OTTAWA — The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is recruiting residential and commercial developers for Canada’s first Zero Carbon building program in an effort to improve and expand sustainable design and construction.

“I am confident that the Canadian building industry is ready to lead the global shift to zero carbon,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC. “The CaGBC Zero Carbon Building [ZCB] Standard provides the framework to guide the industry toward achieving zero carbon performance, and to making real progress in moving to a low-carbon economy.”

A part of the initiative, CaGBC has been working with builders and developers on 16 pilot projects (both new projects and retrofit projects) across the country ranging in size from 20,000 square feet to more than 1,000,000 square feet.

One pilot project at a residential and commercial complex in Guelph, Ontario, by TerraView Homes, includes solar panels and geo-thermal loops.

Many of these pilot projects are now completing their design stage and builders say that the ZCB Standard was key to shaping their design strategies.
“Oxford is piloting the Standard because it will help us meet the changing expectations of our customers and future-proof our buildings,” said Andrew McAllan, head of real estate management with Oxford Properties Group. Oxford has two pilot projects in the program, including a mixed-use condominium complex in Vancouver—a city that introduced a zero-emissions building bylaw this May.

Along with registration and detailed pricing information, a ZCB workbook is now available. The workbook helps calculate the net carbon balance of a building, provides enhanced support for advanced calculations, and includes guidance to ensure all documentation is submitted.

(Article courtesy Home Builder Magazine.)