City of Winnipeg
Date: 2020-06-19
On the Canadian prairies, the city of Winnipeg (pop. 817,000) reports the launch of its Building Energy Disclosure (benchmarking) Project for commercial and institutional buildings. The free program enables building owners to better understand their building's energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) performance by tracking a building's energy and GHG performance on ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager as well as disclose key building profile and performance metrics for inclusion on a public disclosure map.

Program participants will receive a personalized scorecard highlighting their building's key energy and GHG performance metrics, access to free educational workshops offered by the city and the Canada Green Building Council and assistance with identifying key building metrics including the creation of an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account.

The program is made possible through a financial contribution from the Government of Canada's Department of Natural Resources.

Download Winnipeg Building Energy Disclosure Project Details HERE. (Source: City of Winnipeg, DCN-JOC News Services June 19, 2020) Contact: City of Winnipeg, www.winnipeg.ca/Sustainability/BEDP

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Benchmark news,  Building Energy news,  Energy Efficiency news,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2020-06-05
KingSett Capital, on behalf of its Canadian Real Estate Income Fund (CREIF) is reporting Scotia Plaza's 40 King St. West building in Toronto, Ontario, has earned a Zero Carbon Building -- Performance v2 Certification from the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

The designation marks an important milestone for owners KingSett Capital, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) and James Richardson & Sons Limited as it is the largest certified Zero Carbon Building in Canada at more than 1.5 million square feet, according to the release.

Scotia Plaza is the head office of the Canada's third largest bank -- the Bank of Nova Scotia with $1,154.02 billion in assets. (Source: KingSett Capital, PR, 4 June,2020) Contact: Canada Canada Green Building Council/Zero Carbon Certification, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council ,  Energy Efficiency,  Zero-Carbon,  

Cora Group
Date: 2020-04-29
The Waterloo, Ontario-headquartered Cora Group reports its 104,000 evolv1 building project in Waterloo has achieved Zero Carbon Building Standard Performance certification through the Canada Green Building Council's Zero Carbon Building program. The Waterloo building was previously ZCB-Design certified and is presently awaiting LEED Platinum certification.

The building's sustainability features include: solar panels and a passive solar wall system; an open-loop geothermal system; 40,000-litre rainwater cistern and daylight harvesting; 28 electric vehicle chargers, and others. (Source: The Cora Group, DCN-JOC News Services , 28 April, 2020) Contact: Cora Group, Adrian Conrad, COO, (519) 570-2672, www.coragroup.com; Canada Green Building Council/Zero Carbon Certification, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  Canada Green Building Council,  LEED Certification,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2020-03-16
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is reporting updates to its Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard aimed at accelerating the adoption of zero carbon building practices in new and existing buildings.

The updated ZCB-Design guides the design of new buildings, as well as the retrofit of existing structures. ZCB-Performance provides a framework for verifying buildings have achieved zero carbon and must be revisited annually. ZCB Standard v2 updates focus on these key components:

Embodied Carbon -- Projects must now reduce and offset carbon emissions for the building’s life-cycle, including those associated with the manufacture and use of construction materials.

Refrigerants -- ZCB Standard v2 encourages best practices to minimize potential leaks of refrigerants that, when released, can have significant short-term impacts on climate.

Energy Efficiency: -- ZCB Standard v2 promotes the efficient use of clean energy with more stringent energy efficiency and air-tightness requirements.

Innovation: ZCB-Design encourages innovation by requiring projects demonstrate two innovative strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

These updates are designed to eliminate carbon outputs, while also being flexible enough for zero carbon buildings to reach the mainstream. The updates also provide the guidance for more owners and developers to build to zero now and as part of their plans for the future. (Source: CaGBC Website, 2020) Contact: CaGBC, Thomas Mueller, CEO and President, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  Green Building,  Energy Efficiency,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2020-03-11
In Ottawa, the The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) reports it is zeroing in on carbon reduction with updates to its Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Standard. Launched today, Version 2 is designed to accelerate adoption of zero carbon building practices and help Canada meet its climate targets while spurring innovation and job growth.

Canada's buildings are a top contributor to carbon emissions, and updates to the ZCB Standard reflect the urgent need for change. Today, building operations represent 17 pct of Canada's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, or closer to 30 pct when embodied carbon from construction and materials are factored in.

