Anna Wang

The release of the Canada Green Buildings Strategy (CGBS) is a much-needed step along the pathway to net zero for Canada’s building sector. It includes clear, achievable policies that make good economic sense, including: • phasing out home heating oil in new construction  • working towards replacing new air conditioner sales with heat pumps (as we recommended last year in The Cool Way to Heat Homes)  • modernizing the Energy Efficiency Act, originally adopted back in 1992  • a continued commitment to decarbonizing federal investments in public infrastructure assets These policies will create much-needed momentum towards Canada’s decarbonization goals. The next—and more difficult—step will be addressing areas where the economics are more complex. Reaching our decarbonization goals can’t come at the cost of energy affordability, and Canada’s local and provincial governments need to work alongside the federal government to promote policies enable an efficient, effective transition. Read our full statement at the link below, and view the CGBS here: https://lnkd.in/ef2tA8xX #buildings #buildingefficiency #netzero #canadagreenbuildingstrategy #

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The Government of Canada will re-open both streams of the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program on August 1 with an application deadline of October 16, 2024. The Small and Medium Retrofit Stream (deadline Oct 16) funds changes to an existing building/asset that seek to renovate, upgrade, or repair aspects of the building/asset in a manner that improves environmental outcomes. Retrofits must be to a facility that is fully accessible to the public and that will provide non-commercial services to the community. These projects range in cost from $100,000 to $2,999,999. The Large Retrofits and New Build Stream (deadline Oct 16) must be of a building/asset that is open and fully accessible to the public and that will provide non-commercial services to the community. These projects range in cost from $3,000,000 to $25,000,000. If you need support in completing an application for either stream, please reach out to our Grants Lead Klay Dyer at [email protected]

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Did you know that multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) in Toronto are responsible for emitting about 2.6 millimetric tons of eCO2 annually? That is a startling sum, primarily owing to energy usage from space heating. At Templit, we're determined to alter that. Our creative solutions are intended to reduce energy consumption in MURBs, thereby combating climate change and saving you money. Let's work together to create a greener, more sustainable future. #EnergyEfficient #ClimateAction #SustainableLiving"

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Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada | Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada has launched a consultation for ideas “on accelerating innovation and productivity in Canada's homebuilding industry.” The consultation will work with stakeholders from the construction sector, plus academics, community leaders and the public, through themed roundtables to develop new ideas on how to address Canada’s persistent housing issues. https://lnkd.in/gPg-cDz6

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A joint study prepared by the Real Property Association of Canada (REALPAC), the CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council, and the PLACE Centre calls for concerted action to accelerate the process of decarbonizing commercial buildings in Canada. "The commercial real estate industry is ready to lead, but success will depend on strong partnerships across government, utilities, tenants, the appraisal community, financial institutions, and the private sector," Michael Brooks, CEO of REALPAC, said in a release. His remarks were echoed by Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CAGBC: "This report provides a clear roadmap for aligning government incentives, leveraging innovative technologies, and driving market demand to achieve net-zero emissions at scale." "Decarbonizing Canada's buildings is not just an environmental imperative but an economic opportunity. By addressing these barriers, we can create jobs, drive innovation and position Canada as a leader in the future low-carbon economy," Mike Moffatt, PhD, founding director of the PLACE Centre, said in a release. #greenbuildings #sustainability #decarbonization #commercialrealestate #Canada https://lnkd.in/ecFrCVJD

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📢 #Webinar spotlight: This Wednesday, December 4, the City of Vancouver’s Green and Resilient Buildings Branch is hosting a webinar to share insights from the first year of its energy and carbon reporting program. The webinar will introduce two new tools: the Energize Vancouver Reporting Map🗺️ and the Building Performance Scorecard📊. It will also outline next steps for the large existing buildings #regulation. Starting in 2025, reporting requirements will expand to include some larger apartment and condo buildings, as well as hotels. This session is a great opportunity for building owners, property managers, and consultants working with large commercial and residential buildings in Vancouver. 🗓 When: Wednesday, December 4, at 10:00 am 💻 Where: Online register here to join: https://lnkd.in/dNaQK7UY

