Better Builder Magazine, Issue 20 / Winter 2016

ISSUE 20 | WINTER 2016P

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BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 20 | WINTER 2016

16

1

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

2Everything in Moderation

by John Godden

THE BADA TEST

3The Planning Act, the Ontario

Building Code, Energy

Efficiency and Building Permits

by Lou Bada

INDUSTRY NEWS

6Ontario’s Mandatory

Home Energy Rating and

Disclosure Program

by Patricia Duffy

10Dow Celebrates 75 Years of

Innovation with STYROFOAM™

by Dow & Better Builder Staff

20Near Zero at Echo Haven

by Alex Newman

29New, Higher Performing

Insulated Exterior Sheathing

by Amvic

INDUSTRY EXPERT

12Refining Your HRV/ERV Choices

by Gord Cooke

14Exceptional Customer Service

by Michael Lio

BUILDER NEWS

9Congratulations Award Winners

by Better Builder Staff

24Translating and Quantifying

Appraisal Value for

Better Than Code Homes

by Teresa Lopez

SITE SPECIFIC

27Meet Clean50 Award Winner

Candice Luck

by Alex Newman

FROM THE GROUND UP

31The 2017 SB-12

by Doug Tarry

FEATURE STORY

16Brookfield Blazes Own Trail

North American builder continues to innovate in energy efficient housing

by Rob Blackstien

9

20

ISSUE 20 | WINTER 2016

On our cover: CHOATphotographer / SHUTTERSTOCK

Images internally supplied unless otherwise credited.

27


There are two axioms I live by: (1) there are no absolutes

and (2) moderation is key. In home building, the terms

“net zero” or “zero carbon” convey lofty goals – but they

smack of extremism. I much prefer the terms “near zero” or

“low carbon,” which imply a process or continuum over a longer

timeframe and are more pragmatic for discussing the reduction

of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs).

The past two building code cycles have singled out low-rise

housing to reduce GHGEs. The 2017 reference house built to

package A1 has a small load at 28,000 BTU/hour at the outdoor

winter design temperature – a 43.5% reduction in GHGEs from

1990 levels. Current reduction targets are set at 30%. This means

that new homes have already surpassed this goal and are subject

to diminishing returns from further upgrades to the envelope.

The package A1 homes produce 4.7 tonnes of GHGEs annually.

The average gasoline-powered car produces 5.0 tonnes. With

current provincial incentives, an electric car would cost

approximately $20,000, completely offsetting the footprint of the

new house. The cost of the GHGE reduction is about $4,000 per

tonne. A net zero approach increases the price tag of a home by

$75,000, equaling $15000 per tonne for the GHGE reduction. The

provincial government would be wise to incentivize charging

stations for electric cars in new homes rather than push the

construction of net zero houses.

Electric heat pumps, used in many net zero homes, are

another factor to consider. Heat pumps use refrigerants like

R410A, which are 2,000 times more damaging to the atmosphere

than C02 if released. The wide adoption of heat pumps in net zero

homes could actually increase demand for electricity.

In Ontario, nuclear reactors run 24/7. At night or off-peak hours,

they have “stranded capacity” (a surplus). This excess power could

be used to charge electric cars or solar battery storage systems for

use during the day. Nuclear energy has been described as efficient

and clean. In contrast, centrally generated power can lose up to 15%

of energy in transmission, and Ontario Power Generation is facing

an estimated $24 billion cost to store two million highly radioactive

fuel bundles (their deep storage plan hasn’t been approved).

We all know renewable energy is the right answer for the long

term. But should nuclear energy be the bridging fuel in the short

term? A well-insulated hybrid home with a small combination

heating system and a solar battery storage system makes sense to

me. A mixed fuel approach will produce less GHGEs and nuclear

waste, helping us get to near zero.

So the next time you’re constructing a new code building, just

remember: everything in moderation. Good luck. BB

Everything in Moderation

PUBLISHERBetter Builder Magazine 63 Blair Street Toronto ON M4B 3N5 416-481-4218 | fax 416-481-4695 [email protected]

Better Builder Magazine is a sponsor of

PUBLISHING EDITORJohn B. Godden

MANAGING EDITORWendy Shami [email protected]

To advertise, contribute a story, or join our distribution list, please contact [email protected]

FEATURE WRITERSRob Blackstien, Alex Newman

PROOFREADINGCarmen Siu

CREATIVEWallflower Design www.wallflowerdesign.com

This magazine brings together premium product manufacturers and leading builders to create better, differentiated homes and buildings that use less energy, save water and reduce our impact on the environment.

PUBLICATION NUMBER42408014

Copyright by Better Builder Magazine. Contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without written permission. The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the authors and assumed to be original work. Better Builder

Magazine cannot be held liable for any damage as a result of publishing such works.

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMERAll company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated.

UNDELIVERABLE MAILBetter Builder Magazine 63 Blair Street Toronto ON M4B 3N5

Better Builder Magazine is published four times a year.

publisher’snote / JOHN GODDEN

John Godden

Alex Newman

Gord Cooke

Michael Lio

Lou Bada

Doug Tarry

CONTRIBUTORS

BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 20 | WINTER 2016 3

One person I have a lot of

time to talk about new

housing with is Richard

Lyall, President of the Residential

Construction Council of Ontario

(RESCON).

In RESCON’s latest newsletter,

Lyall represents most high-, mid- and

low-rise GTA new home builders when

he rightly points out the following:

“The provincial government’s plans to

eliminate sprawl and rapidly pursue

net-zero new housing are going to

put new housing shelter further out

of reach for working families. While

there is no doubt we need to curb

sprawl, intensify, and cut energy use

and greenhouse gas emissions, it can’t

be on the back of new housing supply.”

So why does the homebuilding

industry have a big red bull’s eye

on its back? Why is it targeted by

our governments so often? Please

forgive the following lesson in civics.

Legislation and regulation are the

tools of the four levels of government

by which they implement policy,

ostensibly for the public good. The

public good is a subjective political

matter and should be determined

through an open public discourse.

Hopefully it is arrived at with some

goodwill and based on sound

evidence, a cost–benefit analysis and

good advice (and, dare I add, common

sense). Theoretically, compliance

with rules and regulations should

be straightforward if the debate on

public policy has already been settled.

Unfortunately, compliance is neither

simple nor easy.

In Ontario, we have the Planning Act

and the Building Code Act. Within the

lengthy Planning Act, it clearly states:

“Part IV. Exclusions for Site Plan

Control:

“3. The manner of construction and

standards for construction 2006,

c.23, s.16(5).”

Essentially, this means that the

municipal approving authority does

not have jurisdiction in determining

how we build when reviewing a

development proposal. How a builder

goes about building would be the

purview of the provincial Building

Code Act (for good reason). The

Planning Act, however, gives lower-

tier governments the ability to review

development applications through

the lens of what they deem desirable

or appropriate for the municipality

and gives them the right to enter into

“voluntary” agreements with parties

towards that end.

I won’t mince words here: the word

should be “extorting,” not “voluntary.”

Here’s why: these “voluntary”

undertakings involve many facets of

development, have many financial

consequences adding to the cost of

already unaffordable housing, and

also often increase the required energy

efficiency of buildings (standards of

construction) within a development

proposal, further eroding affordability

without regard to costs and benefits. In

an already excruciatingly long process,

municipalities delay approvals if

a developer doesn’t sign on. In an

environment of constrained housing

supply, it only makes matters worse.

Anyone trying to assert their rights

with a municipality on the written

word of the Planning Act is in for a very

rude awakening.

On the other hand, when we look to

the Building Code Act and its regula-

tions, SB-12 in particular has prescrip-

tive compliance paths and perform-

ance path methods of compliance. The

proprietary ENERGY STAR label has

also been accepted as a method of

compliance. ENERGY STAR as a

prescriptive alternative shouldn’t be

problematic if it is truly voluntary and

if there is a rational, workable and

flexible way of dealing with the

performance path method of compli-

ance. Unfortunately, neither is true.