CaGBC's made-in-Canada ZCB Standard provides the industry with a zero-carbon approach that works for any type of new or existing building. Version 2 draws on learnings from over 20 real-world ZCB-projects. These projects demonstrate that the industry is ready to raise the bar on expanded requirements for embodied carbon and energy efficiency. At the same time, Version 2 aims to get more buildings to zero, faster, by providing more options for different design strategies and by recognizing high-quality carbon offsets when necessary.

These updates balance the rigour needed to meaningfully eliminate carbon, while also being flexible enough for zero-carbon buildings to reach the mainstream. Since the ZCB Standard launched in 2017, CaGBC has proven through real-world projects and research, that zero- carbon buildings are technically and financially viable today -- across a wide spectrum of building types including schools, offices, multi-residential, commercial, and even industrial buildings. The updates provide the guidance for more owners and developers to build to zero now and as part of their plans for the future.

ZCB Standard v2 provides two pathways for any type of building to get to zero-carbon. ZCB-Design guides the design of new buildings, as well as the retrofit of existing structures. ZCB-Performance provides a framework for verifying buildings have achieved zero- carbon and must be revisited annually.

ZCB Standard v2 updates focus on these key components:

Embodied Carbon -- Projects must now reduce and offset carbon emissions for the building's life-cycle including those associated with the manufacture and use of construction materials.

Refrigerants -- ZCB Standard v2 encourages best practices to minimize potential leaks of refrigerants that, when released, can have significant short-term impacts on climate.

Energy Efficiency -- ZCB Standard v2 promotes the efficient use of clean energy with more stringent energy efficiency and air-tightness requirements.

Innovation -- ZCB-Design encourages innovation by requiring projects demonstrate two innovative strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

(Source: Canada Green Building Council, PR, Mar., 2020) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Peter Whitred, Senior Manager, Green Building Programs, Thomas Mueller, Pres. and CEO, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org; Zero Carbon Building Standard, www.CaGBC.org/zerocarbon

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Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2019-12-11
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is reporting Canadian LEED v4 project registrations have surpassed the 1,000 mark and more than 4,350 LEED certifications overall, making Canada a leader in LEED certifications.

Of Canadian LEED v4 projects, almost half are commercial and institutional new construction, with Ontario leading the way regionally with 27 per cent of projects, followed by British Columbia at 17 per cent and Alberta at 15 per cent. The CaGBC reached another milestone Nov. 27 with the first 10 certifications under the Zero Carbon Building Standard. To date, 20 projects are registered. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, Daily Commercial News, 9 Dec., 2019) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Peter Whitred, Senior Manager, Green Building Programs, Thomas Mueller, Pres. and CEO, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council ,  LEED,  Energy Efficiency,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2019-12-04
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has released the results of its Disclosure Challenge, an initiative designed to champion the importance of energy bench-marking and data transparency in the Canadian commercial real estate market. The results have CaGBC and initiative participants, including QuadReal, Triovest Realty Advisors Inc., Concert Properties Ltd., Colliers International, and the Minto Group calling on federal and provincial governments to implement consistent building data disclosure regulations and requirements.

For Canada to reach its emissions reduction targets and transition to a low-carbon economy over the next decade it is essential that existing buildings achieve significant energy efficiency improvements. One of the barriers to meeting these goals is the current lack of publicly available data on commercial building performance in Canada.

While energy bench-marking regulations are in effect in Ontario, the Challenge marked the first time Canadian real estate owners have voluntarily disclosed their Canada-wide portfolio data. These five participants publicly disclosed available data for over 11 million square meters of space in buildings spread across the country from Victoria to Halifax including offices, warehouses, residential apartment buildings and retail shops. Insights from the Disclosure Challenge show:

In comparison with Natural Research Canada (NRCan) average site energy use intensity values, overall participant office buildings performed approximately 10 pct better than the average office in Canada, whereas participant multi-residential buildings were about even with the average.

