Certainly, measures like the Vancouver one can help, but factors like long - term price structures, or penalties, likely have more far - reaching impact. The difference between electricity prices in Canada and Europe no doubt partly explains the urgency and success with which European countries have been pursuing a green construction agenda for decades. In B.C., prices are in the eight - cent - per - kWh range, and are comparable to Ontario prices that are spread between about six and 11 cents per kWh, depending on usage times and other factors. These are roughly in line with prices elsewhere in Canada. In Germany and Sweden, which appear to represent about the mean for European electricity prices, rates are around 30 cents per kWh - three times those in Canada.

Apart from the absence of a European - style price incentive and a lack of programs supporting energy efficiency in buildings in Canadian jurisdictions, the LEED system itself is under fire as an inadequate promoter of energy efficiency. Critics claim that LEED buildings should be more energy efficient, but that in fact, many LEED - certified buildings dont cut energy consumption any better than their non - LEED counterparts. "The reality is that many of the LEED - certified buildings dont save any energy compared to business - as - usual energy consumption, and many use more energy than current to - code practice," writes Geoff McDonnell, mechanical engineering manager at Cobalt Engineering, in a blog entry on the firms website.

In an interview, he says that this is partly because current ASHRAE 90.1 energy rules must be applied "on a prescriptive basis that references a typically inefficient new building." The better bad building/ which is to be LEED - certified, will perform with better energy metrics than the reference building, but the LEED buildings energy efficiency could be a lot better if the reference building was more efficient. Using an example from the auto sector, he says that the energy efficiency of a vehicle designed for increased fuel economy is better if your reference case is a Yaris, not a Hummer. He adds that ASHRAE is looking at making changes to remedy the situation. The result of the prevailing low electricity prices is too much dependence on HVAC systems to make buildings comfortable. "Theres little economic drive to cut electricity consumption. So economics are not driving the construction industry to net - zero, meaning building codes will have to do that," says McDonnell.

Robust passive design and an array of technologies like those in use at the Earth Rangers Centre on the Kortright Living City Campus in Woodbridge, Ontario, are what is needed, he says. The LEED Gold - certified centre uses earth tubes to support a displacement ventilation system and includes energy metering, smart automation and controls, solar power generation and green roofs.

The centres liquid - based geoexchange system for cooling and heating is another fuel saver. In summer, heat from computers, people and the sun is absorbed by the concrete, warming the water/glycol mixture in the Rehau tubing. The resulting heat is then transferred to the ground source system or cooled by direct coupling to an on - site cooling tower. In winter, ground source heat pumps are used to heat the liquid that warms the slabs.

Compared to North America, European Union member states may be ahead of the curve, but they are struggling with a mix of codes and definitions to pin down a defined set of parameters for low - energy building classes. But there is some consistency in the mix. According to a European Commission paper, Low Energy Buildings in Europe: Current State of Play, Definitions and Best Practice, from September 2009, a low - energy building in central Europe is generally one with an annual energy consumption below 40 to 60 kWh per square metre. The EC paper says the term Passive House, or Passivhaus, refers to a type of low - energy building for which thermal comfort is achieved by post - heating or post - cooling the fresh air mass without the need for a conventional heating system. With thermal bridge - free construction, southern orientation, super glazing and an airtight building envelope, annual energy consumption is reduced to meet a standard maximum of 15 kWh per square metre.

The paper says that in the early - adopter countries, like Germany, Austria and Sweden, the cost premium is shrinking for this type of building, "because of increasing competition in the supply of the specifically designed and standardized Passivhaus building products " In Germany, building to the passive house standard averages about eight per cent more than to the low - energy standard. Payback is under 10 years, according to the EC paper. Depending on location and other factors, payback can be as little as three years, as is the case with a project for a 116 - unit apartment complex in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Lodenareal, a 354 - unit housing complex in Innsbruck, Austria, which has comparable winter and summer temperatures to Toronto, was completed in 2010 with some impressive numbers for energy consumption minimalism. At just under 15 kWh per square metre per year, and with an estimated C02 emissions savings of 680 tonnes, its energy use is down 80 per cent, compared to standard buildings in Austria. It is the countrys biggest Passivhaus complex.

It is no surprise, then, that getting to LEED Silver is no great stretch, according to experts interviewed for this article. But regardless of the standard aimed for, the use of an integrated design process that involves the contractor with the architects and other key consultants at the outset is seen as the best approach. "It doesnt always happen, but when it does, it reduces the risk of errors, cost overruns and deficiencies. Sometimes whats specified doesnt work as well in construction as it does on paper," says Marsha Gentile, construction sustainability specialist at Ledcor.

Involving the contractor in the IDP ensures the building can be constructed as designed, which is key at the outset because scope changes become more expensive as the project progresses. This approach is certainly preferable to one alternative in which Innovation Credits are not considered and the search for Exemplary Credits is pushed down to the contractor. "The use of a lot of great ideas from all sides is what makes projects successful/ she says.