I would challenge anyone to

deal with alternative methods of

compliance for any Ontario Building

Code (OBC) regulation, or SB-12 for

that matter, as a normal course of

business in most municipal building

departments. See if you come out

of that situation with a satisfying

The Planning Act, the Ontario Building Code, Energy Efficiency and

Building Permits

thebadatest / LOU BADA

Total Household Energy Usage by Year of Construction

2000OntarioBuilding

Code

171.9GJ/year

2006OntarioBuilding

Code

147.9GJ/year

14%reduction

2012OntarioBuilding

Code

127.9GJ/year

26%reduction

2017OntarioBuilding

Code

96.4GJ/year

44%reduction


outcome. Trying to propose an

equivalent energy efficiency standard

to ENERGY STAR with the municipal

planning departments to meet their

imposed voluntary agreements and

council’s political aspirations is even

more daunting.

Honestly, municipalities do not

have the resources to deal with

evaluating, assessing and verifying

alternative solutions for building,

even though the OBC regulations

have allowances for them. This is

exacerbated by the fact that some

municipal councils are looking to get

even further ahead of the OBC with

experimental and expensive net zero

and net zero-ready homes through

the approvals process.

This is an overly ambitious,

foolhardy approach by the Ontario and

municipal governments, especially

without a robust discussion with its

industry partners to develop a flexible

approach to achieve reductions in

greenhouse gas emissions. I honestly

believe that the success of these

government targets is in jeopardy

without providing the flexibility we

require. We’re not asking for much –

but a continued strong dialogue and

partnership is a place to start.

Frankly, governments may

want to consider taking a break

from penalizing our industry and

consumers even further and allowing

the industry to flourish and continue

to drive this province’s economy

(as well as make a huge impact on

Canada’s overall economy).

The misguided beliefs that we can

grow and progress through innovation

in the current regulatory environment

are unachievable. If we need to

provide consumers a choice of housing

types, build more affordable housing

and thrive as an industry, we need

governments to roll out the red carpet

instead of the red tape. BB

Lou Bada is vice president of low-

rise construction at Starlane Home

Corporation and is on the board of

directors for RESCON.

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industrynews / PATRIC IA DUFF Y

As we have been hearing

now for several years, ever

since the adoption of the

Green Energy Act in 2009, Ontario

has had a conservation-first focus

– and this includes the authority to

implement a home energy rating and

disclosure program. The reality of

such a program came into sharper

focus with the release last June of the

Climate Change Action Plan:

“7.1 Provide free energy audits

for pre-sale homes

“Energy audits would be required

before a new or existing single-family

home can be listed for sale, and the

energy rating will be included in the

real estate listing. These audits are

intended to be provided free of charge

under this plan. The Home Energy

Rating and Disclosure program will

improve consumer awareness by

allowing homebuyers to compare

homes by energy rating. It will also

encourage uptake of retrofit incentive

programs. To meet the expected

demand for home energy auditors,

Ontario will support development of

energy audit training programs and

will further consult before launching

this program in 2019.”

The board of directors for both

the Canadian Residential Energy

Services Network (CRESNET) and

the Sustainable Housing Foundation

(SHF) have made a commitment

to engage in a lobby effort with the

provincial government to ensure

that the politicians voting on the

implementation of any regulations

around this proposal are aware of

the complexity of the issues involved

in a mandatory program. Both

organizations are also reaching out to

other organizations and partnering

with them to ensure a coordinated

lobby effort with all political parties

is undertaken. After all, there will be a

provincial election between now and

the proposed 2019 launch date!

July 8, 2016

CRESNET and SHF board members

meet with John Yakabuski, Progressive

Conservative energy critic.

September 14, 2016

CRESNET and SHF board members

meet with Lisa Thompson, Progressive

Conservative climate change critic.

October 6, 2016

CRESNET and RESCON meet with

members of Glen Murray’s staff,

Ministry of the Environment and

Climate Change. BB

Patricia Duffy is executive director

of CRESNET and the Sustainable

Housing Foundation.

Making Our Voice Heard:Ontario’s Mandatory Home Energy

Rating and Disclosure Program

Both organizations are

reaching out to ensure

a coordinated lobby

effort is undertaken

with all political parties.

(L to R) Patricia Duffy, John Godden, The Honourable John Yakabuski and Michael White.


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Congratulations Winners of the OHBA Awards of Distinction

buildernews / BETTER BUILDER STAFF

63 Yorkview – TorontoCastleform Developments Inc.

OHBA Award of Distinction for Room Design 2016WINNER, Most Outstanding New Home Kitchen

(new low-rise home 2001 square feet and over).

Peter Voong, president of Castleform Developments

Inc., would like to give special thanks to My Design

Studio for their creativity in designing the kitchen, and

D.O.T. Custom Millwork for the manufacturing and

installation. This prestigious award was won two years

ago in 2014 with the same designer and manufacturer.

“It’s great to be working with talented people in the

industry,” says Peter Voong. “The people that I surround

myself with, I consider them part of the Castleform

team. This shows you that great things are achievable

when everyone works together as a team.”

The Twisted Willow – BrightonGordon Tobey Developments Ltd.

OHBA Awards of Distinction for Architectural Design 2016WINNER, Most Outstanding Custom Home

(up to 3000 square feet). Credit to Monaghan Lumber

Specialties, Hollandale Nurseries Ltd., Clearsphere.

Additional recognition:

CHBA National Awards, Housing Excellence 2016

FINALIST, Custom Homes Detached

(from 2,500 – 3,500 square feet).

RESNET Cross Border Home Builder Challenge

San Diego, California 2015

WINNER, awarded to the Canadian custom home

builder with the lowest Home Energy Rating System

(HERS) score with a HERS rating of 36.

Heather and Steve Tobey celebrate their award. Castleform Developments’ award-winning kitchen.


industrynews / DOW & BETTER BUILDER STAFF

Rooted in sustainable technology, STYROFOAM™ facilitates a future of innovation in the building and construction industryDow Building Solutions (DBS), a

business unit of The Dow Chemical

Company, is celebrating the 75 year

anniversary of STYRO FOAM™ Brand

XPS Insulation, which has continued

to facilitate sustain ability, innovation

and community success in the

building and construc tion industry

since its discovery in 1941. Dow

marked the anniversary while

attending the 2016 NAHB Inter-

national Builders’ Show®, among the

largest annual light construction

shows in the world, that brings

together the industry’s most important

global manufacturers and suppliers.

Builders today face a bewildering

number of products and technologies

promising better building perform-

ance. Dow’s portfolio-based approach

offers solutions for the entire building

envelope, offering energy efficiency

that can stand the test of time.

STYROFOAM™ has a long and rich

heritage as a sustainable building

product, insulating to meeting core

thermal, moisture, air and vapour

performance requirements through

its rigid foam board technology. Over

its lifetime, STYROFOAM™ can help

save more than 30 times the energy

embodied in it.

STYROFOAM™ has been part of

Dow’s commitment to sustainable

chemistry innovations for the last 75

years and will expand this legacy well

into the future through continual

optimization of building energy

efficiency and performance. Dow has

been a proud national insulation

partner of Habitat for Humanity, with

STYROFOAM™ donations leading

Dow’s pledge to the address the need of

affordable housing around the globe.

More than 2,500 Habitat builds in 2015

used Dow products to help home-

owners reduce their home’s overall

natural gas and electricity usage.

“New possibilities for resilient,

energy efficient and well-designed

homes and buildings are being

realized in neighbourhoods and

communities around the world

thanks to imagination, science and

engineering,” said Tim Lacey, global

business director for Dow Building

Solutions. “We are proud to offer

75 years of product innovation that

addresses the need for long-term value

as a sustainable building solution and

look forward to improving, innovating

Dow Celebrates 75 Years of Innovation with STYROFOAM™

Rear view of Brookfield Discovery house. Dow CLADMATE™ CM20 was used as insulated sheathing plus air barrier and weather resistant barrier, which Dow calls the Total Barrier System. Third-party tested per CAN ULC S741 & S742 as referenced in 2015 National Building Code (NBC).


