clinic.” I’ve used it and it’s kind of neat. You add your utility bills and it will calculate your overall energy use and what steps your could take to decrease your greenhouse gas footprint.
http://www.toronto.ca/environment/energy.htm
http://www.toronto.ca/environment/energy.htm#solar_hotwater
http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/Taking_Action/Participation_Initiatives_and_Resources/Energy_Efficiency-WS7BDAE643-1_En.htm
Posted by CathyR
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