BERKSHIRE HOMES' L.E.E.D. GOLD* HOME |
* certification pending |
Berkshire Homes was honoured to be chosen as one of twenty homebuilders across the country to participate in a pilot project sponsored by the Canada Green Building Council to investigate the costs involved in building a standard production home to LEED standards.
What is a LEED home?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is based on a flexible scale of points earned for various sustainable practises. Everything from waste material handling and recycling, to using locally produced materials with low toxicity, sustainability and/or recycled features, to innovations in heating, cooling and water conservation are taken into account.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is based on a flexible scale of points earned for various sustainable practises. Everything from waste material handling and recycling, to using locally produced materials with low toxicity, sustainability and/or recycled features, to innovations in heating, cooling and water conservation are taken into account.
Building this home has been a challenging, interesting and informative experience for our construction staff. They are justifiably proud of their achievement. The result is a beautiful home which will perform well for years to come with comfort and lowered energy costs, fits in seamlessly with the rest of the homes on the street and will provide the owner with the satisfaction of knowing that the building of this home had less impact on the environment than other homes built to standard building codes.
While all of Berkshires' homes on Bateman Lane are built to ENERGY STAR standards, exceeding building codes and saving on energy bills, this one has the following additional features:
| FEATURE | REASON/BENEFIT | ||
| 1 | High efficiency furnace with ECM motor | Reduces fuel & electricity usage resulting in lower CO2 emissions; greater comfort | |
| 2 | Power pipe (recovers heat from shower/tub waste water and recycles it to heat fresh water going in) | Lower energy bills | |
| 3 | Basement underslab insulation (reduces heat loss through the floor) | More comfortable, warmer basement | |
| 4 | Engineered lumber (non-toxic) | Structurally superior, uses less lumber, uses sustainable forest products | |
| 5 | R27 wall insulation (R5 + R22), R50 attic insulation (reduces heat lossthrough walls and ceiling) | Lower fuel bills, comfort | |
| 6 | Solar hot water heating (demonstrates green technology) | Lower energy bills | |
| 7 | Central manifold plumbing system | Reduces cost of fuel for hot water heating by 30% | |
| 8 | Dual flush toilets and low-flow taps | Reduces water useage | |
| 9 | ERV (recovers heat and humidity) | Comfort | |
| 10 | Hepa Filter (filters microscopic particles) | Comfort, reduces allergens | |
| 11 | Urea-formaldehyde free cabinets (non toxic) | Comfort for those with environmental sensitivities | |
| 12 | No VOC interior paint | Comfort for those with environmental sensitivities | |
| 13 | Fireplace with electronic igniter (no pilot-light) | Reduces fuel consumption | |
| 14 | SEER air conditioner with environmental gas | Lower electrical bills | |
| 15 | Smart meters (measure electricity use) | Reduces electricity useage due to increased awareness | |
| 16 | Recycled content in some interior finishes | Sustainability | |
| 17 | All lighting is CFL (compact fluorescent) | Lower electrical bills | |
| 18 | Energy Star -rated ceiling fan and range hood fan | Reduces electrical consumption | |
| 19 | Permeable pavers on driveway | Reduces toxic run off into storm sewers by allowing water to seep into ground. | |
| 20 | Rain barrel (collect water for watering garden) | Sustainability | |
| 21 | Xyroscape (landscaping with native plants that require | Sustainability | |
| 22 | Third party certification of LEED standard achieved | Peace of mind | |
We will be happy to provide further explanation on any of the items included in the home.
This home is available for sale. Contact 905-951-3331 or e-mail for more information.
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