Moving to more energy efficient homes.
You might be surprised to know how much housing in Ontario and Canada has evolved over the past 60 years.
In fact, it’s very likely that your parents or grandparents lived in homes that were significantly different than the house you and your family live in today.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) recently published Sixty Years of Housing Progress In Canada to mark the corporation’s 60th anniversary and I was amazed by how housing conditions have rapidly changed over the past several decades.
For example, in the early 1940s less than half of Canada’s three million homes had an installed bath or shower and close to 30% of dwellings were in need of major repairs. Surprisingly 44% of homes in the early 1940s had no inside flush toilet and 93% were heated by coal, coke or wood fuel.
Clearly a lot has changed over the years, and without a doubt we can expect further change. And, I believe we can predict major changes and evolution in terms of the energy efficiency of our homes.
As the general public becomes more and more educated about environmental issues such as global warming, climate change, air quality and of course, the rising cost of energy, we can expect an increase in demand for more energy efficient housing.
In fact, that trend is already on the rise and builders are responding.
Recent changes (some 700 technical changes) to Ontario’s Building Code specified some significant increases to the energy efficiency of buildings, so Ottawa’s builders are already incorporating many energy efficient building technologies into new homes. And then of course there is R.2000, EnerGuide for New Houses, LEED and ENERGY STAR® for New Homes.
All these terms can get a bit confusing for buyers, so here’s a primer on what’s what when it comes to energy efficiency in new housing and how the new housing industry continues to play a pivotal role in facilitating innovation and change in this sphere.
In 1998, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) entered into an agreement to continue R-2000 and related programs under the name EnerQuality Corporation.
One of EnerQuality’s goals is to improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of new homes built in Ontario through the following four federal government programs: ENERGY STAR® for New Homes, R-2000, EnerGuide for New Homes and Building Canada.