Dow’s full house of insulation, air sealants and adhesives work together to create an airtight, moisture resistant structure from roof to foundation, helping builders and contractors meet or exceed building codes, reduce callbacks and create a comfortable, durable, energy efficient structure for their customers.

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Whole-House SolutionstHAt HElP BuilDERS AnD ContRACtoRS outPERFoRM

and perfecting building envelope

science well into the future.”

About Dow Building SolutionsDow Building Solutions serves the

residential and commercial building

and construction markets with an

industry-leading portfolio of products

and integrated systems designed to

insulate and seal the whole house.

Beginning more than 70 years ago

with our flagship STYROFOAM™ Brand

Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Foam

Insulation, Dow has continued to offer

innovative insulation, weatherization

and air sealing solutions that work

behind the scenes – above grade,

below grade – to help builders and

contractors deliver more comfortable,

durable and affordable homes. Follow

Dow Building Solutions on Facebook,

Twitter, and LinkedIn or subscribe to

our News Release RSS Feed.

About DowDow combines the power of science

and technology to passionately

innovate what is essential to human

progress. The Company is driving

innovations that extract value from

the intersection of chemical, physical

and biological sciences to help address

many of the world’s most challenging

problems such as the need for clean

water, clean energy generation

and conservation, and increasing

agricultural productivity. Dow’s

integrated, market-driven, industry-

leading portfolio of specialty chemical,

advanced materials, agrosciences

and plastics businesses delivers a

broad range of technology-based

products and solutions to customers

in approximately 180 countries

and in high-growth sectors such as

packaging, electronics, water, coatings

and agriculture. In 2014, Dow had

annual sales of more than $58 billion

and employed approximately 53,000

people worldwide. The Company’s

more than 6,000 product families

are manufactured at 201 sites in 35

countries across the globe. BB

References to “Dow” or the “Company”

mean The Dow Chemical Company and its

consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise

expressly noted. More information about

Dow can be found at www.dow.com


industryexpert / GORD COOKE

The changes in SB-12 (2017)

should spur you to review and fine

tune your HRV and ERV selections

to take advantage of the hard work

manufacturers have put in to provide

cost-effective solutions to meet the

new prescriptive and performance

pathways described in the code.

One significant change in the

2017 code requirements is the

addition of the following words: “the

minimum SRE (Sensible Recovery

Efficiency) required is based on a test

temperature of 0 °C at an air flow rate

equal to the principle exhaust flow but

need not exceed 30 L/s.” In previous

codes, an HRV or ERV efficiency could

be selected at any airflow. Now, it is

tied to the principal ventilation rate of

the house. The example below should

help illustrate this. It shows the SRE

required for prescriptive package A1.

If you are going to use one of the

prescriptive packages A1 through

A6, for homes in southern Ontario,

you will be looking for HRVs or ERVs

with an SRE of between 65% and

81%, with the most likely packages

requiring an SRE of 75%. Fortunately,

leading manufacturers such as vänEE

and Venmar are responding quickly

with cost-effective units that will

still fit nicely into the ever-smaller

mechanical spaces builders like to

provide. This is something you will

want to check up on, because higher-

efficiency HRVs are by definition

bigger, and not all manufacturers will

have choices available in compact

models. The good news is that all HRVs

or ERVs installed in Canada must be

independently rated and listed by

the Home Ventilating Institute. Just

confirm that your HVAC contractor

is able to provide you with this

independent listing showing that the

equipment they are installing meets

code requirements.

Of course, more thoughtful builders

may well decide to use the more

flexible performance path options in

SB-12. Using REM/Rate or HOT2000,

or simply building to ENERGY STAR

specifications, allows total flexibility

in choices of efficiencies of HRVs

or ERVs. For example, if you are

using a 65% efficient HRV as part of

your ENERGY STAR specifications

now, you can continue to use those

specifications and that appliance

under the 2017 code requirements.

In other performance path software

evaluations, you will find that higher

efficiency HRVs or ERVs may be more

cost-effective than other envelope

upgrades. For example, choosing one

of the new high-performance HRVs or

ERVs would offset or allow a builder

to reduce basement insulation from

R20 back down to R12 or eliminate the

need for a drain water heat recovery

unit. Ask your energy rater to run

some comparisons for you so you can

best match your selections with your

building process.

I do feel inclined to ask you to

tune up a few other things now that

HRVs are as normal and as common

Please don’t blame me, but the new 2017 Ontario Supplementary Standard

SB-12 for energy efficiency requires all Part 9 dwellings to meet the

principal ventilation requirements with a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) or

energy recovery ventilator (ERV). Certainly I have been an advocate for properly

balanced ventilation for over 30 years, but I think most readers will know that this

specific new requirement is a natural progression.

The requirement for mechanical ventilation first appeared in 1990. With

recognition that ventilation without heat recovery can easily represent 15% to

20% of the annual energy loss of a home, it stands to reason there needs to be an

energy efficiency requirement on ventilation, in the same way that other house

components such as furnaces, water heaters and even windows and walls are

required to meet minimum energy efficiency levels.

Refining Your HRV/ERV Choices

Number Bedrooms

Compliance Package

Minimum SRE Requirement

0 ºC –25 ºC

1 A1 75% at 15 L/s (31.8 cfm) 55% at 30 L/s (63.6 cfm)

2 A1 75% at 22.5 L/s (47.7 cfm) 55% at 30 L/s (63.6 cfm)

3+ A1 75% at 30 L/s (63.6 cfm) 55% at 30 L/s (63.6 cfm)

An example illustrating the SRE required for prescriptive package A1.


as furnaces or water heaters. It’s

time we cleaned up a few things.

Improper installation and balancing

of HRVs continues to be the most

common defect in ENERGY STAR

and other energy programs. This

occurs despite extensive efforts by

manufacturers and representatives,

such as ourselves, to offer training

and installation assistance. Here are

three things to check in on with your

HVAC contractor. I will ask you, the

builders, to step up and expect to

pay perhaps $30 to $50 more for your

installation, but expect the following

three improvements:

1. There has been an important

change to the fire ratings of

insulated flexible duct. You will

find that the cheapest of duct,

typically characterized by a black

or grey plastic outer liner, can no

longer meet the required flame

spread ratings. As of this fall, you

will see that your contractor will

be switching to a higher-quality

flex that is more durable and has

an attractive metalized (silver)

jacket, for just $7 to $8 more per 25'

length.

2. Ask for better quality exterior

hoods. The cheapest hoods have

a plastic bird screen on the face

of the duct that restricts airflow

significantly. In order to get good

airflow performance out of the

better and better HRVs you are

buying, pay $4 to $5 more per hood

and get one with a 1/4” mesh wire

screen – or better yet, a sloped hood

that has a proper rain-screen fitting

that minimizes potential water

intrusion.

3. Lastly, ask your HVAC contractor

to partner with a leading

manufacturer to have their

installers regularly and repeatedly

trained on how to properly balance

and verify flow of the units they

install. Leading manufacturers

offer experienced field personnel

to do this at no charge. I suggest

a touch-up training every six

months or so. It can be done in

the field or in their office and

takes 45 minutes or less. You will

benefit from fewer callbacks due to

window condensation and cold air

complaints. BB

Gord Cooke is president of Building

Knowledge Canada.

13

A low-cost hood with a restrictive plastic bird screen.

A “tandem” hood that allows fresh air and exhaust air through one-vent penetration for when you have limited wall space for venting.

A great hood by Primex that has a built-in brick flange.


industryexpert / M ICHAEL L IO

Customer service delivery has

become the most important

factor contributing to

customer satisfaction. Builders

are always looking for better ways

to understand and to serve their

customers.

In the 1980s, service culture

captured the attention of North

America with the publication of

landmark books such as In Search of

Excellence by Tom Peters and Robert

H. Waterman and Service America!

by Karl Albrecht and Ron Zemke.

A decade later, service companies

realized that better service was a

business strategy that was critical to

their success. Customers would seek

out ratings for various products and

services such as those from J.D. Power

& Associates before they buy.

