Better Builder Magazine, Summer 2013

IN THIS ISSUE• Mike Martino Looks AT 40 Years of

Energy Efficiency• Upcoming OBC Changes• Mechanicals for High Performance

Homes• Savings By Design: Zancor Homes• DWHR in SB-12• Ani Gets the Green!

ISSUE 06 | SUMMER 2013 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CABETTER

Builder MAGAZINE

the builder’s source

The Mechanical IssueThe Importance of Understanding HVAC Systems

A b r e a t h o f f r e s h a i r .

MAX SERVICE

All mechanical and electrical components are accessible from the front of the unit.

Heating coil and fan/motor slide out for easy service.

One of the most extensive warranties in the business: 1-year parts & labour, 2-years on parts only, where applicable.

MAX COMFORT

With the increased effi ciency of this optional Electronically Commuted Motor (ECM), homeowners will be free to cycle air continuously with a minimal increase in electricity cost. Continuous fan operation helps improve fi ltration, reduce temperature variations, and helps keep the air clear of dust and allergens – making your customers’ homes more comfortable.

M ini Duc ted H i -Ve loc i t y A i r Handl ing System Optional Pr ior i t iz ing of Comfor t Levels with Energy Savings

MAX SPACE SAVER

The MAXAIR fan coil is so compact that it fi ts anywhere: laundry room, attic, crawl space, you can even place it in a closet.

It can be installed in new or existing homes.

It takes less than 1/3 of the space of a conventional heating and air conditioning unit.

MAX ENERGY SAVINGS

Energy savings, temperature control and comfort levels are achieved in individual levels of the home by prioritizing the requirements. This is achieved by installing optional space thermostats. If any area calls for heating or cooling, the individual thermostat allows the space it serves to achieve optimum comfort and still maintain continuous air circulation throughout the home.

This method of prioritizing is a great energy savings measure while offering an increased comfort level to the home owner.

FLEXAIRTM DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

MAX FLEXIBILITY

The supply outlets can be placed in the wall, ceiling or fl oor.

Each unit has four choices of locations for the return air connections.

The FLEXAIR™ insulated 2½" supply duct will fi t in a standard 2"x 4" wall cavity.

Can be mounted for vertical or horizontal airfl ow.

Can be combined with humidifi ers, high effi ciency air cleaners or ERVs / HRVs.

Snap-together branch duct and diffuser connections.

MAX ELECTRICAL SAVINGS

ECMs are ultra-high-effi cient programmable brushless DC motors that are more effi cient than the permanently split capacitor (PSC) motors used in most residential furnaces. This is especially true at lower speeds used for continuous circulation in many new homes.

1-800-453-6669 905-951-0022519-578-5560613-966-5643 416-213-1555 877-254-4729905-264-1414

For distribution of Air Max Technologies products call

www.airmaxtechnologies.com209 Citation Drive, Units 5&6, Concord, ON L4K 2Y8, Canada

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Airmax ad with Prioritizing AMT 12430 AD FPG 09_HR.pdf 1 2013-04-18 8:46 AM

FEATURE STORY17 Mike Martino Looks at 40 Years of Energy Efficiency in Canada

BY TRACY HANES

INSIDE THIS ISSUE02 The Importance of Understanding HVAC BY JOHN GODDEN

03 The New 2012 O.B.C.: What’s In and What’s Out BY DOUG TARRY

05 Zancor Moves Forward With Savings By Design BY ALEX NEWMAN

06 High Performance HVAC for HP Homes BY GORD COOKE

08 High-Velocity Heating Systems: Friend or Foe BY LOU BADA

10 Scoring Points With HVAC Systems in LEED Residential Projects BY JOHN GODDEN

12 Clearsphere Congratulates Josef Hanik BY BETTER BUILDER STAFF

15 RHVCA—Good Design, Good Installation and Good Equipment BY ALEX NEWMAN

21 Composting Toilets on the Course BY AL SEYMOUR

22 The Benefits of High Performance BY: MICHAEL LIO

24 SB-12 Recognizes Drain Water Heat Recovery BY: TRACY HANES

27 Ani Bogovic Gets the Green! BY ALEX NEWMAN

30 The Importance of Vent Terminations For Bathroom Fans BY JORDAN LANE

32 The New 2012 O.B.C.: Energy and Water Efficiency BY: DOUG TARRY

BETTER

Builder MAGAZINE

the builder’s source

1

17

ISSUE 06 | SUMMER 2013

WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 06 | SUMMER 2013

A b r e a t h o f f r e s h a i r .

