Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has launched its Affordable Green Housing Program, providing free Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification to charitable projects that offer healthy indoor environments and lower utility costs.
“Environmental features will be built into many elements of the homes, from the furnaces and windows to the flooring and landscaping,” Mark Hutchinson, CaGBC’s director of green building programs told Construction Canada Online. “Quality will be ensured by the certification review process, which includes onsite inspections.”
The first project to become part of the program is Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg’s Sir Sam Steele School Site Build which has received LEED Gold certification. The project consists of 32 homes for low-income families that were completed in three phases over three years. The homes were built with sustainable features such as:
- energy-efficient lighting systems;
- furnace installations;
- drain water heat-recovery technology; and
- high-performance heating and ventilation systems.
The first year of the program will offer 100 opportunities for the free certification service.
“By offering free certification for charitable organizations building affordable housing, it is hoped more people will take the time to carefully think out the design and make-up of their homes, so they can come to understand how they can incorporate the benefits of a green home for little incremental cost,” said Hutchinson.