Historically, builders have not

fared well in customer service. In

the earliest Canadian J.D. Power

& Associates ratings of new home

buyer satisfaction in 2005, only 33%

of customers responded that they

were satisfied with their homes. In

the same year, Jim Adair wrote an

article in Homes & Cottages which

also reported that customer service

tops the list of complaints about

builders, according to focus groups

conducted by the Canadian Home

Builders’ Association. Less than half

of the homeowners in the focus group

felt their builder had set realistic

expectations and prepared them for

what to expect with their new home

purchase experience. In 2009, the

great recession took its toll on the

building industry. The 2009 J.D. Power

survey of new home buyer satisfaction

in four major Canadian cities reported

that satisfaction declined significantly

as builders diverted resources away

from customer service.

Builders today recognize that bad

customer service affects customer

satisfaction and their reputations.

They are eager to adopt practices that

improve the efficiency or profitability

of their company, but may fail to

address customer satisfaction as

a critical component to building a

resilient organization.

Few builders understand the full

range of policies and procedures that

they can adopt within their companies

to enable them to deliver the customer

outcomes that they want. In her book,

The House that Service Built, Nancy

Bandy suggests that for all their good

intentions to establish responsive

customer-service capabilities, most

companies today still can’t tell you

exactly what “good” customer service is,

or how effective they are in providing it

to satisfy their customers’ needs.

Bandy defines customer care

as the process of understanding,

communicating with and supporting

the needs of a builder’s customers

before, during and after the product

is purchased. In fact, the customer

experience at each customer contact

point needs to be appropriately

engineered to produce the desired

customer outcomes. This is only

possible if each contact point is

supported by detailed policies and

procedures that guide the actions of

the builder’s staff.

Builders need to create a service

culture that is driven by empathy and

that is informed by the customer’s

home buying journey. Failing to

understand the customer’s journey can

mean that the customer’s expectations

and the builder’s actions become

misaligned. Service strategy should

be founded on what customers think,

say, feel and do. Understanding the

customer’s explicit expectations –

and their seldom-spoken implicit

expectations – is key. Business

schools across North America teach

methods that can be used to better

understand customers and their needs

and expectations. Closing the gap

between reality and their expectations

minimizes disappointment and

improves satisfaction.

When the disagreements arise,

good builders need to have the tools

to be able to dissect the conversation

and shift from arguing positions to

learning from one another. Good

builders recognize the elements of

difficult conversations and are able to

pivot toward constructive resolution.

This Is Exceptional Customer Service

ExpectationsReality Disappointment


Learning to listen, to understand and to respond are

abilities that require effort and investment on the part

of every building company. There are proven techniques

available to move from confrontation to collaboration.

Our new book, This is Exceptional Customer Service:

A Definitive Guidebook for Builders, establishes a set of

best practices to help builders deliver improved customer

satisfaction and achieve the desired customer outcomes.

The book identifies the critical contact points between

the buyer and the builder, and acts as a catalogue of

best practices that the very best Canadian builders have

adopted. It identifies the most important factors of service

excellence and how to implement them as part of an

effective customer service strategy and plan.

Whether you’re a new or experienced builder, your

reputation hinges on how you treat your customers. The

trust that you seek to build every time you engage with

your customers depends on the competence and the

character of everyone who interacts with your buyers.

In the same way that you invested time to learn how to

build a house, time must also be invested to learn how to

deliver exceptional customer service. In return, you’ll get

fantastically loyal customers who drive your reputation

and lower your costs.

This is Exceptional Customer Service is available from

www.buildability.ca/training/. For more information,

contact Edith Yu at [email protected]. BB

Michael Lio is the former executive director of the Consumers

Council of Canada and the Homeowner Protection Centre.

Roof truss and woodsill connection.

Simpson Strong TieMGT system shown

Drywall screwedinto amvicpolypropylene webs as per building code

Electricaloutlet

Wood sub-floorinstalled as perlocal building

Simpson strong tieICFLC and wood floorjoists connection

Amvic insulatingconcrete forms

Amdeck floor &roof system

Exterior woodsiding installed

as per localbuilding code

Amvic highimpact

polypropylenewebs

Acrylic,standard

ptucco or eifsapplied to

exterior faceof Amvic ICF

Brick veneer

Parge face ofexposed

brick ledge

Grade

Peel-and-stickwaterproofingmembrane (or

equivalent)as per local

building code

Perforatedweeping tile

INSULATEDCONCRETE FORMS

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT:

AMVIC.COM

Most companies today still can’t

tell you exactly what “good”

customer service is, or how

effective they are in providing it

to satisfy their customers’ needs.


Brookfieldfeaturestory / ROB BL ACKSTIEN

The Brookfield Residential home at 4 McCabe Lane in Tottenham, Ontario is 57% better than code. (Rating date October 20, 2016.)

HERS SCORE

30


“The goal here is simple,” explains

Bob Stewart, director, land develop-

ment, “build great communities that

meet the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs.”

Brookfield aims to be ahead of

the curve in the development of their

communities as well as their home

building techniques. In a nutshell,

the company’s philosophy is “the best

places to call home,” he says. That

ethos encompasses all aspects of the

process, from land development and

design all the way through to the end

product and end user. “We try to do the

right thing for the community and our

stakeholders,” Stewart says.

Brookfield’s focus on the future

is very much centred on developing

more energy-efficient housing – at a

cost that won’t bankrupt potential

North American builder continues to innovate

in the area of energy-efficient housing

The Ontario (Canada) division of Brookfield Residential is celebrating its

60th anniversary this year – but instead of revelling in its past, this North

American development giant continues to look towards the future.

Brookfield has spread its wings far across North America, currently developing

in 12 cities across the continent, with a particular focus in the western U.S.,

including Hawaii, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento and San Diego.

home owners. This is currently a huge

issue in Ontario, with the provincial

government’s climate change policy

combining with a new Building

Code set to be enacted in 2017 that is

expected to be among the strictest in

the country.

This could present a perfect storm

for builders trying to grapple with all

these changes while continuing to

try to provide top-quality housing at

a price that hopefully won’t reach the

stratosphere. There are many moving

parts that make this a big challenge for

the building community, Stewart says,

not the least of which is the fact that on

the building science side of Ontario’s

climate change policy, the province is

essentially encouraging municipalities

to ask for better-than-code standards

within proposed communities.

This is an issue of concern for the

Blazes Own Trail


building community, one which we

explored in the summer issue (see

“Misguided Municipal Regulation

of the Home Building Industry”).

It’s especially difficult for builders

that develop across the province,

as they can be faced with several

municipalities asking for varying

standards.

In a nutshell, the issue is this:

the province wants a carbon-free

solution, but by pushing electricity –

which costs 10 times what natural gas

does per energy unit – the price of the

home can skyrocket.

Achieving net zero energy with

solar and high-efficiency electrical

products will deliver a HERS (Home

Energy Rating System) score of zero

(the lower the HERS score, the better).

Given the current cost of electricity,

including these items is what causes

the home costs to rise so significantly.

However, given the current price of

natural gas, a hybrid home that is

also powered by natural gas makes a

lot more sense, especially when the

end goal is – or at least should be – to

save the home owner the most money

possible.

Brookfield has taken it upon

themselves to experiment with

different building techniques in an

effort to balance high energy efficiency

with affordability. This has manifested

itself in the company’s discovery home

project in Tottenham, Ontario. (See

“The Tottenham Discovery Home”

sidebar for complete project details.)

And yes, staying on brand matters

to this company. “Sustainability will

continue to be a focus for our brand,”

Stewart maintains. That’s why the

discovery home project is right in

Brookfield’s sweet spot as an innovator.

“We pride ourselves on pushing the

envelope and seeing what it takes to get

to the next level on building science.”

The ultimate goal here, Stewart

explains, is to take the Tottenham

findings and be able to commoditize

them in different tiers for homebuyers:

If you want a home that’s, say, 20%

better than code, this is how you get

there, and this is what it will cost. For

a home that’s 50% better, here is the

process and the price. And so on. By

being able to offer their customers

packages like this, Brookfield will be

able to provide flexible options to home

buyers, depending on their specific

needs. “We’ve got to try to make this

feasible, especially if municipalities

are wanting it,” he says.

