Eco-Living

-2000 is operated by Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan's) Office of Energy Efficiency.

It promotes the use of cost-effective, energy-efficient building practices and technologies. The R-2000 Standard demands a high level of energy efficiency, beyond what building codes require. R-2000 houses are also healthier houses – they incorporate a whole-house ventilation system and low-emissions building materials and finishes to ensure superior indoor air quality.

Participation in the initiative is voluntary. Home builders who build to the
R-2000 Standard do so because they consider an R-2000 home to be a better home. Buyers choose R-2000 homes for their superior quality and comfort, as well as energy savings. R-2000 includes the following:

• an energy-efficiency standard for new houses that is continually upgraded
• ongoing education and training courses for home builders
• testing and certifying of new R-2000 houses

The R-2000 Standard is based on an energy consumption target for each house and a series of technical requirements for ventilation, airtightness (to ensure less drafts), insulation, choice of materials, water use and other factors. Ongoing research ensures that the R-2000 Standard remains at the leading edge of affordable energy-efficient construction technology.

Since R-2000 began, almost 10 000 R-2000 homes have been built and certified. Close to 900 builders have been licensed to build R-2000 homes. While new housing quality has improved as a result of R-2000 and other builder training programs, R-2000 builders still lead the industry in the quality of their homes – quality the Government of Canada stands behind with its R-2000 certificate.

R-2000 also has a wide range of partners across Canada, including provincial/territorial home builders' associations, provincial governments, product manufacturers and energy utilities. The Canadian Home Builders' Association has been a partner in the initiative since day one. It remains an active supporter of NRCan's goals and activities.

As a result of R-2000, manufacturers have developed many unique building products, such as heat recovery ventilators (now a $50-million-per-year industry in Canada), high-performance windows, and integrated mechanical heating and cooling systems.

R-2000, a world leader in energy-efficient housing technology, has generated a lot of interest beyond Canada's borders. It is licensed for use in Japan and several American states.

R-2000 is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada.

he R-2000 Standard sets out a series of house performance requirements that are in addition to those required by building codes. In general terms, the R-2000 Standard involves the following:

• Builder’s licence: Only home builders who have completed R-2000 builder training and hold a current R-2000 builder licence can build homes that can be certified to the R-2000 Standard.
• Energy budget: R-2000 homes must operate within a specific energy budget, based on the characteristics of the home and the climate conditions where it's built. Typically, R-2000 homes need 30 percent less energy to operate than conventional new homes. Common in
  R-2000 homes are additional insulation; double-glazed, low-emissivity, gas-filled windows with insulated spacers; and high-efficiency heating systems.
• Whole-house ventilation: Every R-2000 home must have a whole-house ventilation system that supplies fresh outdoor air to all living areas in the home. This system must be designed and tested to meet the CSA International standard CAN/CSA-F326 M91 ("Residential Mechanical Ventilation Systems"). Installers must be trained by the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, or equivalent. After renewing the latest building research and any new technologies on the market, a technical review committee initiates potential changes to the Standard within Natural Resources Canada.
• Environmental pick list: Every R-2000 home builder must choose from a "pick list" of options for indoor air quality and environmental features. The indoor air-quality features can include items such as hardwood flooring, low-emission cabinetry, low-emission (low volatile organic compound [VOC]) paints, and non-solvent-based adhesives and finishes. Features to conserve materials include choices for insulation, siding, sheathing, wall studs and foundation drainage.
• Cleaner heating: The heating systems in the home must not be susceptible to combustion spillage.
• Water conservation: Every R-2000 home must be equipped with water-conserving toilets, faucets and shower heads.
• Independent inspections: Every home submitted for R-2000 certification must undergo a series of independent inspections and tests to verify that the requirements of the R-2000 Standard have been met.

ombining R-2000 objectives with freedom of design, the R-2000 Standard offers home builders a number of building material and design-measure "pick lists."