MAX SERVICE

All mechanical and electrical components are accessible from the front of the unit.

Heating coil and fan/motor slide out for easy service.

One of the most extensive warranties in the business: 1-year parts & labour, 2-years on parts only, where applicable.

MAX COMFORT

With the increased effi ciency of this optional Electronically Commuted Motor (ECM), homeowners will be free to cycle air continuously with a minimal increase in electricity cost. Continuous fan operation helps improve fi ltration, reduce temperature variations, and helps keep the air clear of dust and allergens – making your customers’ homes more comfortable.

M ini Duc ted H i -Ve loc i t y A i r Handl ing System Optional Pr ior i t iz ing of Comfor t Levels with Energy Savings

MAX SPACE SAVER

The MAXAIR fan coil is so compact that it fi ts anywhere: laundry room, attic, crawl space, you can even place it in a closet.

It can be installed in new or existing homes.

It takes less than 1/3 of the space of a conventional heating and air conditioning unit.

MAX ENERGY SAVINGS

Energy savings, temperature control and comfort levels are achieved in individual levels of the home by prioritizing the requirements. This is achieved by installing optional space thermostats. If any area calls for heating or cooling, the individual thermostat allows the space it serves to achieve optimum comfort and still maintain continuous air circulation throughout the home.

This method of prioritizing is a great energy savings measure while offering an increased comfort level to the home owner.

FLEXAIRTM DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

MAX FLEXIBILITY

The supply outlets can be placed in the wall, ceiling or fl oor.

Each unit has four choices of locations for the return air connections.

The FLEXAIR™ insulated 2½" supply duct will fi t in a standard 2"x 4" wall cavity.

Can be mounted for vertical or horizontal airfl ow.

Can be combined with humidifi ers, high effi ciency air cleaners or ERVs / HRVs.

Snap-together branch duct and diffuser connections.

MAX ELECTRICAL SAVINGS

ECMs are ultra-high-effi cient programmable brushless DC motors that are more effi cient than the permanently split capacitor (PSC) motors used in most residential furnaces. This is especially true at lower speeds used for continuous circulation in many new homes.

1-800-453-6669 905-951-0022519-578-5560613-966-5643 416-213-1555 877-254-4729905-264-1414

For distribution of Air Max Technologies products call

www.airmaxtechnologies.com209 Citation Drive, Units 5&6, Concord, ON L4K 2Y8, Canada

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Airmax ad with Prioritizing AMT 12430 AD FPG 09_HR.pdf 1 2013-04-18 8:46 AM

5

21

30

PUBLISHER BETTER BUILDER MAGAZINE 12 ROWLEY AVENUE TORONTO, ON M4P 2S8 416-481-4218 - FAX 416-481-4695 [email protected]

BETTER BUILDER MAGAZINE IS A SPONSOR OF

PUBLISHING EDITOR JOHN B. GODDEN [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR WENDY SHAMI [email protected]

To advertise, contribute a story, or join our distribution list, please contact [email protected]

FEATURE WRITER TRACY HANES

CREATIVE ANNA-MARIE MCDONALD LITTLE GREEN BAG CREATIVE SERVICES

THIS MAGAZINE BRINGS TOGETHER PREMIUM PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS AND LEADING BUILDERS TO CREATE BETTER, DIFFERENTIATED HOMES AND BUILDINGS THAT USE LESS ENERGY, SAVE WATER AND REDUCE OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

PUBLICATION NUMBER 42408014

Copyright by Better Builder Magazine. Contents may not be reprinted or reproduced without written permission obtained at [email protected].

The opinions expressed herein are exclusively those of the authors and assumed to be original work. Better Builder Magazine can not be held liable for any damage as a result of publishing such works.

UNDELIVERABLE MAIL BETTER BUILDER MAGAZINE 12 ROWLEY AVENUE TORONTO, ON M4P 2S8

BETTER BUILDER MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED FOUR TIMES A YEAR BY

2

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

The Importance of Understanding HVACOver 25 years ago I built my first R2000 home. The experience brought my attention to the disconnect between mechanical design and an energy efficient homes actual performance.

Fast forward 20 or so years and another disconnect has come to my attention. Over the course of five years of testing and certifying LEED homes and rating EnergyStar homes it’s clear to me that mechanical system design, installation and performance, is the weakest link in the chain of current residential construction.

One of the most important systems in a home gets the least budget and attention. Most would be shocked to learn that a heating system, including ductwork, gas piping and venting accounts for less than 2 % of the cost of building a production home. A heating plant is as vital to a house as an engine is to a car and thus it deserves more attention.

