home services
Homeowner Education
What is a sustainable building?
Simply put, buildings and communities are "sustainable" when they are designed, built and operated with low environmental impacts while enhancing the health, welfare and quality of life for the people that live in and around them. Sustainable building design is continually improving. There are new green products and services emerging every day but making the right choices can be complicated and confusing.
Light House is here to help
Our friendly professional staff can give you the help and advice you need to make your next project healthy and green.
Learn more at our Resource Centre
- 2010 Green Building Challenge workshops provide regionally-specific information on green building renovations/construction and case studies of local projects.
- Green Building 101 workshops help you make your first foray into the world of green home improvement
- Guest Experts are in residence most Saturdays from 2pm - 4pm to answer questions on all aspects of green building. Check our calendar for details.
- Internship Programs are a great way to get involved with Light House and can even provide your first step into a new career in green building. Call our office or contact Helen Carruthers for more information.
Learn more from the comfort of your home
- Light House HomeSpa is Vancouver's healthy and eco-friendly in-home advisory service. Professional consultants will visit your home to give you a range of solutions for your upcoming project.
- Ask a question: after all, we don't know what we don't know. Call our green building information centre at 604 682 5960, email your question, or explore our website and visit our online community forum.
Did you know?
Buildings such as our homes and offices are significant consumers of energy and natural resources. At the same time, they are responsible for more than a third of our greenhouse gas emissions. Currently climate change, species extinction and a host of other environmental problems are already creating a very different world for our grandchildren than the one we enjoy today.
HomeSpa Green Home Advisory Service
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Read about HomeSpa
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Light House Sustainable Building Centre is pleased to offer HomeSpa, Vancouver's healthy and eco-friendly home advisory service. We offer services ranging from an initial assessment of your home to a comprehensive prescription for even the most ambitious renovation. For all homes large and small, our HomeSpa team can provide you with your own customized HomeSpa report with practical tips and resources that will ensure that your home is a healthy place for you and your family while respectful of the health of our planet. Please note that HomeSpa does not undertake design services.
HomeSpa Checkup $200
This first step will introduce you to the principles of healthy homes and sustainable living and provide you with easy, practical tips to getting started.
- Energy efficiency evaluation
- Water efficiency – inside and outside the home
- Waste reduction – from purchasing to recycling and disposal
- Environmentally-friendly cleaning products
HomeSpa Wellness | $200 + Hourly Rate
You will receive a complete natural homecare and maintenance plan that will keep your home healthy and in the peak of condition based on a comprehensive review of your home’s systems and components.
- Energy efficient appliance upgrades
- Regular appliance maintenance
- Energy efficient lighting options
- Water efficiency considerations
- Green financing options and incentives
- Seasonal home maintenance tips
- Home comfort and heating efficiency
- Optimal ventilation system
- General indoor air quality
- Green landscaping
HomeSpa Facial | $200 + Hourly Rate
If you are preparing to pamper your home with aesthetic improvements, we can help with ideas and suggestions as to how you can make your next decorating project efficient and healthy.
- Relative cost considerations and money saving tips
- Green building fixtures, appliances, furnishings, finishes and flooring options
- Lighting upgrades and efficiency
- Ventilation system options
- Window treatment to address solar/ energy concerns
HomeSpa Rejuvenation | $200 + Hourly Rate
Receive a comprehensive customized prescription for your home as you prepare for a major addition or renovation. Additional renovation support and management services are available to help you realize your vision for a greener healthier home.
- Green financial incentives
- Window placement for optimal sun exposure
- Healthy and eco-friendly material choices for the structure and systems of the house
- Information on energy efficient heating and ventilation systems
- Options for reuse/donation/recycling of existing building materials
HomeSpa Complete | $200 + Hourly Rate
A complete, personalized suite of solutions that can include a visioning process and the documentation of goals to give you the tools and resources to make your dream home efficient, healthy, comfortable and beautiful.
Concept Phase
- Tips and considerations for optimal site selection and building orientation
- Case studies and local precedents
- Information and resources on green building rating systems and labels for the home
Design Phase
- Tips and pointers on how the following might be incorporated into your design:
- Healthy and eco-friendly material choices for construction and systems
- Energy efficient space and water heating
- Energy efficient ventilation/heat recovery
- Alternative energy resources
- Water efficient fixtures and systems
- Eco-friendly fixtures, appliances, furnishings, finishes and flooring
- Potential green building financing options and incentives
- Comparable building/system case studies
- Information on alternative construction systems
Construction Phase
- Advice and options for material changes/substitutions
- Tips on minimizing construction waste
* Hourly rates are dependent upon scope of project.
To receive further information about our services, or to make an appointment for a HomeSpa assessment, please contact: homespa@sustainablebuildingcentre.com
Green Building 101 Workshop for Homes
You are: a home or condo owner
Light House offers a two-hour, non-technical “Green Building 101” for homeowners interested in learning how to “green” their home!
Participants will gain a general understanding of green design ideas, issues and processes, develop a set of personal green goals for their home, and leave with a practical resource workbook. Confused about where to start, who to talk to and what questions to ask? Then this course is for you!
Our 2010 Shedule will be posted shortly!
Key concepts:
"Green" Design and construction practices significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants in five broad areas;
- Site planning
- Water and water efficiency
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy
- Conservation of materials and resources
- Indoor environmental air quality
...using a systems approach and an integrated design process
For more information on Green Building, visit our GB 101 Resource Page or sign up for GB 201.