Average energy use intensity for office and multi-residential buildings in the challenge were 286 kWh/m2 and 256 kWh/m2 respectively. As compared to high-performance efficiency standards for new office and multi-residential buildings in Canada coming into force in different jurisdictions (with a standard of 100 kWh/m2). Disclosure Challenge office buildings were approximately 65 pct less efficient and multi-residential buildings were 61 pct less efficient.

GHG Emissions intensity varied across the country and was generally correlated with the electricity supply grid intensity, so office buildings in Alberta were as high as 170 kgCO2e/m2 and apartments in British Columbia were as low as 24 kgCO2e/m2 .

View the full Canada Green Building Council Disclosure Challenge HERE. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, PR, Dec., 2019) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, Pres. and CEO, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  Energy Benchmark,  Energy Efficiency,  Building Eddiciency,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2019-10-28
In Ottawa, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has issued a post-election statement congratulating the re-elected Liberal government of Justin Trudeau and urging the Prime Minister to spur Canada's building industry towards a low-carbon future.

The CaGBC statement also noted that Canada's building stock contributes up to 17 pct of the country's greenhouse gas emissions and that Investing in a low-carbon workforce transition would be a key driver to help Canada's construction workforce develop, construct and manage high-performing energy efficient green buildings. The CaGBC also called for the government to Stimulate the country's retrofit economy through the Canada Infrastructure Bank and to establish national building energy benchmarking and disclosure requirements. (Source: The Canada Green Building Council, Commercial News, 28 Oct., 2019)Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, Pres. and CEO, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  Building Energy Bechmarking,  Energy Efficiency,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2019-09-25
The Canada Green Building Council reports it has awarded LEED Platinum certification (Existing Building) to the Sun Life Building in Montreal. The Sun Life Building is the first century-old building in North America to obtain triple Platinum certification in environmental performance and digital connectivity, having already earned BOMA BEST Platinum certification from BOMA Canada and WIRED Platinum certification from WiredScore.

The 1 million sq-ft, 1914-vintage Sun Life building scored higher than the level required for Platinum certification in the LEED system which measures a building's performance and efficiency in five sectors related to human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, Cdn Consulting Engineer, 24 Sept., 2019)contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, Pres. and CEO, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

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Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2019-07-22
Brampton, Ontario-headquartered digital imaging specialist Canon Canada Inc reports it has been awarded the Canada Green Building Council’s LEED®, Gold certification for New Construction and Major Renovations 2009 certification for its corporate headquarters. . Canon Canada collaborated with Colliers Project Leaders and architects Moriyama & Teshima to construct the building which features:

Energy reduction and efficiency is built-in to the building's lighting and cooling/heating systems, with LED lighting that helps to save approximately 70 to 80% of energy (compared with traditional 60W incandescent lights) and building systems are set to shut off after hours to help reduce energy.

Natural light and solar-adaptive shading help to maximize daylight in the office while minimizing glare and solar heat, simultaneously aiding in the regulation of lighting and temperature.

Rooftop greywater collection system helps save 20%of the building's annual domestic city water usage (the equivalent of 4.5 million bottles of water); the water is reused for flushing and irrigation.

Energy-saving office technologies like Canon's own multifunction devices and display projectors automatically power down to minimize energy consumption in all meeting and copier rooms.

A sophisticated kitchen digestion system helps divert and reduce organic waste from landfills.

Encouraging employees to reduce carbon emissions by offering premium parking for green vehicles, employees that carpool as well as sheltered bicycle parking.

Employees and the surrounding residential community enjoy an expansive community green space, including a pond and recreational path, 6,000 drought-resistant shrubs and 200 drought-resistant trees to promote the area's wildlife biodiversity.

Phasing out the sale single-use plastic water bottles and plastic straws has begun at the headquarters and at all Canon Canada's 13 office locations across the country by the end of 2019. (Source: Cannon Canada, CNW, 22 July, 2019) Contact: Canon Canada, www.cannon.ca ; Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, President and CEO (CaGBC) and GBCI Canada

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency news,  LEED Certification news,  Canada Green Building Council news,  

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Date: 2019-07-12
In Ontario, Canada, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority which manages the city of Toronto's watershed and ravine system in an effort to ensure that the ongoing effects flooding and water pollution and climate change are mitigated, is reporting the ground breaking for a new, energy efficient "state of the art" headquarters building.