I must point out however, that merit programs like LEED for Homes, do encourage good design and installation for performance and control of ventilation systems. Distribution of heating through hydronic and forced air systems are balanced and receive points for delivery and reducing losses. Combustion systems that don’t have wasteful continuous pilots also score points. EnergyStar’s minimum requirement of electronic ignition of direct vent fireplaces also directs the builder’s attention to the operation and efficiency of heating appliances.

In this issue of Better Builder; Mike Martino, a familiar face in the HVAC industry, looks at 40 years of energy efficiency in Canada. On a related topic, Gord Cooke talks about the importance of design day as opposed to seasonal loads for sizing heating equipment. Domenic Di Battista, the executive director of the Residential Heating Ventilation Contractors Association, underscores the importance of heating designers working with architects and energy raters to align submissions for SB-12 prescriptions for permits.

The breaking news from the Ministry of Housing is the recognition of drain water heat recovery as a trade-off for insulation and mechanicals. Michael Lio gives us an important perspective in trading off mechanicals against insulation in a building envelope. Last, but not least, Doug Tarry reviews the upcoming code changes with his article, What’s In and What’s Out.

Frequently, I use the car analogy when describing the performance of a home or it’s miles per gallon. The mechanical systems of a home are truly what lie under the hood. Any improvements moving forward into our collective building futures will result from integrating space and hot water heating, and using renewable energy sources to power our homes. The next issue of Better Builder will be devoted to the many different types and ways we can insulate new and existing homes.

As always, I thank you for joining us at Better Builder in our pursuit of environmental integrity and sustainability. J O H N G O D D E N

BUILDER NEWS

There were thousands of changes in the new 2012 OBC, but it is not as complicated as it sounds. The vast majority of these changes were editorial in nature. During the technical review process, we reviewed many proposed technical changes. Ultimately, there were several hundred technical changes made to the OBC. From our review of these changes, so far there does not seem to be anything that is going to fundamentally change how we build our homes in the 2012 OBC. Here’s a brief overview of what you need to know.

On November 2, 2012, the 2012 Building Code was filed as O.Reg.332/12. The new OBC comes into effect starting January 1st, 2014. This timeline is to allow for the industry to prepare for the new code. The Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) is working with the Ministry and the Ontario Building Officials Association (OBOA) to ensure our members have the training they will need to be ready for the new code.

WHAT’S INSo what are some of the key changes coming in the 2012 OBC? Here are a few of them:

• BCIN Qualified Persons (primarily designers and building officials) will be required to re-qualify on new code items within 18 months of notification by the director of the Building Branch of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. This is good news. As a BCIN qualified designer, I am relieved that I do not have to re-qualify on the entire new Code. This is something that OHBA advocated strongly for.

• One smoke alarm will be required per bedroom plus one per floor. These must be hard wired and have an alternate power source that can power the smoke alarm for 7 days, followed by 4 minutes of alarm.

• There will be a requirement for integrated sprinkler and fire alarm systems in multi-unit residential buildings.

• Changes to the sentence (9.8.8.6.) describing ‘Guards Designed Not to Facilitate Climbing’ shall be designed so that no member, attachment or opening located between 140 mm and 900 mm above the floor or walking surface protected by the guard will facilitate climbing.

• Removal of window screens as an acceptable fall

protection device as they are not deemed adequate as a mechanism to prevent falling of vulnerable occupants, especially children. Window guards or controlled sashes would still be required under the Code.

• Concrete walls will now be permitted to be poured up to 3 m (9’-10”) of maximum height (Table 9.15.4.2.A). This change in height is an increase from 2.5 m (8’-2”).

• Roof sheathing with supports greater than 406 mm will require edge fasteners at every 150 mm 9.23.3.5. (5).

• There is a change to the spacing of structural framing.

Spacing of Structural Framing

2006 Building Code 2012 Building Code

300 mm 305 mm

400 mm 406 mm

There are some changes that improve the energy performance of new homes. Starting in 2014 programmable thermostats will be required along with fully sealed ducting on the supply side of the HVAC system. There are also water conservation measures being implemented, including toilet flow will reduce down from 6 litres per flush to 4.8L/flush or 3L/6L for dual flush. In addition, shower-heads will reduce from 9.5 L/minute to 7.6L/minute.

On-site sewage treatment adopts the new CAN-BNQ 3680-600 national standard for wastewater residential treatment technologies and establishes standards for dispersal beds. This is an area that the government will continue to look at improving as a measure of protecting groundwater.