The Indoor Air Quality "Pick List"

Every R-2000 home is required to have a mechanical ventilation system to provide continuous whole-house ventilation, plus a tight house envelope to keep out dust and other outdoor air pollutants. In addition, the R-2000 Standard requires builders to incorporate at least three of the following indoor air quality features:

• carpets labeled under the Canadian Carpet Institute's Green Label Program or reduced carpeting
• no vinyl sheet flooring (vinyl tile is acceptable)
• paints and wood-flooring finishes approved by EcoLogo^M
• water-based, low-toxicity finished flooring adhesives
• kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities that meet international standards for chemical off-gassing
• particleboard underlayment that meets international standards
• a sub-slab depressurization system to prevent entry of radon and other soil gases
• indoor moisture control options
• air filtration options

These products have been selected because they either emit less volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or help reduce the amount of particulate (such as dust) in the air. VOCs and particulates have been shown to aggravate respiratory problems.

The Environmental Features "Pick List"

Resource conservation (reduce, reuse and recycle) is an important feature in an R-2000 home, so the R-2000 Standard also includes the following environmental "pick lists."

Building Materials

• fibreglass insulation, meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Environmental Choice^M Program for recycled glass content
• cellulose insulation manufactured from paper with a minimum of 75 percent recycled content
• mineral fibre insulation, with at least 35 percent recycled raw materials
• insulation made from plastic, meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Environmental Choice^M Program for recycled content
• fibreboard sheathing, made from recycled newsprint or wood fibres
• siding manufactured from factory or sawmill waste
• drywall containing recycled gypsum or newsprint
• steel studs in which at least 23 percent of the raw material is recycled steel
• studs and trim manufactured from sawmill cut-off and waste, free of urea formaldehyde
• foundation or under-slab drainage mixture of post-consumer glass and crushed rock or stone

Measures to Reduce Energy Use

• installing energy-efficient appliances that meet ENERGY STAR^® specifications, or – where no ENERGY STAR rating is available for that category – achieve an EnerGuide rating in the top 33 percent for that appliance category
• increasing the energy efficiency of the house by reducing its energy consumption by a further 15 percent beyond the R-2000 energy target
• installing a cooling system that meets or exceeds minimum energy performance requirements

ustainable, or "green building," design and construction provide an opportunity to use resources more efficiently, while creating healthier and more energy-efficient homes and commercial buildings. Successful green buildings leave a lighter footprint on the environment through conservation of resources, while at the same time balancing energy-efficient, cost-effective, low-maintenance products for construction needs. In other words, green-building design involves finding the delicate balance between homebuilding and a sustainable environment.

As the green philosophy continues to grow, specifiers will increasingly face pressures to use or not to use certain products.

reen design is not merely the use of energy-efficient materials. It also involves the creation of products and systems that leave a light footprint on the environment over the full life-cycle - from production to transportation, installation, use and renewal. As such, sustainable green design should be thought of as a process, not just a goal - allowing for a broader evaluation of the environmental, economical and societal impacts of product, as single units and as part of their environment.

When considering environmental issues in construction and life cycle, some focus on evaluation of manufactured products in terms of waste disposal (although a product’s end-use can account for as much as 90 percent of a product’s impact on the environment). Instead, a host of factors and influences of a product’s impact on society should be evaluated and contrasted to the product’s performance. A systems approach allows for determination of the environmental impact of a product in terms of energy consumption at each state of a product’s life cycle, beginning at the point of raw materials extraction from the earth and proceeding through processing, manufacturing, fabrication, end-use and disposal. Transportation of materials and products to each process step should also be included.

t's said that the best way to be 'eco-friendly' during the construction of a new house is to make use of a 'recycled' house.

In our travels along the highway between the BC Ferries Swartz Bay Ferry terminal and downtown Victoria, we had seen the Nickel Brothers house moving company (www.nickelbros.com).

A quick look through their 'recycled' homes for sale in Vancouver area, Victoria, Nanaimo, Seattle, Everett and Port Townsend, reveals some absolutely stunning homes.

Though a number of the case studies show the transport of homes to relatively remote locations, we haven't pursued this alternative ourselves since high bank waterfront property (upwards of 100') and a long, narrow, steep, winding driveway would make it impossible to get a house up onto our property, I'm sure!

s we consider, on a daily basis, the construction, design, and inevitably the cost, of our home on Pender Island, we discover new methods of construction in Canada which appeal to us.

A Straw Bale house and Rammed Earth are two such eco-friendly options we are considering. I've recently become the owner of, "The Straw Bale House" by Athena Swentzell Steen, Bill Steen, Davaid Bainbridge and David Eisenberg.