The building will be an eco-friendly structure with the highest "green" certifications and low-carbon footprint. The building is aiming for Canada Green Building Council )CaGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification as well as WELL Building certification. (Source: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Downsview Advocate, 11 July, 2019) Contact: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, 416-661-6600, info@trca.on.ca, www.trca.ca; Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, President and CEO, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org; International WELL Building Institute, 646.883.5001, 646.607.1058, info@wellcertified.com, www.wellcertified.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  LEED,  Well Building,  

CsGBC
Date: 2019-06-21
Toronto, Ontario's Humber College reports its newly retrofitted NX building has been awarded Zero Carbon Building Design Certification by the Canada Green Building Council -- the first such certification in Canada. With the retrofit, the North Campus building will use 70 pct less energy than previously consumed, making it the college’s most energy efficient building, and one of the most energy efficient in North America, according the the Canada Creen Building Council.

Energy efficiency work on the NX building included: a complete envelope retrofit that is highly insulated and airtight; new triple-pane windows; energy efficient LED lighting upgrades; HVAC systems upgrades; the addition of a new 25kW Solar PV system.

The work, which was undertaken by BIRD Construction, is slated for completion this summer. (Source: CaGBC, PR, Humber College, 20 June, 2019) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, President and CEO, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org; Humber College, (416) 675-3111, www.humber.ca

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  CaGBC,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2019-04-05
In its recently released Making the Case for Building to Zero Carbon report, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) proves Zero Carbon Buildings offer meaningful greenhouse gas reductions and positive financial returns over a 25-year life-cycle. It also notes the business case for Zero Carbon Buildings is going to get stronger each year due to the rising cost of carbon pollution.

The report applies carbon reduction measures to seven building types -- low-rise office, mid-rise office, low-rise multi-unit residential, mid-rise multi-unit residential, primary school, big box retail and warehouse -- in the cities of Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.

The report found that the business case for Zero Carbon Buildings differs relatively little nationwide, despite differences in construction and utility costs, climate, carbon intensity of electricity, and other factors. Each region

Download the CaGBC Making the Case for Building to Zero Carbon report HERE. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, April, 2019) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council ,  Zero-Carbon,  

Canada Green Building Council.
Date: 2019-02-25
The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual List for Top 10 Countries and Regions has ranked Canada second for LEED certified projects internationally.

Canada has the largest number of certified projects outside the U.S. with 3,254, according to the Canada Green Building Council. Ratings by province are Ontario, 3,015; Quebec, 1,643; British Columbia, 1,571; Alberta, 1,194; Atlantic Canada, 378; Manitoba, 282; Saskatchewan, 129; and Territories, 24. (Source: USGBC, Feb., 2019)Contact: USGBC, Mahesh Ramanujam, Pres., CEO, (202) 552-1500, www.usgbc.org; Canada Green Building Council, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  LEED Certification,  USGBC,  Energy Efficiency,  

Date: 2018-12-05
Oxford Properties Group is touting its 36-storey, 161.5-metre Stack office tower as the tallest and first net-zero carbon emissions commercial building in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The 540,000 sq-ft building is scheduled for completion by 2022.

The Canada Green Building Council estimated that in the past 14 years it has certified over 3,600 LEED buildings nationwide and registered over 7,600 buildings. (Source: Oxford Properties Group, 3 Dec., 2018) Contact: Oxford Properties Group, www.oxfordproperties.com; Canada Green Building Council, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council GBC,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2018-11-23
In Toronoto, PCL Constructors Canada, Inc. (Toronto) is reporting the recently completed Milton (Ontario) District Hospital (MDH) expansion has been awarded Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC Gold certification for its 330,000 sq. ft. expansion.

Gold certification reflects the considerable energy efficiency and sustainable features that went into the design and construction of the expansion, including:

more than 86 pct of construction and demolition waste diverted from landfill;

high efficiency faucets, toilets, showers and urinals installed to reduce water consumption;

low-VOC materials including paints, adhesives, coatings, sealants and flooring;

mechanical systems that do not use ozone depleting refrigerants to cool the building;

automated window shades and building systems for thermal comfort;

a combination of vegetated "green" roof and reflective roofing materials;

designated electric vehicle and low-emitting and alt fuel vehicle parking.