D O U G TA R RY

3

The New 2012 O.B.C.: WHAT’S IN AND WHAT’S OUT

ECOBEE THERMOSTAT


4

BUILDER NEWS

Starting on January 1, 2015 all furnaces shall be equipped with DC (ECM) motors. This is something that OHBA advocated for as it will help to improve the comfort of the home-owner by ensuring that air can be circulated on a continuous basis which should help reduce differences in temperature within the home. I hope to follow up on this issue with a full article in the near future.

In addition, natural gas (or propane) ready kitchens and laundry rooms will be permitted as an alternative to electrical. And in January of 2017, the Part 9 Energy Benchmark goes up by 15% from the January 1st, 2012 SB12 levels and the Part 3 Large Buildings goes up by 13% from the current SB10 levels.

WHAT’S OUT: Final Site Grading and 10-Minute Response TimeOne thing that people often don’t realize when they hear about a new building code coming into effect is the tremendous amount of work that goes into reviewing potential changes and deciding what should or should not be in the new Code. The Ministry has a very challenging job of balancing occupant health and safety, energy and water conservation, along with the need to protect consumer affordability. Often times the most interesting discussions take place about items or issues that end up not being included in the next version of the building code. So I thought I’d share with you a couple of items that were not included in the 2012 OBC to provide some perspective on the work that is undertaken. Here are some examples.

An area that is being clarified is that the new OBC removes the requirement for final site grading as a condition of occupancy permit issuance. This is an important change for builders as it is pretty much impossible to complete final grading in the winter-time.

The new OBC does not make reference to the National Fire Protection Association Standard 1710 (limiting distance), related to calculation of fire department response times (the 10 minute emergency response time issue). This item has been included into the National Building Code, is very costly and problematic to implement and is currently being

reviewed at the National Level. OHBA aggressively advocated for affordability on these issues and we were successful for keeping this out of the OBC. I give full credit to then Minister Wynne for not harmonizing with the national code. So why was the 10 minute emergency response time such an issue?

Firstly, it means that if the response by the fire service is greater than 10 minutes you have to double the limiting distance between the homes. So instead of 4 ft side yards, you would need to have 8 foot side yards. Depending on the cost per foot of lots, this could add thousands of dollars in added costs to the home. For instance, if your community was $4,000 per foot, your lot cost would have increased by $32,000 to build the same house.

The other critical concern we had with this issue was the lack of clarity on how the time was to be measured and on the actual need for the change. Here are some concerns we raised with the Ministry. Do we have to build to two different standards on the same street if one side is 9 minutes 48 seconds and the other side is 10 minutes four seconds? Do the people estimating the time test the run at full speed with sirens on? What if it is a volunteer fire service? What if it’s at rush hour, or there is a train in the way? These questions and others raised concerns by not just our members, but a variety of other stakeholders as well, so our industry and our consumers should be pleased that the Ministry made the right decision on this issue.

Another item that was not harmonized with the National Building Code is the need for soffit protection for fire protection requirements. In addition Solar Ready was not included in the code as the national guidelines were under review at the time the code was being finalized. Also, accessibility is not being addressed at this time for Part 9 buildings. However, accessibility requirements are being reviewed at this time.

All in all I think the Minister and the staff at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing did a commendable job of developing the 2012 OBC. Of course we won’t fully know until we take out permits and start building to the new code. If your local is interested in a presentation on the new OBC or other code changes please contact Kathryn Segal at the OHBA office by phone at (416) 443-1545 (800-387-0109) ext. 223 for more information.

ECM MOTOR

DOUG TARRY JR. , IS THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AT DOUG TARRY HOMES IN

ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO.

5ISSUE 06 | SUMMER 2013

ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

In an effort to push the green envelope, Enbridge has developed an incentive program for builders to ramp up their energy efficiency by 25% over and above the 2012 building code. In exchange, builders can scoop up $2000 per house, a cool $100,000 when constructing the maximum allowable of 50 homes.

Enbridge, with design collaboration from Sustainable Buildings Canada, wants to give this money away. To help builders reach that 25% greater energy efficiency they’ve developed an integrated design process that brings together the homebuilder, a design team, and energy evaluators. The aim of this design charette is to find the right mix of technology and design for each specific building site long before the shovels begin.

“We’re trying to get builders and developers at a pre-design phase to look at the potential for energy savings in each and every house,” says Shannon Bertuzzi, Enbridge’s manager of market development.

