This page is under continual development as we add resources and case studies related to our Green Building 101 workshop (click HERE for registration details).
Rating Systems While the majority of these rating systems are geared towards commercial buildings, there are some which are appliable to homeowners such as R-2000, Built Green and soon to be forthcoming, LEED for new homes. Even though these rating systems are commercial buildings based, they are still helpful when determining which areas to focus on for your home and are a useful reference "guide" to green building in general.
BC Hydro Appliance and Lighting Calculator--The Appliance Calculator can give you a quick and easy rundown of the energy used by your appliances or systems, gas and electric.
BC Hydro Online Home Analysis--an interactive tool that helps you save money by determining where you can save electricity. It's free to use and only takes about 30 minutes to complete.
BC Hydro: Powersmart Tips--covers lighting, appliances and home office, water heatig and saving, thermostats and ducts, home heating, AC, and structural information
BC Hydro Net Metering FAQs--BC Hydro's Net Metering program is designed for customers with small generating facilities, who may sometimes generate more electricity than they require for their own use.
CMHC Healthy Housing Fact Sheets--Includes information about bathrooms, kitchens, attics, landscapes, basements, mechanicals, exteriors, and interiors
CMHC Renovation Fact Sheets--Covers aspects from Garden Suites, Canada's Construction System, Hiring a Contractor, renovating your kitchen, bathroom, and more
CMHC Healthy Highrises Fact Sheets--A comprehensive guide into the innovation, design, and construction of High-Rise residential Buildings
Learn to Love your CFLs--This article from SHARED-VISION provides some practical tips on how to use CFLs without sacrificing warmth and ambience.
TQ Construction--This YouTube video on green home renovations features interviews with industry professionals as well as a case study on the Hanvey House.
Brighton Earth Ship Information--Earthship Brighton was the Low Carbon Trust's first project and was the first Earthship to be built in England.
Education
SEI (Solar Energy International)
SEI offers hands-on workshops and online courses which focus on solar, wind and water power and natural building technologies. Please visit: http://www.solarenergy.org for more information.
BCIT
BCIT offers courses on Green Roofs (GROW 0001, GROW 1000) and a home improvement series which features four courses for those interested in small-scale residential design and improvement (BLDG 0001, BLDG 0004, BLDG 0009, BLDG 1008)
Langara
Environmental Stewardship--enables participants to evaluate and meaure energy savings, advance energy efficiency and renewable energy in new and exisiting buildings, participate in emerging business opportunities and more.
Building Environmental Systems (BES)--training for economic competitiveness, energy efficiency, environmental sustainability. 15 courses to choose from.
RETScreen International
RETScreen Training Workshops--the RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software is a unique decision support tool developed with the contribution of numerous experts from government, industry, and academia. The software, provided free-of-charge, can be used worldwide to evaluate the energy production and savings, costs, emission reductions, financial viability and risk for various types of Renewable-energy and Energy-efficient Technologies (RETs).
Submitted by Helen Goodland on Wed, 31/01/2007 - 21:52.
I am thrilled to read that Scotland’s Centre for Architecture and Design has acquired a new name: the Lighthouse. The Lighthouse is the renamed, £13 million ($20 million) conversion of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's 1895 Glasgow Herald newspaper office. The centre's vision is to develop the links between design, architecture, and the creative industries, seeing these as interconnected social, educational, economic and cultural issues of concern to everyone. Since opening the centre has welcomed well over 1 million visitors.