PCL is a Toronto-based group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. (Source: PCL Constructors Canada, Inc., PR, Nov 23, 2018) Contact: PCL Constructors Canada, Inc., Angela Taylor, Buildings Div. Group Head, www.plc.com; Canada Green Building Council, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council ,  LEED Gold,  Energy Efficiency,  

Zero Emissions Building
Date: 2018-08-15
In British Columbia, the first of its kind not-for-profit Zero Emissions Building Exchange (ZEBx) has opened in Vancouver. The ZEBx center aims to "accelerate the capacity and enthusiasm of local developers, designers and builders to deliver cost-effective, zero-emissions new residential and commercial buildings in Vancouver."

The free one-stop shop will compile and collate all available information on zero emissions building to assist the construction industry to collaborate and partner in all aspects of zero emissions building.

ZEBx is a partnership of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA), the City of Vancouver, Passive House Canada and the Open Green Building Society. Other area stakeholders include: the BC Institute of Technology; Canada Green Building Council; Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association; the Roofing Contractors Association of BC; Simon Fraser University; Stuart Olson Centre for Building Performance; University of British Columbia; and others.

ZEBx is one of the strategies of the City of Vancouver's 2016 Zero Emissions Building Plan to eliminate emissions from new buildings by 2030 by increased energy efficiency and renewable energy. The plan requires the majority of new buildings in Vancouver to have no operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and all new buildings to have no emissions by 2030. (Source: ZEBx, Journal of Commerce, 14 Aug., 2018) Contact: ZEBx , Christian Cianfrone, Exec. Dir, (604)330-2017, info@zebx.org, www.zebx.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Zero Emissions Building,  Energy Efficiency,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2018-06-29
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) reports the Sun Life Insurance Company owned Class A commercial building at 100 Murray Street in Ottawa has been awarded Canada's first LEED Gold for Existing Buildings Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Performance certification.

Measures that contributed to the building's zero carbon certification include: the near total use of electricity as the primary energy source; an advanced building automation system, and the use of efficient lighting and control systems throughout the property. Electricity from Ontario's low-carbon grid accounts for 95 pct of the building's energy use.

(Source: CaGBC, Daily Commercial News, 28 June, 2018) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, Pres., CEO, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  Zero Carbon,  Energy Efficiency,  

Canada GReen Building Council
Date: 2018-06-20
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)reports reports Cora Group's "evolv1" project at the University of Waterloo in Ontario has been awarded the the CaGBC Zero Carbon Building Award. The Cora Group project is a commercial multi-tenant office building now under construction.

A project fact sheet notes the building's sustainability elements included: a ventilation system that meets a defined threshold for thermal energy demand intensity; onsite renewable energy systems that provide a minimum of 5 pct of building energy consumption; maximized day-lighting opportunities; the building is oriented to minimize heat gain, using sustainable materials and high-performance building systems; and green roofs on 50 pct of the roofs throughout the campus. The facility achieved LEED Gold certification. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, DCN News services, 19 June, 2018) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, Pres., CEO, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  LEED Certification,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2018-03-02
Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has released its list of the top five green building trends for 2018. "As members of the Canadian green building industry, we see a fundamental shift happening in the way the built environment is perceived as a means to achieve emissions reduction targets. Add to this the introduction of new groundbreaking policies and legislation from governments at all levels, and we are looking at one of the most promising years for our industry in over a decade," according to the CaGBC release."

Details of the CaGBC report are HERE. (Source: CaGBC, 28 Feb., 2018)Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council ,  Energy Efficiency,  

Canada Green Building Council,Green Business Certification Inc
Date: 2018-02-28
Further to our August 30, 2017 coverage, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) confirm they have joined forces and launched GBCI Canada to accelerate the green building market in Canada -- the second largest market for LEED in the world. GBCI Canada enables the Canadian "green" building and energy efficiency industry to leverage new opportunities to validate enhanced building performance and increase operational savings.

GBCI Canada exclusively administers project certifications within the LEED green building rating systems, as well as the WELL Building Standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) for land use, Parksmart for parking structures, TRUE Zero Waste, Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits, and the GRESB benchmark, which is used by institutional investors to improve the sustainability performance of the global property sector.