Using an integrated design process and energy modeling, the aptly named Savings by Design program looks at helping builders incorporate energy efficiency right into the design stage of their housing projects.

Modeling specific homes that a developer would build helps show how the rating system works to estimate their energy savings, Bertuzzi explains. “We look at the house as a whole system, so that it’s not just about putting in a 96% energy efficient furnace and calling it a day. We look at how to insulate to increase R-value up to R-50, recycling water, and heat recovery systems. Everything is building on their current construction practices and giving them suggestions on how to improve.”

While the program seeks to improve energy efficiency by 25% inside each home, Bertuzzi says the aim is also to look at ways to create an overall low impact development and a more sustainable community.

“If a builder is interested in solar or district energy or interested in understanding storm water management better, we can bring in experts who can educate them on those,” Bertuzzi says. “Without pushing any particular product, those experts are working to increase awareness of things like leading-edge storm water management techniques, reduced water use, waste reduc-tion and the use of materials that are non-toxic and sustainably sourced.”

That’s making conservation authorities happy. Michael Walters, general manager of watershed management for the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, said the program “goes beyond reducing energy use and identifies solutions, making it easier to support water conservation and water management.”

Since its inception in January 2012, the program has had good response from builders. Last year, 15 builders asked to participate in the design charette, and this year there have been 18 interested builders. A prerequisite for inclusion in the program, and hence to receive the incentive, is that a builder must have constructed 50 homes in the previous year.

Among last year’s participants was Zancor Homes which received the full $100,000 incentive package, Enbridge’s first one, for 50 of the homes in their King Ridge project in King City.

Zancor was already building at a high level of energy efficiency, says Joe Guido, the company’s general manager. “We were already hitting those targets on most models, both at King City and in Brooklyn, performing at the next level of

Energy Star. We’ve been doing blower door tests for some time, and have hired designers to help up reach Energy Star on the home package, but we didn’t realize just how well the homes were performing until going through the savings by design program.”Guido admits building this way costs more, but it was something the company had decided internally to commit to. “Taking pride in building well has many benefits,” he says. “You get cleaner air, a more comfortable environment, smaller carbon footprint, cost savings, moisture control that limits potential for mold and other problems. That’s really important, especially with young families and the rise of allergies and asthma.”

Although Guido says that some of the technology is so new and complex that homebuyers don’t yet “get” it, but he has noticed that many are making the effort to become educated. “Purchasers understand energy efficient appliances. They’re starting to pick up a little on heat recovery ventilators. And they want to learn about the more sophisticated systems. Since the buyers are eager to learn, we should be teaching them.”

And so, when buyers come through a Zancor sales office they get the tour, and the talk about energy features: top of the line HVAC systems including a 98% efficient Lennox furnace; heat recovery ventilators; R-50 ceiling and wall insulation; Tyvek wrap which is not only a vapour barrier but a high grade seal for the house; drain water recovery systems where possible; high efficiency hot water tank of either a condensing or tankless type.

By the end of their tour, buyers are well informed about the major benefits of energy efficiency: cost savings on gas and electricity, and a more comfortable, better ventilated home. “But the bottom line still is they want a nice place in a nice community to raise their families,” Guido says.

A L E X N E W M A N

Zancor Moves Forward With Savings By Design

ALEX NEWMAN IS A WRITER, EDITOR AND RESEARCHER AT WWW.INTEGRITYCOMMUNICATIONS.CA

Load calculations and equipment sizing are always done for the design day in a particular geographical area. However, through most of the summer or winter in any city, outside conditions are far less extreme than the design day and thus the need for heating or cooling is just a small part of the installed equipment capacity. Managing these part loads is trickier in high performance buildings than traditional homes.

6

BUILDER NEWS

It is so encouraging to see an ever increasing number of builders taking a proactive approach to continual improvement in home performance. During my 30 years in and around the industry I have been pleased to witness an evolution: from simply reacting or worse, resisting change to better building techniques, materials and building codes, to now builders across North America driving change and innovation. This, of course, is entirely appropriate if you consider the question: what is changing quicker, building codes or the expectations of homeowners? In my opinion, it could be some time before code cycle changes that occur only every 3-5 years catch up with the ever increasing demands homeowners have for fresh new designs and better amenities, without compromising safety, health, comfort or even affordability. This puts a burden on builders of high performance homes to anticipate and deal with unintended consequences of very energy efficient building enclosures.

