What is LEED and Passive House?

LEED

LEED is a global certification for green buildings, created by the U.S. Green Building Council. It rates buildings on energy efficiency, water use, air quality, and materials, awarding levels from Certified to Platinum. LEED helps reduce environmental impact while promoting health and sustainability.

For more information see USGBC.org or CAGBC.org

PASSIVE HOUSE

I completed the Passive House course through CanPHI in March 2014. Passive House is an energy-efficient building standard that focuses on airtightness, super insulation, heat recovery ventilation, high-performance windows and doors, and minimizing thermal bridges. These buildings use up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling than conventional ones and can be applied to any design.

For more information see passivehouse.ca

LOW VOCs

When constructing your house, the air quality is integral to the quality of a house.  It is important to be conscientious when buying furnishings and finishes, as many paints, glues, and materials off gas.  As a building Inspector, I am in houses during all phases of construction.  Often incredibly strong smelling products are used, to the point that I can taste it in my mouth for long periods afterwards.  These are VOCs.  Our company chooses products that are low in harmful VOCs and we are mindful of the importance of a well functioning ventilation system for the health of your family unit.

REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE

The principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle are vital in sustainable construction. Reducing means minimizing material usage and waste through thoughtful design and efficient building practices. Reusing encourages salvaging materials from existing structures, giving them a second life instead of sending them to landfills. Recycling involves processing materials like steel, wood, and concrete into new products, reducing the need for virgin resources.

The concept of cradle-to-grave in construction considers the entire lifecycle of a building, from material sourcing to demolition. By being mindful of this, we can design buildings that minimize environmental impact, using sustainable materials and processes that reduce waste and energy consumption throughout the structure’s life. For even more sustainable practices, some advocate for cradle-to-cradle design, which aims to eliminate waste altogether by reusing materials infinitely.

PERMACULTURE AND XERISCAPING

In LEED training we also consider such aspects as landscaping, proximity to transportation, parking, and water usage. I am a big proponent to using such landscaping methods as permaculture and xeriscaping. I work with a local company that is well versed in this type of landscape design and construction.

Permaculture: The philosophy behind permaculture is one of working with, rather than against, nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless action; of looking at systems in all their functions, rather than asking only one yield of them; and allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions.

Xeriscaping: Xeriscaping is the practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation. This means xeriscaped landscapes need little or no water beyond what the natural climate provides.

When building a sustainable home, there is a holistic approach that involves many areas to consider. It involves a team of expert; those that understand the importance of the building envelope, mechanical design, functionality, beauty, and landscaping. When implemented you have a home that can be Net Zero or with substantially lower utility bills. The air quality is much better than a standard home built today and household heating, air conditioning, and ventilation is balanced for your exact house, not just going by a rule of thumb. It is comfortable and yet, is also beautiful and functional.