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SBC is excited to announce that we will be delivering a series of integrated design workshops for Codes Officials which are intended to demonstrate how to achieve the various tiers of energy performance of the new national building code(s). Focusing on high performance solutions, the workshops will include the highlights of the new Codes, local subject matter expert led presentations, collaborative solutions development, and energy modelling. Attendees will learn how to combine design and technology solutions in a manner that meets the energy performance requirements for each tier. Intrinsic in this activity is the application of “real-world” solutions, including costing estimates and the reference to case studies and related research. Learn more and signup here 👇

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🌱 Attention Toronto Building Owners: The City of Toronto’s Energy and Water Reporting deadline has been extended. Track and reduce your building's energy consumption and GHG emissions while being compliant with reporting. If you own buildings over 50,000 square feet, the 2024 reporting deadline is October 31. Buildings over 10,000 square feet will begin reporting in 2025. By benchmarking energy and water use, you'll discover ways to cut costs, improve efficiency, and contribute to the city’s Net Zero goals. Knowledge is power and money in your pocket! Need help? Let us know. #Sustainability #EnergyEfficiency #Toronto

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Join the BKC Building Science team on August 15th from 1 PM - 2:30 PM ET as they present details on the NBC 2025 Proposes New, Tiered CARBON EMISSIONS Regulations for Homes and Buildings: What Does This Mean for New Canadian Homes? A group of industry experts join host Mark Rosen—including Alexis Minniti from BKC and Brett Cass from CHBA—to evaluate the detailed impact on a single detached and multi-family product type. Learn how technologies and construction practices can enable developers, builders, and designers to meet the various carbon emission reduction tiers. Register to attend: https://bit.ly/3XNZUA9 #Webinar #WebinarSeries #NewWebinar #JulyWebinars #HighPerformanceBuildings #CanadianHomeBuilders #Construction #BuildingCode #ConstructionBestPractices #NetZero #NetZeroEnergy #SustainableBuilding #HomeBuilding #HomeBuilders #Efficiency #EnergyEfficiency #BuildingScience #BuildingHomes #BuildingCode

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The new Canada Green Buildings Strategy aims to transform the #building sector for a net-zero future, with Efficiency Canada noting that we should reflect on how to build a stronger voice for efficient, affordable, climate-friendly #buildings.

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“The release of Canada’s first Green Buildings Strategy is great news for the construction industry and a long-awaited next step in building sustainably.” - Rodrigue Gilbert The federal government’s recently released strategy is aimed at improving energy efficiency in homes and buildings across the country. The plan has three stated aims: • Accelerating retrofits of existing buildings. • Building energy-efficient, climate-resilient and affordable buildings from the start. • Seizing the economic opportunities associated with more efficient and lower-carbon building materials and technologies. The industry is keen to work with all levels of government and stakeholders to meet these mutually beneficial objectives. This is a crucial step towards meeting Canada's net-zero by 2050 targets. Read more here: https://ow.ly/qHcv50SNC8H #NetZero #ClimateChange #Construction #EnergyEfficiency

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🏢 🌱 Canada’s built environment got a big boost in sustainability! Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has selected Sustainable Buildings Canada to lead two major initiatives in #NewConstruction and existing #AffordableHousing. The Codes Acceleration Project will support the adoption of high-performance sustainable national building codes through a series of workshops that combine the latest in design and technology, and regional considerations. The EnergySPRING program will help drive deep #retrofits within Ontario's Social Housing and Indigenous communities, cutting emissions and improving housing quality while tackling electrification, affordability, and extreme weather by raising workforce capacity. "Both projects will enable true market transformation towards sustainable and resilient homes in Canada," says Michael Singleton, SBC's Executive Director. We love to see it! 👏 https://lnkd.in/gRtb7BdH #Electrification #Affordability #EnergyEfficiency #Housing #BuildingCode

