More than a year ago four local building associations embarked on a program to identify green building technologies and test them in the marketplace. The Local Energy Efficiency Partnership Program (LEEP) identified several technologies.

Construction of the demonstration homes to test the new technologies is expected to begin this year and will help builders assess installation problems, availability issues and operational concerns. Of course, the real test will be the reaction of homebuyers who may or may not be willing to pay extra for the upgrades.

The demonstration house phase, known as the Technology Adaptation Pilot (TAP), will see about 40 homes built across the province.

“It’s about creating a model to accelerate the adoption of newer technologies coming down the pipe. How do we accelerate that adoption by builders,” says Corey McBurney, the President of EnerQuality, the company overseeing the process.

Builders in London, Sudbury, Hamilton/Niagara and Toronto/Vaughn took part in the brainstorming sessions that identified the new technologies. Each group had about 100 different technologies to choose from. Through a series of meetings, builders culled the list to six or seven technologies that would suit their local market.

Builder used three criteria to assess which technologies to test.

• Was the technology commercially available and was a warranty offered.
• Did the technology have market appeal and would homebuyers accept it.
• Could the trades adapt to the installation procedures and would it fit into the construction schedule.

Among the technologies the groups will evaluate are two new framing systems, advanced framing and structural insulated panels (SIPs).

Advanced framing uses 2 x 6 studs on 24-inch centres. The roof trusses stack on the wall studs and ideally stack on top of the floor joist. A stacked frame wall uses about the same amount of lumber as a 2 x 4 wall but is structurally much stronger. When combined with exterior foam insulation, the R-factor can be increased by 25 to 30 per cent.

Doug Tarry, of Doug Tarry Homes in St. Thomas says changes to the 2012 building code will leave only a few options for builders to use 2 x 4 structural walls. He says advanced framing is roughly the same cost as 2 x 4 framing. The real challenge is finding framers who can do the job.

SIPs, on the other hand, come with insulation already installed. While more expensive than traditional framing, they are quicker to install and may offer advantages to high-volume builders, especially in town or row house applications.

On the roof, some homes will be solar ready. The houses will be oriented with brackets installed to allow solar panels on the roof. Conduit for electrical will be run from the roof to the basement. It’s estimated that will cost an extra $300 to $400 per house. Installation of a PV solar panel will be up to the homebuyer.

Builders will also be looking to the basement for improvements. Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) add insulation to the basement space and expand a home’s useable space. They are however, more expensive and take longer to install. A typical concrete foundation can be poured in a day. If it takes longer to install an ICF foundation, that impacts the builder’s schedule. Builders hope that by working with ICFs, they can find ways to make the process faster and cheaper. It is estimated that ICFs have only a one or two per cent market share.

Builders also intend to look at insulated basement slabs and hydronic heating in the slab. While this will increase the useable space in the basement and make the house more energy efficient the real test will be if potential buyers will see value in this type of upgrade. Hydronic heating and insulated slabs add costs to the home as it is not replacing another technology, but rather it is in addition to an existing heating system.

The payback is in energy savings. Ron Protocky of Arista Homes Toronto says if the payback on energy savings is between five and 10 years, it will likely work for most homebuyers. He intends to test zoned heating systems in some demonstration homes.

One of the biggest problems builders face is cooling the upper floor while warming the basement in the summer months. A zoned heating system will give each floor its own thermostat, so each floor gets only the heating and cooling required.

Tarry, who is Vice-President of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, says the demonstration homes will give builders a chance to test new technologies and educate consumers. It will also help them market new technologies and integrate them into the construction schedule.

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