Standing in front of one of the 124 certified Built Green™ BC homes across the Fraser Valley, one would see that the homes fit beautifully into the community indicating that it was not much different than its neighbour. And yet, it was. The families that live in these homes chose to do something good for the environment, as well as their own wallet – they Built Green™.

Built Green™ BC is the leading standard for sustainable, residential construction in the province. Vanessa Joehl, the Built Green™ BC Program Administrator, spoke passionately about the program, “Built Green™ promotes construction of buildings that are healthier for the occupants and healthier for the environment. Most BuiltGreen™ homeowners enjoy lower utility cost and significantly better indoor air quality.”

 

But what about costs? We all would like to live ‘greener’, but green usually means more expensive. Joehl further explains, “The BuiltGreen standard is affordable by design. There is a range of choices in multiple categories which allow the homeowner to select the options that fit their budget.” The savings for the homeowner look to be pretty good too with Gold level homes saving roughly 30% on energy costs each year. The environmental picture is even better. To date there are over 2800 BuiltGreen™ homes in BC which has the equivalent environmental impact of taking 1192 cars off BC’s roads per year.

 

“The BuiltGreen standard provides a holistic approach to sustainable housing,” summarizes Joehl. “It combines the EnerGuide rating system with a building green checklist that covers each aspect of a home’s construction, with results that benefit generations to come.” For more information on BuiltGreen™ go to: www.builtgreencanada.ca