Building certifications
EnerGuide for homes
The EnerGuide rating for homes, developed by Natural Resources Canada, has become the standard for measuring the energy efficiency of houses in Canada. This rating is expressed as a percentage: to be efficient, new houses must achieve a rating of at least 80.
| Type of house | Rating |
|---|---|
| New house built to building code standards |
65-72 |
| New house with some energy-efficiency improvements |
73-79 |
| Energy-efficient new house | 80-90 |
| House requiring little or no purchased energy |
91-100 |
R-2000
The R-2000 standard, administered by the Office of Energy Efficiency, attests that the certified home not only provides high energy performance – generally 30% higher than a conventional home – but also enjoys better indoor air quality and contains materials made with recycled content. To earn R-2000 certification, a house must be built by a certified general contractor and undergo a third-party inspection. There are several regional certification initiatives similar to R-2000, including Novoclimat in Quebec, ENERGY STAR® in Ontario and Saskatchewan, and Built Green in British Columbia and Alberta.
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Quebec – Novoclimat
Novoclimat requirements attest that the certified new building is at least 25% more efficient than a conventional new home, that it provides greater comfort and better air quality. Novoclimat homes are built by certified general contractors and are inspected by independent evaluators.
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Ontario et Saskatchewan – ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR® rated houses are about 30% more energy efficient than those built to the minimum requirements of the Building Code. The certification attests that the home was built by a certified builder based on strict technical specifications and was subject to quality assurance checks during construction.
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All of Canada – Built Green Canada™
The Built Green™ program draws on the federal government’s R-2000 initiative and recognizes four levels of performance: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. The Built Green™ logo attests that the house meets the program’s criteria and was built by a certified general contractor.
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LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Internationally recognized LEED certification attests that a building has achieved a high level of performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality.
Although LEED certification was already available in Canada for commercial buildings, the Canada Green Building Council did not launch the program for houses until March 2009. LEED for homes recognizes four levels of performance: certified, silver, gold and platinum.
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