Please note: There is no refund for cancellations within 48 hours; however, you can transfer your registration to another date for an administration fee of $15.
A limited number of bursaries will be available for student and non-profit participants. Please contact info(at)sustainablebuildingcentre(dot)com for more details.
Green Building 101 is brought to you by the following:
Organizational Partners
Title Partners
RETScreen® Introductory Workshop
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).
This is an introductory module of the RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Course. The course will introduce RETScreen Clean Energy Project Analysis Software (Version 4), highlight its new features, and describe the RETScreen approach to project analysis. In addition, the course will cover how the software can be used to evaluate the viability of energy efficiency improvements in a variety of building types. This course is for professionals and university students who want to learn how to better analyse the technical and financial viability of potential clean energy projects. Upon completion of the course, the student will be more aware of viable clean energy applications and be able to perform high-quality and low-cost preliminary feasibility studies using the RETScreen software.
Participants must bring their own internet-enabled laptop. RETScreen currently runs on the PC platform only. You can download the RETScreen software from the NRCan website. Relevant training materials can also be downloaded from the website:
Presentation Slides
RETScreen - Introduction - Presentation slides (3.59 MB)
RETScreen - Energy Efficiency - Presentation slides (1.33 MB)
Textbook
RETScreen Engineering & Cases Textbook - entire e-Textbook (12.7 MB)
Case Studies
Power - Wind turbine - 50,000 kW
User-defined - Energy - Generic
Energy efficiency measures - Industrial - Manufacturing - Plastic
Energy efficiency measures - Residential - Hot water - Apartment building
Date: May 20, 2010
Time: 9am - 5pm
Location: Light House Sustainable Building Centre, 2060 Pine Street, Vancouver
Cost: $300 + GST per person. Register online at http://retscreenmay20.eventbrite.com or contact helenc<at>sustainablebuildingcentre.com to pay by cash or cheque.
Instructor
Doug Horn is a Certified Energy Advisor, Building Technologist and a LEED© Accredited Professional who started his own company ‘Efficient Resource Solutions’ (ERS). ERS provides consulting services for home owners, businesses and individuals looking to reduce their energy and water consumption and performs Home Energy Assessments for City Green Solutions. Prior to ERS Doug worked at Light House Sustainable Building Centre as a Green Building Consultant focusing on LEED© consulting on green building projects, energy modeling and researching technical aspects for various Light House projects.
Doug’s passion for the environment and sustainability is quite evident from his bicycle oriented lifestyle and generation of 100% of his homes electrical needs from his roof-top photovoltaic system. With a combination of energy efficiency upgrades and small behavioural modifications Doug was able to reduce his household total energy usage to 85% of European ‘Passivhaus’ standards in his 100 year old house .
Prior to completing BCIT’s two year Architectural Building Engineering Technology programme, where he specialized in Building Science and worked in the Building Science Centre of Excellence Doug spent over 20 years as an IT professional performing a number of roles from network design and computer management to coordinating and managing IT projects.
Participants will earn:
6 AIBC Learning Units
Workshop supported by Natural Resources Canada
RETSCREEN is a registered trademark of the Minister of Natural Resources Canada
2010 Green Building Challenge Workshops
In March 2010, we will be hosting a series of workshops summarising the findings from the projects that participated in our 2010 Green Building Challenge, as well as tours of some of the completed projects. The schedule is below. Click on a date for more information or to register:
March 13: Home Heating workshop (10am-noon) followed by a tour of the Moore-Babicki Residence
March 18: Green Building for Stratas workshop (6-8pm)
March 27: Prefab and Laneway Homes workshop (10am-noon) followed by a tour of a laneway home project
Green Building 201 Workshop for Homes
Green Building 201 for Home Energy Efficiency
Due to the popularity of Green Building 101, Light House has launched Green Building 201! Building upon the principles of GB101, GB201 provides more in-depth information focused on home energy efficiency. This two-hour workshop is intended for graduates of GB101 and anyone interested in improving the energy efficiency of their home.
Increasing the energy efficiency of your home can significantly reduce its negative environmental impacts and save you money! Participants will learn about the principles of energy efficient design, develop a set of personal energy efficiency goals for their home, and leave with a practical resource workbook.
Key concepts:
- Envelope thermal performance
- Passive and active solar heating
- Ground source heat pumps
- Passive air conditioning
- Reducing hot water and electricity use
- Wind turbines
Cost: $30 +GST (including course workbook)
Please note: There is no refund for cancellations within 48 hours; however, you can transfer your registration to another date for an administration fee of $15.
A limited number of bursaries will be available for student and non-profit participants. Please contact Helen Carruthers at info(at)sustainablebuildingcentre.com for more details.
There are currently no dates scheduled.
Please email info(at)sustainablebuidingcentre.com for dates and information.
Green Building 201 is brought to you by the following:
Organizational Partners
Title Partners
$100 Green Your Home Kit
Originally devised for the use of the $100 "Climate Action Dividend" provided by the BC Government, the Greening Your Home Kit contains $100 of healthy and eco friendly supplies to help you get started with green living.
Put the following on your shopping list and make going green easy!
Greening your home kit contains: |
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$6.40 - VIP Powdered Laundry (Made in Canada) $3.50 – Nature’s Ultimate nu Wiping cloth – 100% wood fiber (Made in canada) $4.00 – Water Wise bathroom faucet aerators $4.67 – Electric outlet and wallplate insulator Total with tax - $95 |
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(prices subject to change based on store)
