Over 50 percent of office buildings in Vancouver and Toronto hold “green” certifications, according to the standards set by the International Green Building Adoption Index (IGBAI), a study by CBRE and Maastricht University in the Netherlands.
This is especially notable for Vancouver, which is aiming to become the world’s greenest city by 2020 under its Greenest City 2020 action plan. Plus, in Vancouver, more than half of the 1.5 million-sf of facilities currently under development are being built to meet high green certification standards, so the trend towards green projects will only continue there. Many Canadian developers and designers clearly understand the importance of meeting high environmental standards and of sustainable building strategies and energy efficiency policies.
Environmentally responsible, or “green” buildings are clearly a priority in the two Canadian cities, and continue to be in demand around the world. Read the full story here.
Solar Rebate Program In Ontario
The Green Ontario Fund has announced details for a solar rebate program, for solar PV and energy storage installations. Qualifying businesses will be provided with $0.75 per watt for solar panel installations up to 500 kW (AC). The application period to apply for his new rebate is expected to open soon. Ontario has pledged to cut greenhouse gas pollution to 15 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020, so projects like this solar rebate program are especially exciting.
Toronto Raises Green Standards
The City of Toronto recently updated its Toronto Green Standard to include performance targets approaching zero emissions for all new buildings by the year 2030. The Toronto Green Standard was introduced in 2010, and was the first of its kind in North America that combined mandatory and voluntary targets.
Councillor David Shiner (Ward 24 Willowdale), Chair of the Planning and Growth Management Committee, claims that by 2050, this updated standard will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions so much, it will be like taking more than 250,000 cars off the road annually.
As of January 2018, more than 1,300 planning projects have been subject to these standards, and the updated Toronto Green Standard went into effect on May 1, 2018. Read the full story here.
Zero-Carbon Emissions Standards Buildings Going Up In Vancouver
Three new building projects in particular will meet the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) zero-carbon building initiative in the near future.
The CaGBC’s standards for a net-zero-carbon building include that it has to be an energy-efficient structure that additionally produces energy on-site or obtains carbon-free energy. 16 projects currently meet the CaGBC’s two-year pilot for its zero-carbon building initiative, three of which are in Vancouver —a 36-storey downtown office building in development at 1133–1155 Melville Street, a project at West 8th Avenue and Pine Street, and a City of Vancouver project set to replace the old Firehall No. 17, located at 7070 Knight Street.