A prime example is how to deal with windows. In speaking with architects of high performance buildings, it seems clear they won’t be significantly reducing glazing areas in homes any time soon. After all, homeowners spend more and more time indoors and yet want to be connected to the outdoors, so large glass areas have to be dealt with. Moreover, in the Canadian cold climate, south, east and west facing glass can provide a significant amount of “free” heat during the winter. Passive solar gain is very desirable to offset heating needs in high performance homes but managing the loads requires careful consideration of shading strategies, window glazing options and HVAC technologies that can respond to these varying loads. Builders of energy efficient homes are already experiencing winter overheating issues. The intermittent nature of solar gain versus radiant and conductive losses of windows can be dealt with partially by high performance, triple glazed windows with optimized spectrally selective low emissivity coatings. Manually or mechanically operated solar blinds may also be an option for some committed homeowners. We all anticipate window technology to some day have the ability to self adjust or control heat gain automatically.

In the meantime, there are some off the shelf HVAC technologies that can be very helpful. It starts with the recognition of the limitations of the current HVAC sizing methodologies. Load calculations and equipment sizing are always done for the design day in a particular geographical area. However, through most of the summer or winter in any city, outside conditions are far less extreme than the design day and thus the need for heating or cooling is just a small part of the installed equipment capacity. Managing these part loads is trickier in high performance buildings than traditional homes. For example: imagine two rooms in a very energy efficient home, one room facing east, one facing west, each with large windows. The heating system for this house would be designed for the coldest night of the winter, but on a bright, sunny yet cold morning the room on the east side will overheat, whereas the room on the west side continues to need heat. By afternoon the situation is reversed and it takes a more sophisticated heating system to respond to these smaller but highly variable loads. In older homes with less insulation in walls and ceilings, the intermittent solar gains through windows made up a much smaller portion of the energy balance of individual rooms.

High Performance HVAC for HP Homes

G O R D C O O K E

7

In my opinion, meeting both the technical objectives of high performance homes and the comfort expectations of the people who buy them, requires zoning of heating and cooling systems. There are at least three basic st rategies or combinations of strategies that can be used.

One of the fastest growing options in the HVAC industry is forced air zoning systems, dampers in traditional but slightly redesigned duct systems. This means

builders can be assured that there is ample design assistance, reliable equipment choices and industry support. Ask your HVAC contractor to make their duct designs zone ready. Duct systems that have main plenum distribution ducts targeting natural zones such as by floor or south side / north side orientations. With this done, simple two and three zone systems would manage the comfort expectations for a cozy room over the garage or a comfortable night’s sleep in the master bedroom on a hot, hazy night. All of this for less than the cost of the air conditioning systems that we have all become accustomed to in our generation.

A second, perhaps more advanced conversation would be employing the new variable refrigerant air source heat pumps that boast incredible efficiencies, even in very cold weather and have the ability to run multiple heads; ductless mini-splits and air handlers off of one outside condenser. This could eliminate the need for traditional duct work altogether.

Finally, using a hot water based heating system allows for creative zoning options such as small air handlers for different areas of a home, in-floor heat in basement slabs, radiant heating panels in hard to heat places like rooms over garages, or even towel warmers to heat small bathrooms.

I am confident that these three strategies or a combination of them, will become as common as HRVs in the next few years. The good news is the heating and cooling systems in high performance homes will become smaller and more manageable overall. The resulting savings will need to be re-invested into zoning or distributing the loads in a more creative way to meet those rising expectations of your valued customers.

BUILDER NEWS


DAMPER SYSTEM

Clears the room faster than Charlie Sheen.Vigör is worth a tweet or two.

Our lowest priced HRV/ERV

delivers powerful ventilation for

small spaces. It’s so easy to

install, you’ll wonder why you

ever chose anything else.

Now that’s winning.

Perfection. Cubed.

Visit vanee-ventilation.com to learn more.

VEN_Ad_MB_Jun2311.indd 1 11-06-24 9:29 AM

GORD COOKE IS THE PRESIDENT OF BUILDING KNOWLEDGE CANADA

In the not too distant past there was a lot of attention being paid to the increasingly popular technology of High Velocity (Hydronic) Heating Systems. This technology was reported on in the popular media, at TARION and discussed around builder’s board room tables

The discussion of technological change in the residential sector is more complex than one might think. My intention is to bring a volume builder’s perspective to the table, and I don’t hold myself out to speak on behalf of our industry (because I don’t), nor am I an expert on building science or a mechanical engineer. I’ll leave those jobs to the many that are better suited than I. However, I do feel confident to comment on the many challenges and obstacles I see to the wide spread adoption of newer technologies and practices in our industry as well as the necessary evolution of our product.