The new venture is expected to result in additional GBCI programs that will help the Canadian market realize the economic and environmental benefits associated with green building, according to CaGBC. (Source: REMI Network, CaGBC, PR 27 Feb., 2018) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Thomas Mueller, Pres., CEO, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org; Green Business Certification Inc., www.gbta.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  Green Business Certification Inc,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2018-01-05
On the Canadian Prairies, the city of Edmonton's Rogers Place arena reports it has recently became the first National Hockey League (NHL) facility in Canada to achieve Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) LEED Silver certification. The Rogers Place and its adjacent facilities were designed and constructed to meet LEED Silver energy efficiency certification including developmental density, community connectivity, and alternative transportation. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, ProudGreenBuilding, 3 Jan., 2018) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canada Green Building Council,  LEED Certification,  

ABB,Canadian Green Building Council
Date: 2017-11-22
In Montreal, ABB reports that the Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) has certified its Campus Montreal with the LEED Silver accreditation.

To qualify for LEED certification, the ABB campus incorporate natural light throughout, features open concept flexible working spaces, green garden certified furniture, ergonomic and height adjustable work stations, eleven green walls, increased recycling capabilities including shared compost and garbage bins, low water consumption toilets, efficient heating and cooling including the re-circulation of over 2 MW of heat generated through testing activities, and energy efficient LED motion detection lighting in most of the structure. The building exterior incorporates three green roofs and a white roof (to reduce the absorption of heat), EV charging stations, bike racks for employees and visitors and a preferred parking program for carpooling and hybrid vehicles. (Source; ABB Canada, Nov., 2017) Contact: ABB Canada, Nathalie Pilon, President , www.abb.ca; Canada Green Building Council, Mark Hutchinson, Director of Green Building Programs, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Canadian Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  ABB,  

Athena Sustainable Materials Institute
Date: 2017-10-16
The Ottawa, Ontario-headquartered not-for-profit Athena Sustainable Materials Institute and its US affiliate in Pennsylvania, is touting 20 years of Green Building a leading pioneer in the Green Building and sustainability metrics leadership and significant industry impact:

The Athena Institute started a revolution in green building design with its free tools for true cradle-to-grave environmental impact measurement of new construction;

As pioneers of life cycle assessment (LCA) for the built environment, the Athena Institute is transforming tactics and accountability in green design;

Thousands of design professionals, sustainability consultants and students are using the Athena Impact Estimator for buildings – the first, most comprehensive, and the only free LCA tool for the North American design and construction sector;

Countless building and roadway projects can claim quantified environmental impact reductions thanks to the data and tools provided to the public by the Athena Institute.

Two decades of work at the Athena Institute enables the LCA incentives and embodied carbon calculations in green building programs like LEED v4, the Living Building Challenge, the International Green Construction Code, and the Canada Green Building Council's Zero Carbon Building Standard.

Twenty years of Athena Institute collaboration with the manufacturing sector has spurred sustainability leadership by the makers of construction materials. For example, Portland-limestone cement, a reduced-carbon version of cement, is gaining acceptance and clearing regulatory hurdles thanks to LCA performance data from the Athena Institute. (Source: Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, PR, 16 Oct., 2017) Contact: Athena Sustainable Materials Inst., www.athenasmi.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Building,  LEED Certification,  

Vancouver Convention Center
Date: 2017-10-13
It has been nearly nine years since the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre opened its doors, and it is still making waves for its high standard of green building design. In British Columbia, the expansion wing of the Vancouver Convention Center reports it has been awarded LEED Platinum certification, version 4, for existing buildings operation and maintenance. The new certification is in addition to the Convention Center's 2010 new construction Platinum certification.

The second Platinum accolade is based on its operations relating to waste management, energy efficiency, indoor water use reduction, and facility maintenance and renovations. With the new certification, the convention center is now the first double LEED Platinum convention center in the world.

