Green Building 101 Resources
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.
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Common Additions
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Pre-WWII Homes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Post War 1 1/2 Storey Homes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Post-60's Two Storey Homes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: 1960s or 70s One-Storey Homes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Split-Level Homes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Split Entry Homes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Mobile Homes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Duplexes and Triplexes
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Row Houses
- Renovating for Energy Savings: Homes without Walkout Basements
- Innovative Buildings: Koo's Korner
- Innovative Buildings: Homes for Tr'ondek Hwech'in Han--Flexhousing in Dawson City
- Low Impact Housing: Irwin House
- Low Impact Housing: Ketchum House
- Low Impact Housing: Homes without Heating Systems (Sweden)
- GVRD Case Study: Silva--Resource, Rethink
- GVRD Case Study: The Hanvey House
- GVRD Case Study: Koo's Corner
- CMHC Case Study: Toronto Healthy House (website)
- An Introduction to PhotoVoltaics
- Energy Star Purchasing Guide
- BC Hydro: Recycling your compact Flourescent Light Bulbs
- Portland's How to Green Your Home Guide
- Identifying the Most Energy Efficient Products
- Light House's Carbon Checklist
- 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.
- Greenworks--Vancouver Green Building Store
- BC Sustainable Energy Association
- GVRD Buildsmart Directory
- David Suzuki Foundation
- Light House's Directory of Service Providers
- Helen Goodland's Tips--Light House's Executive Director shares her personal green building ips (Word Doc)
- BEES Software--A free software tool for selecting environmentally preferred, cost-effective building products.
- Green Affordable Housing Coalition--Offers useful resources, tools, incentives and case studies.
- Brighton Earth Ship Information--Earthship Brighton was the Low Carbon Trust's first project and was the first Earthship to be built in England.
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
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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.
LEED
- Professional LEED Accreditation--$250 USD for CaGBC members & $350 USD for non-CaGBC members
Doulgas College
- Building Environmental Systems (BES)--training for economic competitiveness, energy efficiency, environmental sustainability. 15 courses to choose from.