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The Climate Smart Buildings Alliance (CSBA), a joint project between EllisDon, RBC, and Mattamy Homes, is launching the Responsible Buildings Pact, a cross-industry agreement aimed at increasing the use of low carbon materials in the built environment 🙌 This initiative was unveiled this afternoon at the CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council’s Building Lasting Change conference in Toronto, with over 20 companies committing to the Pact. “Recognizing the business realities everyone faces, the Pact is designed to ensure we are all doing our best to reduce the climate impacts of our industry, and to create more transparency and shared accountability across the value chain.” - David Messer, Director of Climate Smart Buildings Alliance. The Responsible Buildings Pact is an open, voluntary, industry-wide agreement for developers, consultants, contractors, and supporters interested in working together to reduce the embodied carbon of the buildings we create. Companies joining the Pact will commit to remaining educated on lower carbon materials, establishing a process to consistently evaluate whether lower carbon materials or design strategies can be used, and publicly reporting the results of their process and evaluations on an annual basis. For more information on the Responsible Buildings Pact please visit: https://lnkd.in/gNgDpSxH #ResponsibleBuildingsPact #ClimateSmartBuildings #BuildingForBetter #CSBA

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📣 The Town of Caledon is voting on whether to adopt Green Development Standards on May 14. Buildings account for 30% of Caledon's emissions and this vote is critical to ensuring resilient communities, energy affordability, and affordable housing. #TakeAction by sending a letter to your councillor in support of strong, mandatory green development standards for #NewBuildings to curb increasing emissions and ensure Caledon upholds its climate commitment 👉 https://lnkd.in/gRrxHQvK #Resilience #EnergyAffordability #AffordableHousing #LowCarbonBuildings #ClimateAction #GreenDevelopmentStandards

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Embodied carbon continues to be a hot topic. Catch up on recent developments including CAGBC's first ever embodied carbon summit, the recently released #ZeroCarbon Building – Design v4 Standard, and National Research Council Canada / Conseil national de recherches Canada's new embodied carbon reporting guide: https://ow.ly/CLSv50Su7bI

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The deadline for EWRB’s is approaching fast! 🌎 Ontario Regulation 506/18, which mandates annual energy and water consumption reporting for buildings larger than 50,000 square feet, has been in effect since 2018 and buildings must submit their consumption data by July 1st of every year. Need a hand understanding EWRB’s?  Read our EWRB blog, where you’ll learn everything you need to know about this process. Read it today 👇 https://lnkd.in/gAECscf8  #EWRB #KellerEngineering #protectingpeoplesbuildings #Ontario

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Buildings that use gas or fossil fuels for heating and hot water are the largest emitters of carbon in Toronto. In response, the City has enacted a new bylaw requiring building owners to report their energy and water use annually in view of meeting the city’s emissions performance standards.   Learn how this new bylaw will impact on you at home, at work and in the community. Register now for Webinar on April 25, 2024 from noon to 12:45 p.m, https://lnkd.in/g52yAd-q Switching to cleaner energy sources is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions. Making the switch to cleaner energy sources will have some upfront costs but will lead to savings on your energy bills now and into the future. The city offers guidance and a range of programs and funding to help offset the initial costs. 

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As urban landscapes evolve and housing demands increase, repurposing underutilized office buildings emerges as a sustainable solution. Our duo—Tobias Fellows (Principal, Public Buildings) and Blake Jackson (Director, Sustainability)—recently participated in the Association of Energy Engineers Canada East's final webinar of the session, “Office-to-Residential Conversions: A Whole Building Approach.” The presentation focused on the future of housing availability and opportunities for existing buildings conversions to combat the dual affordability and climate crises. The team highlighted Whole Building approaches to balance and enhance energy efficiency while reducing embodied carbon by realizing the potential and intrinsic value of existing and heritage structures for new, modern uses. For more comprehensive strategies to guide every phase of a building's lifecycle—from design, construction and operation to the building’s end-of-life considerations—connect with our team. Thanks to the AEE Canada East for including us. Watch the presentation: https://lnkd.in/gAU5q2iM #OfficeConversions #NORR #Architecture #Sustainability #EnergyEfficiency #ClimateCrisis #HousingShortage #BuildingRepurposing #BuildingLifecycle, Tobias Fellows, Blake Jackson, AIA, LEED Fellow, WELL Faculty, CPHC

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Ontario's Green Development Standards are at the forefront of promoting sustainable, low-carbon construction. These standards are currently mandatory in just over a dozen or so municipalities across Ontario, with City Of Hamilton, Ontario being the latest to adopt green building standards. Last month, Council endorsed the Green Building Standards. The Green Building Standards (GBS) will apply to all site plan and plan of subdivision applications for low density residential (more than 10 units), mid rise residential, high rise residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional development within the City’s Urban Area. 

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