It’s a process of education.

Brookfield continues to educate itself

through practices like the discovery

home, and then passes that knowledge

on to municipalities, its trades and

its home owners. “So the education is

required on all levels,” Stewart says.

The other issue facing the industry

as we head towards net zero building

is figuring out how these homes can be

financed. Currently, there seems to be

a disconnect between how homes that

include major energy-saving features

are assessed and, in turn, financed

In a nutshell, the issue is this:

the province wants a carbon-

free solution, but by pushing

electricity – which costs 10

times what natural gas does

per energy unit – the price of

the home can skyrocket.

Members of Brookfield’s Near Zero discovery team (L to R) Jimmy Neto, Tiago Moura, Ghazal Kheradpisheh.


The Tottenham Discovery HomeBrookfield is currently building a discovery home in

Tottenham, Ontario, that will help drive the company’s

direction in energy-efficient housing. The aggressive goal

of this near zero energy home was to be 80% better than

Building Code standards. It has a HERS rating of 13 and

is 77% above code when solar battery storage is included.

Among the features of this house are:

• Fuel switching: There’s a gas-fired furnace, but also

an air conditioner heat pump. In the shoulder months,

the heat pump can provide the space heating with the

furnace kicking in when it gets really cold outside.

• Insulation: There’s two inches of exterior polystyrene

foam on the outside (R10), plus Roxul (R24) in the

main walls. It’s a panelized home featuring less wood

in the cavity, meaning more insulation can be added.

• Windows: The home features triple-glazed windows

with a U-value of 1.0.

• Photovoltaics: Brookfield is considering using the

Panasonic solar battery storage system.

• Exhaust fans: The home includes Panasonic

WhisperGreen fans, which displace more air while

using a lot less electricity.

• Grey water: Brookfield chose Greyter Water

Systems, a unit that supports drain water heat

recovery, collecting water in a holding tank to use

shower water to flush toilets. —RB

see “Translating and Quantifying

Appraisal Value for Better-Than-Code

Homes” on page 24.) Brookfield has

taken notice of this initiative, and

Stewart thinks it’s “a possible option

on getting the banks to understand

what goes into these homes.”

Financial institutions don’t tend to

deal with shades of grey, so expecting

them to understand the value of

adding grey water systems could be a

difficult task. “It’s that learning curve

again and it’s taking a while to get

there, but I think a lot of people are

onside. It just takes time and the right

people to push it.”

In the meantime, Brookfield

will continue to gather data from its

Tottenham home, with full results

expected by the end of the year. Stay

tuned for a followup report in a future

issue once Brookfield shares what it

has learned. BB

Rob Blackstien is

a Toronto-based

freelance writer.

Pen-Ultimate.ca

by banks. It’s become somewhat of a

catch-22 as governments are pushing

green building, but there aren’t the

means within financial institutions

to finance these homes based on

their true value from a total cost

of ownership perspective. Stewart

concedes that “it’s a fine line to walk.”

The answer may lie in a model

conceived by Austin, Texas-based

Green Energy Money, Inc. (GEM).

GEM provides the financial analysis

tools needed to help fund green

home building. (For more on GEM,

Component Package J Discovery

Ceiling w/ Attic R-50 R-60

Ceiling w/o Attic R-31 R-31

Exposed Floor R-31 R-40

AG Walls R-22 R-24+R-10 @ 24” O.C.

BG Walls R-12 R-24 + R-5

Slab > 600mm R-10 R-10

Slab — R-10

Windows & Sliding Doors 1.8 R = 1.0, SHG = 0.20

Skylights 2.8 2.8

Space Heating 94% 96% c/w ECM

Space Cooling — 21 SEER VS Heat Pump

Domestic Hot Water 67% 90% Eff

HRV Efficiency 60% 75%

Air Tightness 2.5 1.5

Insulation Grade III I

Renewables — 2 x R3-48

Grey Water System — Complete System

Lighting — 100% LED

Solar — N/A

HERS Score 59 30

Energy Consumption (kWh/yr) 41,596 17,804.0

% Better Than Code — 57%


buildernews / ALE X NE WMAN

What they found was that Echo

Haven was developed by four like-

minded individuals, on land compiled

10 years before, in a spectacular

natural landscape in northwest

Calgary. The aim was net zero – homes

that produce as much energy as they

use – and on creating minimal

environmental footprint. With

expectations of reducing up to 80% of

grid power and zero greenhouse gas

emissions, the individuals who bought

there would build healthy and efficient

homes using solar heating strategies

and water conservation initiatives to

reduce water consumption by 72%.

It was music to Christen’s ears

and she immediately told her sister,

Amanda Robertson, and brother-in-

law, Ronnie Blow. The two couples had

always talked about building their own

homes, and the community was aligned

with what they all believed in. Plus it

would allow them to build themselves

rather than use a designated builder.

The couples lived near each other

and spent a lot of time together. But

undertaking a building project can

test even the best relationships, and

Christen admits there were “definitely

times when it got tense. But none of us

really fights, and we all had the same

goal. At the end of the day I get to live

beside my sister, brother-in-law and

nephew, and that’s the coolest thing.

You just have to remember it’s not a

forever [construction] process and that

there’s an end in sight.”

Theirs is the only duplex in Echo

Haven, the rest being single-family

dwellings. Before securing approvals

from the city of Calgary, they needed to

demonstrate to the community board

of directors that the house would have

an EnerGuide rating of 84.

To help them with this, they found

an architectural draftsperson, Kim

Walton of Bow Crow Design, who

specializes in green design. “She

had been involved in some of the

other projects in this community

and did the drawings for our duplex,”

Christen says. “We worked with her

to design the home, and she provided

information on the green aspects –

window placement and design, R-value

of walls and ceiling – and did the

design on how to meet those specs. We

worked with her to balance what we

wanted in our home and how to get the

best green design to achieve it.”

Walton also put the couples in

touch with John Godden, who provided

guidance throughout the construction

of the project. Most notably, she adds, he

did energy modelling and guided them

in the duct design to make it as efficient

as possible. He also made recommend-

ations on drain water heat recovery,

which they will eventually add.

A duplex experiences less heat loss

from its shared wall, but Walton also

aimed to avoid bump-outs to minimize

heat loss even more. Cantilevers, for

example, are very inefficient, Amanda

says. The aim was to “strike the

right balance between esthetics and

efficiency, and for the most part it’s a

box with very few cantilevers.”

Each side is 2,000 square feet (not

including the basement), with three

bedrooms and three baths. At street

level are the front doors and a drive

down to the garage, which is built

under the house and takes up a portion

of the basement. The rest of the

finished basement features a rec room,

home gym and media room.

The home at 25 Rockhaven Green in NW Calgary, Alberta has a HERS score of 35 and is 68% better than code. (Rating date October 17, 2016.)

On a crisp fall day two years ago, a bike ride around the neighbourhood

set Calgary couple Christen and Jordan Gray on a whole new path. They

happened to ride by Echo Haven, a 25-lot subdivision that is aiming for

net zero homes. Intrigued, the Grays stopped to investigate, went home to research

further and grew more excited about the prospect of building their own home.

HERS SCORE

35

Near Zero at Echo Haven


The building envelopeBecause the couples didn’t have the

budget to accomplish net zero, they

aimed for near zero, which is 50%

better than code. This meant beefing

up the building envelope, making it

tighter so that less energy is consumed.

The exterior walls are constructed

like a sandwich – a one foot-thick

sandwich – with 2' x 4' walls on either

side with R-14 bats and the middle

gap filled with Roxul R-22 comfort bat

insulation, creating an overall R-value

of 50 (think extra thick Wonderbread

slathered with PB&J and you’ll get the

idea). That value doesn’t include the

drywall; the roof is filled with loose

cellulose fill for an R-value of 50.