The convention center boasts a six-acre green roof, a restored marine habitat, a black water treatment plant that recycles grey and black water for toilet flushing and green roof irrigation, a seawater heating and cooling system, floor-to-ceiling windows for maximum natural light, and local wood materials harvested in a sustainable manner. (Source: Vancouver Convention Center, Daily Hive, 10 Oct., 2017) Contact: Vancouver Convention Center, BC Pavilion Corporation, Ken Cretney, President and CEO, www.bcpavco.com; Canada Green Building Council Thomas Mueller, Pres., CEO, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News CaGBC,  LEED Certification,  

priMED Medical Products,CaGBC
Date: 2017-10-13
Edmonton, Alberta-headquartered global medical product manufacturer, priMED Medical Products, Inc. (priMED) reports it has been awarded Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification for the priMED Mosaic Centre -- the northernmost net-zero energy commercial building in the world.

In addition to its water efficiency, material selection and innovative design, the priMED Mosaic Centre includes: multi-media conference rooms, "huddle" spaces, a 12 meter Living Wall, electric vehicle charging stations, an exterior garden and courtyard and other features. (Source: primed, Newswire, 10 Oct., 2017 Contact: priMED Medical Products, David Welsh, President and CEO, (780) 497-7600, www.primed.ca; Canada Green Building Council Thomas Mueller, Pres., CEO, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  LEED Certification,  Green Building,  CaGBC,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2017-10-09
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and the Canada Coalition for Green Schools named the newly-constructed,, 78,000 square-foot Amber Trails Community School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the winner of the annual CaGBC Greenest School in Canada competition. The CaGBC Greenest School jury is comprised of green building industry experts from across the country.

The school achieved more than a 50 pct reduction in water use, more than 68 pct in energy savings and a lower carbon footprint with a combination of geothermal heating and cooling, radiant floor heating, low-flow fixtures and other initiatives. The school received LEED Platinum certification in 2016, and won the CaGBC's Excellence in Green Building for New Construction award in May 2017.. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, Oct., 2017) Contact: Canada Green Building Council, CaGBC , Thomas Mueller, CEO, Pres., , (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News LEED Certification,  Canada Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  Green Building ,  

Canada Green Building Council
Date: 2017-09-22
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has released A Roadmap for Retrofits in Canada, a detailed recommendation for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from hospitals, universities and other large building accross Canada. The report provides recommendations to retrofit large buildings that will contribute to achieving a reduction in GHG emissions of at least 30 pct -- 12.5 million tonnes -- by 2030, with the potential to reach 51 pct -- 21.2 million tonnes. Among its key findings, the Roadmap concludes that:

Achieving a 30 pct or more reduction in building emissions by 2030 is achievable by focusing on a targeted number of buildings that have the greatest potential to reduce carbon;

Buildings including office buildings, shopping malls, universities, and arenas constructed between 1960 and 1979 across all provinces represent the age class with the largest opportunity for total carbon emissions reductions;

Alberta and Ontario currently emit the most carbon and therefore have the greatest potential for reducing emissions. This is due to the carbon intensity of Alberta's electricity grid and the number of large buildings in Ontario;

All provinces will need to prioritize recommissioning for large buildings -- between 25,000 and 200,000 sq.ft -- and deep retrofits for buildings over 35 years old in order to meet the target. These two actions will reduce emissions by a collective total of 4.1 MT CO2e, providing 62 pct of the reduction activity needed;

Fuel switching must be completed in 20 pct of buildings over 35 years old across Canada. Currently, fuel switching is particularly attractive in provinces with clean electricity grids such as British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. In these regions, significant effort should be put into increasing the adoption of efficient heat pump technology. This will reduce emissions by 1.6 MT CO2e, or 25 pct of the reduction activity needed;

In provinces with carbon intense electricity grids -- Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia -- 30 pct of buildings will need to use renewable energy in order to meet the target. This will cut emissions by 0.9 MT CO2e, representing 13 pct of the reduction activity needed.

The report provides the following policy recommendations for the Federal Government: include a GHG metric in Canada's future retrofit building code; develop regional retrofit roadmaps; prioritize investments in scalable retrofit projects; and supporting mandatory energy benchmarking. http://www.cagbc.org/retrofitroadmap.

