Don't leave your house sitting on the market, learn the top things homebuyers look for to make a quick sale. Which house features are the best sellers? A market study by AVID Ratings Canada for the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) surveyed 12,000 homebuyers across Canada to see what Canadians are looking…

Non-toxic and durable finish for polished concrete floors, especially when using natural beeswax floor polishes for the Eco-friendly Green Building choice for finishing a concrete floor beautifully. Polished concrete floors are extremely durable and non-toxic ; silicate-based densifiers keep them that way and make…

Presented by SAB Magazine and the CaGBC (Canada Green Building Council), the 2018 Canadian Green Building Awards are open to all. The Canadian Green Building Awards are open to anyone who thinks they have a contender. No certification is needed, all homes are judged based on their merits alone. Winners will receive…

Not only are they more durable, they are also pliable, lightweight and easily transportable. Standard solar panels are rigid, relatively heavy and fragile. A new product on the market called Microsystems Enabled Photovoltaics (MEPV) from mPower Technology may change that. The cells in these pliable sheets are made…

Foam blowing agents long ago stopped harming ozone, that switch had a huge impact on climate. That problem has now been solved. New blowing agents for spray foam coming by the end of 2017 Foam insulation is a petroleum-based product and nothing will change that. But that was never the biggest problem the 'eco'…

Passive solar air heaters are easy to make for competent DIY'ers from downspouts, pop-cans or roofing sheet or there are affordable heaters for sale online & both offer a quick payback - discover more here. How solar air heaters work: Solar air heater diagram © Ecohome The above diagram indicates the basic concept…

Dense materials hold more heat than light fluffy stuff does. This can work for or against you. Materials in a home that act as thermal mass are things like concrete, masonry, ceramic tiles, even a large volume of wood like timber frames. All materials inside the insulated building envelope will store and release…

A simple checklist for home buyers - visual clues that can help indicate the quality and durability of a home. The following are some things to think about while evaluating a home before making an offer. If you're a driver: Check the route from the house to your place of work on Google traffic maps to estimate how…

On display at Igloofest in Montreal, the Celsius solar igloo is an artistic demonstration of solar heating. A solar igloo at first sounds counterintuitive, but contrast is at the heart of this design concept created by the L. McComber architectural team for Montreal's Igloofest. The solar igloo known as 'Celsius'…

The effects of our changing climate aren't just coming anymore, they are here. Building resilient homes helps deal with climate change events, storms, floods, heatwaves, extreme cold, and saves us all money. Future-proofing homes for climate change: Anticipating future climatic challenges and constructing resilient…

Whether you're buying or building, here are things to look for in a new home and location. For most of us, purchasing or building a home will be the biggest investment of our lives. This section is about knowing what to look for in new homes to get the best value for your dollar, or what to look for in a building…

Shou sugi ban burnt wood exterior cladding is naturally made, very durable & originated as a Japanese wood finish for homes revealing the beauty of the natural preserved timber. What is Shou sugi ban siding? © Resawn Timber Co. Shou sugi ban is an ancient Japanese carbonized wood finish created by burning the…

The North Park Passive House is a six-unit urban-infill condominium on Vancouver Island, BC. Passive House construction on Vancouver Island Building the first certified Passive House on Vancouver Island, a duplex shared with our son Mark’s family, convinced us that the market in Victoria was ready for Passive House…

When a substance melts or solidifies, it absorbs or releases energy. Materials that do that at room temperature can help regulate temperatures in homes. This article was inspired by a podcast I heard at Positive Energy , where I have yet to hear a podcast that I didn't want to listen to a second time, so check them…

Last summer the 20/20 Catalysts Program kick-started a clean-energy initiative for Indigenous communities. This summer the focus will be on improving community housing. Representatives from 18 communities across Canada attended three week-long intensive sessions last summer as part of the clean energy…

Want to learn what how to slow climate change by altering your diet a bit? Learn what foods have the lowest climate impact. How does diet affect climate change? Dwindling water is the next big global resource crisis looming over us, and soil depletion isn't far behind. Living in a green home doesn't instantly equate…

Off grid living blog part 6: Energy modeling can help find the weak links in a building envelope & allow tweaking the design before starting to building an off grid home. This is the fifth piece in a blog series written by Craig Anderson as he documents the design and construction of an off-grid LEED Gold…

Building Lasting Change is Canada’s largest green building conference and is known for activating connections, delivering world class learning opportunities and cultivating inspiration and innovation. Building actionable solutions to climate change is the focus of Building Lasting Change 2017, with the goal of…

The 7th annual OGA Conference will welcome leaders in the geothermal industry from across North America. It will be the must-attend networking and knowledge building opportunity of the year for this sector. Early Bird registration ends Dec 30th, click on the link below for more information and to book yourself a…