Eco Housing Certificates Demystified
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by: JulieKinnear | Total views: 28 | Word Count: 436
While for a few people, the entire green movement is merely a phrase and a cool way to advertise their social/environmental consciousness, a few architects took the itch for sustainability seriously. There are dazzling structures made every, but when it comes to buildings, it is not necessarily easy to distinguish the passive green building from a standard skyscraper or home making tons of CO2. Walking through your local downtown, always keep in mind that many of the structures that seem standard from the outside might be champions in water and energy conservation.
LEED Certification
Nevertheless it has got to be noted that in the larger picture, we have just started creating building projects that take environmental concerns seriously. The 1st certified green structures in Canada are only about ten years old! The first building that got awarded an approval stamp by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was a centre for technical research in Victoria. While these days, there are many hundreds of LEED-certified, green buildings scattered all across Canada, just a couple of structures reached out to gain a renowned platinum certificate or the top rating.
Of course, buildings without LEED certificate might be great designs, but LEED is like a cherry on top of the cake, as it's probably the most in depth and reliable rating system on environmental performance. It was originally introduced by the U. S. Green Building Council but quickly spread out of the U.S. To be awarded LEED authorization, buildings must go thru an independent audit, in which points for numerous accomplishments are awarded. For example, points on the long checklist include open space maximizing, brownfield redevelopment, indoor air quality, energy performance, and usage of local materials during construction. Dependent on the results, each building can be given four different certificates: certificated, silver, gold, or platinum. Nevertheless as Thomas Mueller, president of the Canada Green Council, remarked, achieving the platinum level is a tricky job.
Costs of Green Design
The opening negative of green architecture is its just about unavoidably increased cost, which puts off many potential stockholders whether they just desire to build their new home or invest in a new shopping center. While this is definitely true, it is important to consider significantly lower household bills in the future, which should recover the lost bucks sooner or later. Mr. Mueller also points out that by building eco friendly structures, we are clearing our debt to the environment, as Canada is releasing more than its share of greenhouse-gas emissions. "This is really something that has got a long term benefit for Canadians in terms of reducing environmental impacts," he said.
About the Author
Julie Kinnear is Toronto real-estate pro and green way of living enthusiast.
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