Under the basement slab, two

layers of two-inch rigid foam

insulation were added. As Ronnie

explains, one typically packs down

gravel and then pours the slab – but

after they compacted the gravel in

place, they added two layers of rigid

foam insulation before pouring the

concrete slab. As well, the basement’s

outside cement walls were covered in

rigid foam insulation before exterior

cladding was applied.

Before adding the drywall, a

blower door air test was conducted by

Tyler Hermanson of 4elements design,

a local Calgary company, in order to

identify any leaks in the walls. Triple-

glazed windows with multiple coats

of low-e argon and selective coatings

were used to maximize solar heat

gain. Operating awning windows

were strategically placed to maximize

natural ventilation. As Amanda says,

the house is “very cozy” and draft-

free, as R-2000 levels of airtightness

were achieved.

The biggest thing about the energy

efficiency of this house is the building

envelope, says Christen. After that’s

done, you can work on the interior

efficiency: HVAC, heat recovery and

drain water recovery, right down to

LED lights, low VOC finishes and

energy-efficient appliances.

A key component in the mechanical

system was the Zuba central heat

pump system by Mitsubishi, which

looks like a furnace but isn’t. The

community does not have natural

gas hookups, because the aim is

to eventually go solar to produce

electricity. The Zuba has a compressor

in the back yard, an air handler inside

the mechanical room and a backup

heater because Calgary’s harsh winters

can dip below –30° C.

A Lifebreath high-efficiency double

core heat recovery ventilator (HRV)

constantly exchanges and circulates

fresh air from outside into the house

while exhausting stale air from each

bathroom. In the ensuite master

bathroom, a Panasonic WhisperGreen

exhaust fan manages the excess

humidity created by the large shower

stall with two shower heads.

For hot water, they have a hybrid

air source heat pump hot water heater,

which they purchased through Sears,

because it had the best rating on noise

and was very efficient, Ronnie says.

The water heater will be enhanced by

drain water heat recovery, which will

be supplied by Renewability.

Since the community has no storm

sewers – to reduce burden on the city’s

storm sewer infrastructure – rainwater

runoff is to be managed within each

yard and on common grounds by the

condo development. (Only common

land is under condo ownership, not

homes, which owners maintain

themselves.) Calgary does not allow

grey water recycling at present, but

the community plans to implement it

when the bylaw changes.

Although the houses (at around

$480,000) were about 30% more

expensive than a regular home,

the final cost brought them better

insulation, more expensive windows

and rough-ins for solar panels and for

separate greywater plumbing. The

land for each home was $215,000 – but

condo ownership gives them access

to large common areas like a pond,

skating rink and village green.

The couples found that

construction was more demanding

than they expected, especially since

all four work full time, but it was also

richly rewarding. Jordan oversaw

the building envelope, exterior

finishing, interior finishing and on-site

coordination of trades, while Christen

and Amanda researched interior

finishing and Christen looked into

windows. Ronnie handled plumbing,

electrical, HVAC, interior finishing and

on-site coordination of trades.

The biggest challenge, say Amanda

and Ronnie, was having a small

child – their son was just a year old

through the whole endeavour and, not

surprisingly, they are later moving in

than Christen and Jordan. Amanda’s

advice? “Don’t build a house when you

have a one-year-old.” BB

Alex Newman is a writer, editor and

researcher at www.alexnewmanwriter.com.

Calgary Near Zero owner/builders Ronnie Blow and Jordan Gray.


buildernews / TERESA LOPEZ

Quantifying and monetizing the

value of homes built better than code

is possible today through a certified

third-party Home Energy Rating

System (HERS) energy audit as well as

education that teaches appraisers and

lenders how to interpret and monetize

building performance data.

The Appraisal Foundation (TAF)

provides appraisers with critical tools

to make proper comparisons and

adjustments to appraisal valuations.

Appraisers are now being armed with

guidance for homes that are better

quality, more durable and energy

efficient. Still, many appraisers are not

competent in interpreting or adopting

green premium guideline adjustments.

The potential value the high-

performance building market repre-

sents is only beginning to be under-

stood. Collateral in current loan

portfolios may be discounted (brown

discount) in the near future as inven-

tory and demand increases for homes

built beyond code (green premium).

Market research and studies show that

building performance represents a

new era of risk mitigation, and high-

performance building can serve as a

buffer to those risks.

TAF’s 2013 first exposure draft

report, Valuation of Green Buildings:

Background and Core Competency,

included a definition of a brown

discount noted in their research:

“Potential for obsolescence, also

known as the brown discount, for

existing buildings that don’t ‘green up’:

Just as green buildings that outperform

the market may show a value premium,

brown buildings that underperform

relative to their market may show a

discount.”

Building science quantifies

durability, quality of construction

and efficiency. HERS audits provide

baselines on energy savings and

costs, allowing for an industry-

accepted present-value formula

calculation. This practice combines a

paired sales analysis with an income

adjustment for energy savings.

Appraisers typically can’t factor

the costs associated with high-

performance building upgrades in

value. However, the costs to operate

and the savings can be quantified to

make income adjustments in value.

This is a critical factor for appraisers

who need data in order to support

energy cost-savings adjustments and

who can now use HERS analysis data.

This methodology can impact higher

green value premiums in appraisal

valuations.

A recent Green Energy Money, Inc.

(GEM) economic analysis conducted

for a Brookfield Residential, Toronto

project compares a better-than-code

Translating and Quantifying Appraisal Valuefor Better-Than-Code Homes

As building science and technology continue to evolve, scale and become

more affordable, innovative builders are finding ways to meet and exceed

mandated energy building code requirements. However, builders are

finding that projects built better than code can pose new challenges with trans-

lating the extra costs to buyers, lenders and appraisers, even though the energy

savings are at least 50% greater than comparable conventional new homes.

AD

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Green Premium and Brown Discount Appraisal Valuations

GREEN PREMIUM• Demand for green• Sufficient supply of green buildings• High-quality asset• Premium value assignment

BROWN DISCOUNT• High deferred maintenance-energy

operating costs• Low-quality asset• Declining regional markets

EA

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20132014–2016

TIPPING POINT

Critical Mass

Mortgage Write-Downs


home with and without solar power.

The analysis proves the potential

return on investment that the savings

represent over conventional homes;

adding solar actually provides an

excellent financial investment.

Brookfield’s test cases are proving

that building better than code

offers greater community and buyer

investment potential.

Even though the sales price

was $40,000 higher due to the solar

equipment price (which doesn’t

include any rebates or incentives

that could reduce the costs), the

energy savings and reduced operating

expenses can be absorbed in value.

Cost benefits also account for a

potential future value and can be

applied to pay off the loan sooner.

GEM developed an energy-efficient

rating methodology that includes

over 39 points of certified data for

appraisers to properly quantify value.

GEM offers a nationally accredited

(TAF-approved) green appraisal course

for appraisers.

GEM conducted a beta green

appraisal program with several

U.S. mortgage lenders from 2014 to

2016. The $38 million loan portfolio

conducted in nine U.S. cities achieved

a $2.8 million, or an 8% to 10%, green

premium appraisal value increase

in incremental property value. The

portfolio’s HERS Index averaged 41 on

78 loans, all were better than code and

over 30% of the portfolio were near-

to-net-zero homes producing as much

energy as they were using. For more

information, visit www.greenenergy.

money. BB

Teresa Lopez is the CEO of Green

Energy Money.

25

BETTER THAN CODE (BTC) HOME ECONOMIC ANALYSIS BTC HOME WITH SOLAR SYSTEM

$715,000 SALES PRICE $755,000

45 HERS INDEX 25

$8200–$9000 ESTIMATED VALUE INCREASE $27,000–$30,000

$543 ($45 per month) ENERGY SAVINGS $1799 ($150 per month)

21.8 YEARS POTENTIAL LOAN PAYOFF 20.8 YEARS

$34,430 INTEREST SAVINGS @ 3% FOR 25 YEARS (3.29 APR) $46,753

$14,593 FUTURE VALUE (FV) ENERGY SAVINGS @ 3% FOR 20 YEARS $49,222

Brookfield Residential economic comparison between Better Than Code Croyton Model Homes (Toronto, CA) — with and without solar system.

