Green building codes stricter for new Edmonton homes

One benefit of purchasing a brand-new home is the fact that it's energy efficient, built to the latest standards with efficient materials. Now, a new home will be even more efficient thanks to new requirements recently adopted by the Alberta government.

Our province has joined most of the other Canadian provinces with the addition of new codes to further reduce greenhouse gas output from new construction.

In 2014, buildings in Alberta released 19 megatonnes of greenhouse emissions, accounting for 7% of the total greenhouse gas produced in the province. Danielle Larivee, the province's municipal affairs chief, announced at a recent press conference that 7% might be a small number but it still has impact. The press conference was held in a new home on a narrow lot currently being constructed in the Edmonton community of Glenora.

New, updated building rules were put into place November 1 and will affect building codes for many aspects of new construction, such as electrical, pressure vessels, gas, private sewers, elevators and of course, energy. There are new requirements for energy-efficient windows, interior and exterior lighting, levels of insulation, heating and cooling apparatus. The new codes are for application in apartment buildings, commercial office towers, manufacturing and industrial shops.

Increased Costs

Everyone wants a greener planet and all Edmonton construction companies will work to be in compliance with the new energy-efficient policies. Unfortunately, it comes at a cost. The Canadian Home Builders Association, Alberta chapter, believes that the cost for an average-sized home in Edmonton will rise by approximately $5,000 a portion of which will surely be passed along to the buyer.

Donna Moore of CHBA said that everyone in the industry supports environmental initiatives. There is some concern, however, that these new codes are coming into practice at the same time the industry must absorb higher tariffs for drywall and the new mortgage rules for home buyers.

Should some of the addition expense be added to the price of a newly-constructed home in Edmonton, Moore believes that the value of the additional energy-efficient components will be obvious and buyers should have some regard for the enhanced value of their new home.

An Edmonton builder specializing in constructing homes on narrow inner-city lots believes that with the new codes, a home owner would realize an annual savings of $500. Many new home builders are already building above code and advertise the enhancements in promotional materials. Triple-glazed windows have been in use for some time and exterior insulating wrap is another energy-efficient feature already being implemented by green home builders.

Retrofitting greener options

For Edmonton home owners who need to update and renovate their current home, the expense of adding super energy-efficient features is problematic. New windows, new furnace and even solar panels can save on energy costs but often it takes a decade or more to completely recapture your capital investment. Ten years to wait and here's the kicker — 50% of people in Edmonton will sell their home in the next five years according to Statistics Canada.

It has to be worth it in the long run, and a nifty new program being tossed around by Edmonton council might be the trick.

A program under consideration by the city would finance upgrades to your home. It would be a loan and would be paid back through an additional charge on your city tax bill. If the home is sold while you're still paying back the loan for your new energy-efficient appliances, it would stay with the house via the tax bill. So, the new owner who would be enjoying the new renovations would take over the payments.

This type of program is successful in Halifax and in California where folks can upgrade their A/C units to a high-efficiency model. Upgrades in other areas financed by municipalities help people conserve water as well as increase energy efficiency.

Financing has to paid off in a specified time frame and projects are only considered for financing if the annual savings to the homeowner are deemed to be higher than the annual payments added to the tax bill.

The City of Edmonton needs to amend the Municipal Government Act to implement this program, should it be approved.