The IDP is most effective when it is broadly inclusive, says Rod Kirkwood, a principal at FSC Architects and Engineers. "Our integrated design process involves people from the technical team to the end users, as well as the firm that does the energy modelling - all working with stakeholders," he says. FSC specializes in northern and cold - climate projects and has recently increased its focus on thermal bridging issues. Some earlier solutions for it have not proved as effective as once believed. "Were now paying much more attention to the issue. We used to install two layers of rigid insulation, with the inner layer having no steel through it. The outer, second layer had metal z - girts, but no girt through the inner layer. But the contribution of the outer z - girt to heat loss was much greater than thought at the time/ Kirkwood says.

Fortunately good ideas and innovative products, tools and technologies are not in short supply for green, energy - efficient buildings. Take demand - driven ventilation, for example, which is often a requirement - and potential energy saver - for hospitals, labs, colleges and variable - occupancy buildings. There are two ways to make it work. A traditional system deploys a network of sensors, butthe drawback is that the sensors need regular calibration to stay accurate, says Vern Mantai, a principal at Hemisphere Engineering Inc.

A new type of air monitoring from Aircuity uses a centralized sensor system, with one for, say, C02 and one for VOCs. The automated process captures air quality from key data points within building operating systems, measures and analyzes the information. "Its easier to maintain. The system reacts to changing air conditions in the room. It was developed in the last two or three years. Its great for labs where there are higher than normal change rates. The system can include devices that monitor specific air issues," says Mantai.

One of the tools for better envelope design is the WUFI family of software. It enables "realistic calculation of the transient coupled one - and two - dimensional heat and moisture content in multi - layer building components exposed to natural weather," according to the WUFI website. The software was developed by the Oakridge National Laboratory and the Fraunhofer Institute. "You use weather data and other parameters for a computer simulation that will tell you the performance of the envelope assembly for thermal and moisture issues," says Alex McGowan, VP of technical services at Levelton Consultants Ltd.

The emerging era of green construction is seeing unexpected juxtapositions of materials and technologies, like a 75 - metre wind - turbine tower made of wood. But that is what Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek is doing to demonstrate the feasibility of using cross - laminated timber for wind towers. "Were using a lot of CLT. It can be used for floors, walls and roofs. You sequester a lot of carbon by not using materials that rely on C02 emissions. It has been manufactured in Canada in just the last year or so. The industry needs to catch up on wood technology but it out - performs concrete on a weight - to - strength ratio," says Larry McFar - land, a principal at McFarland Marceau Architects Ltd.

It has been used in Europe for 15 years. McFarland, who has given presentations on CLT technology, says that a nine - storey building using CLT instead of concrete is being built in London.

Sustainable water use is a growing priority, not just because of the finite nature of the resource itself, but also for its impact on energy consumption. According to the RBC Blue Water Project, ittakes as much energy to treat the water from a tap running for five minutes as it does to keep a 60 - watt light bulb burning for 14 hours. In one of the drier regions of the U.S., California, the sector accounts for an estimated 19 per cent of total electrical power consumed. "A building can save about 40 per cent in water use - with retention of roof water, grey water recycling, using solar to preheat water, low - flow everything," says Tim Sahuri, principal at Sahuri + Partners Architecture Inc. The firm has been involved with about 40 LEED projects, he says.

Increasingly urgent environmental concerns and lower operating costs - as if those were not enough - are not the only issues helping to cast green buildings in a good light. A new methodology, known as evidence - based design, is also strongly promoting green construction in general as well as healthier environments, especially in healthcare, says Brent Whiteley, VP at Parkin Architects Limited. Applying the method for a recent LEED Silver hospital project in Winnipeg has produced, among other things, "less travel for staff between nurses stations and patients, and nicer views for the patients," he says.

As specifiers demand green, economies of scale kick in, and a product is not only greener than it was five years ago, but has held the cost down despite improving. "Equipment is continuing to improve. Five years ago, the average A/C unit had an energy efficiency rating of 13. Its now 19/ says George Steeves, president of Sterling, Cooper & Associates.

And theres no shortage of green products and technologies. John McKay, regional director for southern Alberta at Williams Engineering Canada, reels off a number of green products and systems like evacuated tube solar thermal collectors, double - walled heat exchangers and solar walls, and points to applications in pools, arenas and gyms. Green retrofits can transform the economics and ecology of buildings. McKay says that a complex in B.C. had over 300 rooftop A/C units that were replaced with air source heat pumps with natural gas backup, resulting in savings of $500,000 per year in operating costs and a 1,000 - tonne reduction in C02 emissions. But, as he says, "When it comes to green, weve barely scratched thesurfacewhetherforeconomicoppor - tunities or improved efficiency."