20

16 ©

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As part of the project, Luck

was responsible for selecting five

participating home builders who

would think – and act – outside the

box when it came to energy efficiency.

In addition to adopting net zero

energy in some of the homes within

their regular projects, the five home

builders would also be “influencers”

by educating others in their region

– builders and the general public –

about the benefits of net zero.

The point of the Buildability

initiative, Luck says, was to demon-

strate that it was possible to build

quality, energy efficient homes

that were also affordable. “Cost is

obviously an issue,” she admits.

“But if we don’t demonstrate that it’s

technically feasible, costs will never

come down, so our team studied the

type of builder who might be ready

and able to adopt this.”

Finding the five participants

wasn’t all that easy, and the team

interviewed several builders to ensure

that each one would understand the

Buildability approach. They also had

to be of a certain size, Luck adds, to

absorb the higher cost of building

the net zero ready housing, since

production builders generally keep

construction costs down by working

assembly-line style. In contrast to

the Equilibrium Project launched

in 2007 by the Canada Mortgage and

Housing Corporation, which invited

custom builders constructing homes

for families or clients who had “bought

into the idea of net zero already,” these

five builders took on the task because

“it helped them know what their trades

were capable of.”

Each builder took a different

approach to the challenge. In Calgary,

Mattamy is offering some of the net

zero upgrades as part of their standard

package. In Ottawa, Minto is offering a

single detached model as a net zero

option at an upgrade cost of about 15%.

Reid’s Heritage Homes in Guelph has

committed to building all of their single

detached homes as net zero ready – a

strategic move that Luck says will

leverage national, and even interna-

tional, presence for this small builder.

For these builders, doing better

than capacity and being the only one

in a particular region to build a set

of net zero homes is a point of pride.

But the project – and the award – also

boosts the builder’s exposure and

enhances marketing efforts. They’ve

produced videos on each site’s progress

so that the public and buyers can see

what is being done and when.

At the end of the day, though, it’s

also a business investment. “They

aren’t there out of the goodness of their

hearts,” Luck says. “They’re looking

at ways to make building better, and

we were able to define how this would

work for them business-wise.”

This is also the first time Natural

Resources Canada will provide a label

that reflects the modelled energy

consumption of a home. Because it

produces as much energy as it uses, a

net zero home garners a zero rating.

But the rating and the attention from

Natural Resources Canada were non-

existent when the project first began,

Luck says. “Nobody was talking about

27

Meet Candice LuckClean50 Award Winner

sitespecific / ALE X NE WMAN

In the recent national Clean50 awards, 50 companies or individuals were

honoured for their efforts to “advance the cause of sustainability and clean

capitalism in Canada.”

Among them was Candice Luck, director of strategy and programs with

Buildability. At just 30, she is project leader of Buildability’s $4 million initiative

aimed at demonstrating to home builders that building net zero energy homes is

technologically feasible.

The experience ended

up teaching Luck

much more: “It wasn’t

about the technology

itself, but about how

people could adopt

it and how trades

would understand it.”


mandating net zero in government. It

was only recently when the Climate

Change Action Plan came out that

this idea of achieving net zero carbon

footprint has been all over the news.”

Since the five builders are all on the

Canadian Housing Council, their

involvement in the project helps move

the net zero discussion forward.

Luck, who has an architecture

degree from the University of Toronto,

met Buildability’s president Michael

Lio when he taught her building

science. The course, which explored

the “nuts and bolts of the built

environment – what went between

the walls, how materials interact

with environment, the health of

the built space,” was challenging.

But during the exam, while Luck was

“frantically” calculating a difficult

R-value equation, Lio tapped her on

the shoulder and asked if she would

send him a resume.

Having already agreed to an

internship in New York, she took a

pass, but contacted him on her return

and accepted a position in his code

consulting practice. “It was very

educational, we looked a lot at the

technical aspects of building.”

At the time, Lio was also president

of EnerQuality, which had piloted

a program to help builders adopt

ENERGY STAR. Luck was brought

in to help him coordinate meetings

and ensure builders met action lists.

“I was quite impressed with these

people, these executives of building

companies, when they talked about the

new technology.” But the experience

ended up teaching her much more than

that: “It wasn’t about the technology

itself, the insulation or whatever,

but about how people around could

adopt the technology and how the

trades would understand it, and

how important it was for people to

understand they were building homes

and how much they care about that.”

Better Builder would like to congra-

tulate Candice on her achievements

and recognize her contributions for

making Canada a cleaner country. BB

Alex Newman is a writer, editor and

researcher at www.alexnewmanwriter.com.


As codes and standards change, it is important to

constantly find innovative ways to maintain and

improve the quality of a building. For Amvic, that means

providing builders with the right products to achieve that

quality. That is why SilveRboard Graphite exterior sheathing

was developed. SilveRboard® Graphite XS is an expanded

polystyrene (EPS) base material that is embedded with carbon

“Graphite” particles which increase the thermal performance

of the EPS insulation. The Graphite EPS beads reflect radiant

heat energy similar to the effect of a mirror that reduces

thermal conductivity and increases the material’s ability to

resist the flow of heat (or R-value).

SilveRboard® Graphite XS is a combination of graphite

embedded EPS beads surrounded by air pockets, laminated on

both sides with perforated reflective film. 98% of the EPS in

SilveRboard® Graphite XS is air; Amvic calls this insulation

“engineered air.” “We wanted to provide one of the most energy-

efficient, environmentally friendly, sustainable and cost-effective

insulation products available today,” says Victor Amend, presi-

dent and CEO of Amvic Building System. “And we did just that.”

SilveRboard® Graphite XS performs better than traditional

flat-sheet insulation by providing a built-in vapour and air

barrier – the colder the climate, the higher the thermal resist-

ance (R-value). This unique property of EPS insulation is not

commonly found in other rigid insulation boards. SilveRboard®

Graphite XS holds its R-value for the life of the product and is an

ideal exterior sheathing for the Canadian environment.

SilveRboard® Graphite XS eliminates the need for house

wrap and is effectively durable to resist construction site and

weather damage. It is also lightweight, easy to handle and

highly flexible for radius walls. “This type of insulation is

perfect for builders looking for a sheet with reduced thickness

that provides more flexible options and a leveled rigid surface

for exterior finish materials,” Amend says. “It also accepts

taping which adheres quickly and permanently to the

SilveRboard film.” SilveRboard® Graphite XS creates a higher

performing thermal envelope, maximizes heating and cooling

efficiency and improves indoor air quality. It is designed with

built-in air and moisture barriers and delivers a higher, long-

term, stable R-value.

“SilveRboard® Graphite XS is the new innovation of insulation,”

says Amend. “It’s designed to build to a higher standard.” BB

29

A higher performing wall sheathingSilveRboard® Graphite XS

industrynews / AMVIC



The new Ontario Building Code

SB-12 takes effect on January

1, 2017. While there are still

prescriptive paths (down from 13 to

six for natural gas), I think of this as

the first performance-based code,

and a greater number of builders are

likely to choose this path to meet the

energy requirements of SB-12.

In our stakeholder training

sessions, we are outlining the

three key objectives the Ministry of

Municipal Affairs and Housing had

for the 2017 SB-12 regulation:

1) Preserve and reinforce investment

in the building envelope;

2) Encourage airtightness and

associated depressurization testing

(blower door); and

3) Prepare the industry for movement

towards net zero-like housing by 2030.

The 2017 SB-12 provides several

options that builders can use to

reduce requirements in other areas

by demonstrating an airtightness

performance of 2.5 ACH. There are

also performance path options

to consider, which may provide

for more cost-effective building

performance designs. There are two

constants: first, thermal efficiency

cannot be reduced by more than

25%, and second, a heat recovery

ventilator (HRV) or energy recovery

ventilator (ERV) must be installed.

That means you cannot make up for

a poorly performing wall assembly by

installing a massive solar wall; it also

means occupants have the ability to

have fresh air all year long.

