Is there a market in BC for building sustainable homes?

Anecdotally, we believe that the market is there. Market research work done by Conscientious Innovation (Ci), as well as informal market research done by SBC staff on visitors to the SBC space on Granville Island indicate that this market is there. The SBC has retained the services of Ci, a Vancouver-based marketing, communication & branding company that focuses on the consumer shift towards sustainability to help us establish who/what the SBC should be. They have analyzed significant amounts of market research data on perceptions and attitudes to sustainable building, and have delivered two consumer focus groups, street intercepts as well as in-depth interviews with the Vancouver real-estate power brokers. This research and alaysis indicates that there is a growing market in BC for sustainable homes.

SBC staff (including the Helen Goodland, Executive Director; Gordon Monk, Director of Energy Services; Jessica Woolliams, Director of Programs; Chris Lindberg, Director of Partnerships and Business Development; Mark C. Lombard, Business Development Strategist; Matthew A. Zipchen, Economic Development Strategist; Sarah Hay, Communications and Web Designer; and Helen Carruthers, Administrative and Retail Support) have also conducted our own informal market research on the now more than 400 visitors to the centre since March and the over 700 people that have received some sort of training or outreach since the beginning of the SBC in January 2006. What we have found is that the general public is very interested in sustainable homes, tehy just need help in figuring out how to do it.

In addition, if nationwide studies in the US have any relevance for BC and Vancouver, then there may be further evidence of market emand. Results of a McGraw-Hill Construction/National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) survey indicated that there was a 20% increase in 2005 among those in the home building community who are focusing their attention on green, environmentally- responsible building, which is expected to increase by another 30% this year.

In addition, there are other indicators of industry activiy that the market is expanding. The Canadian Home Builder's Association of BC (CHBA BC) voted last year to adopt a rating system for homes called "Built Green" throughout the province by the end of the year.The Built Green program is spreading “green” across the province and into British Columbia. As of December, the program had over 180 builder and supplier members across the province and had registered 2325 houses. Suppliers and manufacturers are joining the program as they see the advantage of supplying “green” products to these builders.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has a Request for Expressions of Interest for Net Zero Energy Healthy Housing (NZEHH)* in Canada and China - a harbinger of technical change - is to build the world's first eco-city. Finally, the simple fact that the number of green homes is on the rise shows demand is rising. Come in to the SBC to see the Ideas That Last Exhibit and see models and pictures of green homes around BC. Below is a picture of Dockside - click it to learn more.

The hypothesis that the market is there to support more sustainable home design is one of the suppositions that we are going to test this year with our centre. So check back and we'll let you know how it is going!