A Roadmap for Retrofits in Canada details HERE. (Source: CaGBC, Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia., 20 Sept., 2017) Contact: CaGBC, www.cagbc.org

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Toronto Hydro,Michael Garron Hospital
Date: 2017-09-15
In Toronto, the Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) has received $200,000 in incentive funding from the municipal power utility Toronto Hydro for achieving excellent energy savings and contributing to Ontario's conservation targets with its new, upgraded cooling tower system which will be constructed to LEED silver certification standards.

The hospital reports will continue to work in partnership with Toronto Hydro to ensure site preparations for the new patient care tower meet energy efficiency standards. (Source: Toronto Hydro, Inside Toronto, 12 Sept., 2017) Contact: Toronto Hydro, Joe Bile, Manager of Conservation Demand Management Program Delivery and Business Development, (416) 542-8000, www.torontohydro.com; Michael Garron Hospital, (416) 461-8272, http://www.tegh.on.ca/bins/index.asp; Canada Green Building Council Thomas Mueller, Pres., CEO, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News LEED Certification,  Canada Green Building Council,  Energy Efficiency,  Toronto Hydro,  Energy Efficiency Incentive,  

Canada Green Building Council,Green Business Certification
Date: 2017-08-30
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) reports it has created a joint venture with Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) to create Green Business Certification Inc. Canada, a new organization that will focus solely on project certification and professional credentialing of green buildings and businesses. New standards and certifications that GBCI Canada will oversee include a zero-carbon building standard which will be introduced in September.

The new program will be in charge of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building rating system for improving the efficiency of water and energy use in buildings. LEED certification was previously offered through CaGBC. (Source: Canada Green Building Council, Business Vancouver, 31 Aug., 2017) Contact: Canada Green Building Council Thomas Mueller, Pres., CEO, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org; Green Business Certification Inc., www.gbta.org

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Simon Fraser University
Date: 2017-08-28
In Burnaby, British Columbia, Simon Fraser University (SFU) reports its Shrum Chemistry Building has been awarded Canada Green Building Council LEED Gold certification for its recently completed energy efficiency and renovations upgrades.

The Shrum Chemistry lab incorporates new systems for water efficiency and use reduction, optimized energy performance, and waste management, green cleaning practices. Sustainability achievements include diverting at least 75 pct of construction waste from landfills, and installation of new laboratory fume hoods that exhaust 50 pct less air when sashes are closed. (Source: Simon Fraser Univ., PR, 24 Aug., 2017) Contact: Simon Fraser Univ, Wendy Lee, Dev. Mgr., , (778) 782-3253, www.sfu.ca/fs; Canadian Green Building Council, Mark Hutchinson, (866) 941-1184, info@cagbc.org, www.cagbc.org

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Mohawk College,World Green Building Council
Date: 2017-07-28
In Hamilton, Ontario, the $20 million Mohawk College Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation, which is currently under construction, is being touted as a unique, hands-on learning tool for current and future building professionals alike.

The net zero-targeting project is part of Canada Green Building Council and World Green Building Council pilots that will establish benchmarks for carbon neutral buildings.

The Joyce Center facility is designed to support the expansion of the college's engineering program, although it will ultimately accommodate up to 1,000 students from various disciplines in flexible learning spaces. The facility is expected to operate at roughly 70.5 to 71 kWh per square metre on an annual basis, one-third of which is assigned to equipment and plug loads and two-thirds of which is assigned to building systems. The facility features geothermal and photovoltaics systems for heating and cooling, as well as occupancy sensor controlled lighting and ventilation. (Source: Mohawk College, Canadian Facility Management & Design, 25 July, 2017) Contact: Mohawk College, (905) 575-1212, www.mohawkcollege.ca; Canada Green Building Council, Mark Hutchinson, VP, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org; World Green Building Council, Terri Wills, CEO , www.worldgbc.org

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CaGBC
Date: 2017-07-17
On the Canadian prairies, the province of Manitoba reports the completion of 100 Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) LEED certified projects totaling 601,753 square-meters of space. Seventy-two of the certified buildings are in in Winnipeg, six are in Brandon and the remaining 22 projects are spread across the province. The 100 LEED certified projects include 41 silver, 34 gold and 9 platinum. (Source: Canada GBC, PR, Daily Commercial News, 14 July, 2017)Contact: CaGBC, Mark Hutchinson, VP, (613) 241-1184, www.cagbc.org

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