There are many experts and pundits of varying stripes extolling the benefits and opportunities of any given technology, product or methodology. There are builders and contractors that build fewer numbers of homes, working hands on with motivated customers, that try interesting and innovative products. It is making the jump into the mainstream that can be more challenging and, quite honestly, impactful.

Trade suppliers often bring their new products to large builders. We used to rely on their expertise to assess their viability, sometimes at our peril. The heating/cooling/ventilation components of our homes have, in a relatively short period, come a long way from the time we used to install essentially a gas barbeque in the basement attached to a fan and some leaky ductwork. The difficulty in the jump from old technologies, that were tried and proven in the more rarefied environment by a small hands-on group, to larger scale production, is that the technology doesn’t always have the support required. In the case of High Velocity Heating Systems there needs to be trained and experienced designers, installers and manufacturers of the product. A very good product without the requisite

infrastructure can make for a bad outcome. Needless to say if the product is sub-par another discussion would arise.

If the system is not a packaged system, where two different manufacturers make the air handler and the tank-less water heater for instance, further complications can arise. A packaged system is often the way to go with designers and contractors well versed in the installation and commissioning of the system. Builders also need to buy into the process to identify both the appropriate use and also co-ordinate additional trades, plumbers for instance, and deal with any unforeseen circumstances. Pilot projects are useful. We identified that due to the use of pressurized and sealed ducts, any inadvertent puncture in the system would be greatly detrimental. As a result we perform a duct blaster test to ensure there no leaks before closing the walls up. For a large volume builder a small problem becomes very large problem when replicated hundreds of times.

In summary, reticence by volume builders to adopt newer technologies like High Velocity Heating Systems is understandable but not insurmountable with the right team available and in place. The benefits need to out-weigh the costs and the inertia of the status quo. High Velocity Heating Systems are another useful tool in a builder’s tool-box. In the right hands and circumstances they represent a positive technological advancement in our industry.

8

BUILDER NEWS

High-Velocity Heating Systems:FRIEND OR FOE

AIRMAX/ FLOWMAX INTEGRATED MECHANICAL SYSTEM

L O U B A D A

LOU BADA IS THE CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTS MANAGER FOR STARLANE HOMES

Balancing Performance and AffordabilityChoose a combination of WhisperGreenTM and WhisperValueTM ventilation fans from Panasonic® for a complete ventilation solution.

Designed to provide both continuous and intermittent ventilation, the WhisperGreenTM fan is ideally suited as the principal exhaust. Complete the ventilation equation by using WhisperValueTM ventilation fans through-out the rest of the home.

Together, WhisperGreenTM and WhisperValueTM provide the perfect balance.

To learn more about Panasonic ventilation fans visit www.panasonic.ca, email [email protected] or call 1-800-669-5165

WhisperGreen ad 2012_2_v6.indd 1 12-10-31 10:13 AM

The heating/cooling/ventilation components of our homes have, in a relatively short period, come a long way from the time we used to install essentially a gas barbeque in the basement attached to a fan and some leaky ductwork.

Balancing Performance and AffordabilityChoose a combination of WhisperGreenTM and WhisperValueTM ventilation fans from Panasonic® for a complete ventilation solution.

Designed to provide both continuous and intermittent ventilation, the WhisperGreenTM fan is ideally suited as the principal exhaust. Complete the ventilation equation by using WhisperValueTM ventilation fans through-out the rest of the home.

Together, WhisperGreenTM and WhisperValueTM provide the perfect balance.

To learn more about Panasonic ventilation fans visit www.panasonic.ca, email [email protected] or call 1-800-669-5165

WhisperGreen ad 2012_2_v6.indd 1 12-10-31 10:13 AM

10

BUILDER NEWS

North Star Homes is near completion on a 78 unit mid-rise townhouse project in Markham. As a result of a Markham town council decision, North Star agreed to build and certify these homes to a LEED Silver certification.

“We have built many Energy Star homes in other municipalities. Building LEED stacked townhomes required more attention to detail and coordination with the sub-trades but we got through the process. Many municipalities are asking for better than code performance on homes for subdivision approval. It’s smart for builders to figure out strategies so that Energy Star and LEED are not the only cards to play.” Tony Priori, Project Manager at North Star explained.

“Modeling and performance testing each unit helped us to validate that our product was better than code when inspectors challenged our building specifications. Working with LEED, North Star has maintained our high standards and delivered quality to our customers” Tony added.

