High Performance Homes

Using proven building science technology and an approach known as systems engineering, all aspects of a house are viewed as a part of the whole, and not just an assemblage of parts.

In this manner, the performance characteristics of the walls and roof, the heating and air conditioning, the windows and doors, the insulation, and the finishes, can be optimized and balanced to create the best combination for strength, durability, energy efficiency and comfort.

*High Performance Home Standard Features

ENERGY STAR ®

• R 24 2" x 6" exterior walls
• R50 blown cellulose attic insulation
• R-18 batt full height basement insulation (R4 ROXUL Drain board with R14 ROXUL Batt in fully studded wall).
• Low E Argon windows, foamed in place to reduce air leakage
• Heat Recovery Ventilation (HRV)
• Drain Water Heat Recovery Unit (DWHR)
• Min. 1000 KW energy savings
• 3RD PARTY VERIFICATION: Independent testing ensures the home is build to the Specifications required by ENERGY STAR ®
• All furnace duct trunks & take off joints sealed with foil tape
• Programmable Thermostat included
• Gasket sealed electrical boxes included (on all exterior walls)
• Continuously sealed air barrier on home inclusive of sealing headers, belts, and wall assemblies
• Acoustic Caulking of vapour barrier at wall joints & at openings

Solar Ready

• 2 x 2" conduits from mechanical room to attic, to allow for future Thermal and Photo Voltaic installations
• Plumbing valves and "t's" to allow for future Solar Hot Water without shutting down the home to do so.
• Ladder Framing of blocking at future Thermal (Hot Water)
• Construction Plan Details showing future solar panel location provided to homeowner, also indicating where the future solar -tank would be located.
• Sticker Labels on the mechanical room conduit and the hot water tank indicating the Solar Ready Connections.

Advanced Framing Methods / interim design

• 2" x 6" exterior walls at 24" on centre.
• 2" x 4" interior, non bearing walls at 19.2" on centre
• Reduced , or elimination of headers over windows if not required structurally
• Reduced framing around openings.
• Reduced corner stud, open 3 stud or 2 stud corners.

NOTE: By building a home to ENERGY STAR ® specifications, using Advanced Framing Techniques and completing the installation of Solar Hot Water, your home will consume at least 40% less energy for its operations than that of the exact same home built to the 1997 Ontario Building Code (our reduction benchmark), which will dramatically reduce your homes carbon footprint.

High Performance Homes Optional Features*

The items listed below can be incorporated into your home's design package during our client design review meetings after agreement.

Sub-Slab Basement Insulation

R5 and R10 options. Installing R5 Rigid insulation can reduce your BTU (Heating) load by 80%. The insulation breaks the thermal bridge from the concrete to the ground, so instead of a thermal loss to the earth, you have a thermal mass that holds heat in the home. An average 1,500 sq. ft. basement built to code, requires about 30,000 BTU's to heat it. R5 rigid insulation under the basement slab, will reduce this to 6,000 BTU's. R10 will reduce your heating load by 90%. More importantly it makes your basement space much warmer and more comfortable.

Radiant In Floor Heating

The ultimate in room comfort, this is an ideal way to heat your basement space. (Requires R10 sub-slab insulation). We recommend the Wirzbo brand of heating, which can be run off of an auxiliary hot water tank, or combined with an advanced heating system, such as a boiler.

R14 Sprayed Foam Basement Wall Insulation

A better way to build a basement wall, while still using traditional finish methods. This eliminates any air flow through the basement wall assembly and acts as its own vapour barrier. By eliminating vapour drive, you get a warmer, dryer basement.

Base Electrical Load Design Options

Many of those phantom loads on your computer, your TV and other household appliances, simply cost you money as they are running even after you've shut them off. Our grandparents used to have the lower plugs in their living room set up to run off of a wall switch, so they could turn their lamps off all at once. This is the same basic idea, but used to control our modern "Vampire" loads. The upper outlet is un-switched, so that items such as your cable box, can be kept on, while items such as the TV, DVD, computer, printer, scanner, etc. can all be shut off when not in use.

95% High Efficiency Furnace (ECM Motor)

The real break-through here is the ECM motor. They run quieter, cooler and more efficiently, saving you on your Electric Bill.

Lifebreath Clean Air Furnace

Like a super high efficiency furnace, but runs off your hot water heater / boiler. Comes with an ECM fan motor which uses a very small amount of electricity (88 watts). It is also very quiet, which is perfect if you are finishing bedrooms in your lower level. Has a built in HRV and can be changed out to an ERV core. The ERV core not only helps to recover heat energy like an HRV, it also helps recover moisture which reduces over drying in the winter and excess humidity during the summer months.

Quietside Boiler / World 3000 Boiler

On Demand Hot water. Only heats the water when you need it. Can be combined with a back up solar tank. The payback on this is longer than for the Solar Hot Water completed.

Zone C Rated Windows

This is a must option for any area of large windows on a home, regardless of direction the windows are facing. Reduces both solar heat gain and radiant heat loss, providing more comfort and enjoyment from your "Room with a View". With a large expanse of south facing windows, simply using Low E Argon filled windows, will not reduce the solar gain enough and this can result in a significant cooling load requirement, causing your Air Conditioner to be used more frequently than it should.

Passive Solar Heating & Cooling designs

Items such as deeper overhangs, covered porches, stacked decks, sun dormers and solar collectors are all items that can be incorporated into the home's design.

Solar Hot Water Complete Installation

Comes with 2nd hot water tank for solar heat storage, 2 collector panels fully installed onto roof of either south, west or east of home. Additional cost of complete installation is offset by the savings in energy usage. Helps to reduce your carbon footprint.