(NC)—It’s easy being green, at least for builders of new homes in Canada. The trend towards building energy-efficient homes has never been hotter as more and more builders across Canada are calling Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to become licensed builders under their energy-efficient new homes initiatives.
Builders of EnerGuide-rated homes, R-2000*, and ENERGY STAR® qualified homes must be registered and licensed by NRCan. Over 1600 new home builders have now been licensed under its Canada-wide initiatives.
One of the reasons for the increase in builder participation is an increase in consumer demand. A recent survey by EnerQuality Corporation shows that the majority of buyers (93%) expect builders to offer energy efficient features as a standard rather than an upgrade. The increased demand is transforming the new housing market in Canada. Several Ontario builders, for example, now build only ENERGY STAR qualified new homes while others have moved to building only R-2000 certified homes. In Whitehorse, City Council recently passed a regulation that all new housing in Whitehorse is to reach an EnerGuide rating of 80 as of September 1, 2009.
If you are in the market for a new home, talk to your builder as there is now a variety of energy efficiency options available that you may want to include in your home.
More information is available at www.newhomes.nrcan.gc.ca or by calling 1-800-387-2000 to order publications.