So what does the new SB-12 look

like? As noted, there are fewer packages

to choose from and an emphasis has

been put on the key points above.

Package A1 is likely to be the most

common path chosen by builders.

This path enables builders to use a 2"

x 6" wall without rigid insulation and

install R20 bag wrap insulation in the

basement (up to 8” from the top of

the basement slab), windows with an

Energy Rating of 25, a 96% efficient

furnace, a 75% efficient HRV and a

.80 EF rental water heater. Oh, and

you have to install a drain water heat

recovery unit.

But is this a good thing? If everyone

is doing it, what is the risk? Are you

ready for a deeper conversation about

occupant health and comfort weighed

against operation costs?

I think we can all agree that

electricity prices are going to continue

to climb over the next decade. And

as noted above, we will be building

increasingly tighter homes. This

combination will result in the need

to take a serious look at latent energy

(moisture) and how to control it.

Let’s talk about windowsEnergy Rating (ER) is a measure of

performance that actually favours

heat gain. The higher the rating, the

better the window is supposed to

perform. But here is the challenge.

When you gain heat in a tighter home,

it becomes very difficult to get rid of

it – to the point where your client will

be extremely uncomfortable in rooms

with high solar exposure and have to

pay a high energy penalty to stay cool.

However, this code permits the use

of low solar glass on walls exposed

to potentially high solar gain. By

choosing a window with a low solar

heat gain co-efficient (SHGC) and a low

U-value, rather than a high ER, you can

dramatically reduce heat gain and still

have a window that performs well. In

our experience, the incremental cost

should be only a few hundred dollars.

However, by working with your energy

rater or HVAC consultant, you should

be able to reduce your air conditioner

(AC) capacity at least half a ton.

Windows account for about half

of the heat gain in our homes. Using

windows with a low SHGC can reduce

the window gain by 50% or more. So

31

The 2017 SB-12Efficiency and performance vs. occupant health and comfort

fromthegroundup / DOUG TARRY

Windows account for

about half of the heat

gain in our homes ...

windows with a low

SHGC can reduce that

gain by at least 50%.


if you have a home needing a two-

ton AC, it is not unrealistic to see a

reduction in the AC sizing of half a

ton, which should typically save a few

hundred dollars on the cost of the

unit. So for effectively no additional

cost, you can save your homeowner

hundreds of dollars per year on their

electrical bill. Best of all, you can

avoid the comfort complaint.

HRV vs. ERVLet’s be honest: we as builders are

now building all of our homes as

giant plastic bags and then asking

our homeowners to live in them. So

we need to consider strategies for

controlling excess humidity within

the home.

Package A1 requires an HRV

or ERV with a sensible recovery

efficiency (SRE) of 75%. While there

are many options for HRVs that meet

this requirement, there are very few

ERVs that do so. On the other hand,

package A6 requires an SRE of only

65%. So builders wanting to use

an ERV might wish to choose this

path instead. Or, if you are doing

blower door testing and can get your

home under 2.5 ACH (or equivalent

measurement), you can reduce your

HRV from 75% to 65%, which again

gives you a number of options.

So why use an ERV? Because an ERV will help to manage

latent energy (moisture) loads. In

the wintertime, it can reduce over-

drying of the home, whereas an HRV

can over-dry the home, causing health

and performance issues. If you want

to talk about wasted energy, using a

humidifier to compensate for an HRV

over-drying the home might be one of

the worst decisions you can make for

a tighter high-performance home. It’s

literally pouring money down the drain

while creating the potential for indoor

air quality issues such as mould.

In the summertime, an ERV can

reduce the amount of humidity that

enters the home, which in turn reduces

the load on the air conditioner and

improves its performance. By having

control over the humidity level of

the home, the homeowner will not

need to set the temperature as low

to maintain comfort. This also helps

control humidity levels within the

home, reducing the opportunity for

problems such as mould buildup and,

in most cases, eliminating the need for

a dehumidifier and thereby reducing

operating costs further.

Unfortunately, the new SB-12

does not reflect the importance of

controlling latent (moisture) energy.

This is an issue that we need to

advocate strongly with the Ministry

so that better decision options are

available for builders and their energy

advisors.

Performance as an optionI understand that there will be markets

where the competition for trades,

particularly framers, may make it a

challenge for builders to build a better

performing wall, and that builders may

feel that using the R22 wall and R20

blanket wrap is their best option.

But what if a builder were able to

use these wall options and model the

home to meet the energy performance

requirements? For example, if you

were to replace the drain water heat

recovery system with triple-glazed

windows, the incremental cost should

be only a few hundred dollars – and

that’s including using low solar glass

on the worst orientation (this is from

my recent costing exercise, and

builders would need to verify costs

with their suppliers). By combining

this with an air source heat pump and

a smaller high-performance furnace,

builders should be able to meet the

energy requirements while providing

their homeowners with a more

comfortable, healthy and cost-effective

home to operate.

And that’s worth thinking about.

If this seems like an unknown

language to you, it might be time to

reach out to a certified energy rater to

explore your options. At the very least,

we as builders should start to consider

if a performance path is a viable option

so you can make an informed decision

as to what is best for your company. BB

Doug Tarry Jr is director of marketing at

Doug Tarry Homes in St. Thomas, Ontario.

An ERV will help to manage latent energy (moisture)

loads. In the wintertime, an ERV can reduce over-

drying of the home, whereas an HRV can over-dry

the home, causing health and performance issues.

Your reputation is built, or crumbles, long after the keys have been handed over. That’s why projects like The Edelweiss Home – Canada’s first LEED® v4 home, and second in the world to achieve Platinum status – rely on the continuous insulation of ROXUL® COMFORTBOARD™ exterior sheathing. Its vapour permeability enables your wall assembly to dry to the outside, providing your clients with durability and comfort. See why ROXUL is a better fit for your next project at roxul.com/comfortboard

A BETTER WAY TO BUILD YOUR HOMES –AND YOUR REPUTATION.

NOTES:

BUILD SCALE:

TRIM AREA:BLEED:SAFETY:

JAN Kelley Marketing, its employees and agents (collectively referred to as “JKM”) shall not be held liable for any loss or damage suffered by you, or by any third party, from the use of these marketing materials (the “Materials”) if they have been modified, distorted, combined with third party content, or manipulated in whole or in part by any party other than JKM. Further, once the proof of the Materials has been approved by you, JKM shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by you or any third party arising from any alleged or actual defect in the Materials or in any way arising from their reproduction by a party other than JKM.

1/1

8.5"x 10.875".125” all around.575” all around

RESIZE

DOCKET #:

PROOF #: ARTIST: DATE:CLIENT:

FILE NAME:

AD NUMBER:RESOLUTION:COLOURS:

12745

CMYK

ROXUL

300 DPIROX-P-028-2016-E

01 JC April 8, 2016 11:03 AM12745-ROX-P-028-2016-E

CAVITYROCK® and COMFORTBOARDTM. For a better way to build.

COMFORTBOARD™. For the better way to build. LEED® is a registered trademark of United States Green Building Council.

The demand for energy efficient homes is increasing and building codes will be changing in 2017. Enbridge can help. Our Savings by Design (SBD) program offers free access to design and technical experts, plus over $100,000 in incentives and benefits.* It’s the support you need to construct energy efficient, healthy and sustainable homes beyond code requirements. Find out how the SBD program helps builders like you at residential.savingsbydesign.ca

Over 80 Ontario builders have participated. Join them.

* Builders can earn $300,000 in incentives by participating in the program three separate times. To qualify for the program, your project must be located in the Enbridge Gas Distribution franchise area. Participation is a three-year commitment. During that time, builders are expected to design and construct at least one new construction home based on resulting recommendations. In order to receive incentive payments, you must agree to all program terms and conditions, must fully participate in all stages of the program and must meet all program requirements.

ESD2172_HomeBuilderMag_Res_Ad_FIN.indd 1 2016-08-15 12:25 PM

Technology

Better Builder Magazine, Issue 20 / Winter 2016