One of the most important components of LEED is the integrated design process (IDP). This process assures that plans and designs are executed and that systems perform as intended. More than four years ago, North Star’s Cottonlane project in Markham was on the drawing board. Since then, there have been two code changes and the Canadian version of LEED for homes came into play, circa 2009. Due to proactive planning, the mechanical designs did not have to change. More importantly, the integrated design process; working with the architect, mechanical design, builder and HVAC contractor has allowed the homeowner to get a system that is both efficient and works. Proper sizing of equipment, duct-work, and envelope optimization means that the system delivers when it is commissioned. Most residential systems are not balanced properly and leak air. Therefore, not surprisingly, these systems are not operating as designed. Measurement is the key to the design process as a feedback mechanism. A third party checking things via air balancing equipment usually reveals deficiencies that can be used to improve future designs and installations by subtrades.

Most current building code inspections are visual checks on plans and do not reveal the true performance of these systems. In past articles, attention has been drawn to this issue regarding air barrier detailing and blower door tests. How airtight is a house? Why not simply measure it, rather than have endless debates about details and building science. Debates and discussions don’t lead to concrete outcomes. The same is

true about HVAC systems. Let’s look under the hood and see what the engine is really doing.

Unfortunately, the industry’s perception is that all this is too time consuming and expensive. How can it pay for itself when margins are so small for HVAC contractors?

LEED encourages integration by offering project merit points to the builder for the certification of the home. In the Cottonlane project in Markham, a total of 15 LEED points were secured towards their LEED-Silver target, based on integrating and measuring mechanical systems. Some of these features, or components, are used by other green rating systems like, Project FutureProof, BuiltGreen and Greenhouse. They can be offered and packaged independently to support the builder’s brand or the municipality’s own sustainability

J O H N G O D D E N

Scoring Points with HVAC Systems in LEED Residential Projects

LEED POINTS FOR HVAC

EQ MEASURE COMMENT POINTS

2.2 COMBUSTION VENTING

No carbon monoxide 2

3.0 MOISTURE LOAD CONTROL

ERV's reduced air conditioning load

1

4.2 ENHANCED VENTILATION

HRV/ERV Balanced with energy recovery

2

4.3 THIRD PARTY TESTING

Balanced ventilation confirmed

1

5.2 ENHANCED EXHAUST

Occupant control/sensor 1

5.3 THIRD PARTY TESTING

Verify capacity (IE. Exhaust fan)

1

6.2 RETURN AIR FLOW Verify flows 1

6.3 DISTRIBUTION FORCED AIR

Verify delivery and reduce leakage to 20%

2

7.0 AIR FILTERATION MERV RATING

#10 filter or better 1

8.1 CONTAMINANT CONTROL

Cover vents during construction

1

8.3 PRE OCCUPANCY FLUSH

Run ventilation distribution for off gasing

1

EA MEASURE COMMENT POINTS

11 REFRIGERANT MANAGAMENT

No HCFC 1

TOTAL POINTS 15

11

BUILDER NEWS

checklist. Let’s look at the points in the Indoor Environmental Quality section of the LEED for Homes rating system and review their impacts. The chart, LEED POINTS FOR HVAC on page 10 will help to clarify.

Just imagine a car dealer who delivered a vehicle without a pre delivery inspection (PDI). Their service department would have to manage many unhappy customers. In home building, we do PDI’s but we really don’t check all the systems before we turn the house over to the new home-owner. By contrast, not only do our mechanical systems checklists save energy and enhance comfort for the home-owner; they also reduce call-backs and complaints to the builder.

The mechanicals at Cottonlane are comprised of a combination heating system; a rented condensing hot water tank and an AirMax hi-velocity air distribution system. A compact VänEE 60H exhaust duct ERV provides whole house ventilation and spot ventilation with controls in the bathroom. Each of these components was verified for delivery and performance. Before drywall, a duct blaster test was used to identify and remediate the air leakage in the ductwork and supply branches.

Please refer to the chart on page 10 to understand what the EQ points refer to with each measurement or feature. Hi-velocity systems operate at 10 times the pressure (ESP 1.5) of normal delivery

systems. Any leaks result in compromised performance. Initial testing of the project revealed leakage of 10 to 15%. Working with HVAC contractor Downsview, leakage was reduced by half, thereby meeting the LEED requirement of 4CFM per 100 sq. ft. at 25 Pascals. This had a direct effect on delivery (EQ 6.2, 6.3). The biggest win with testing is the establishment of the protocol in which ductwork is tested prior to dry wall installation. In this case, using this sequence allowed the performance to be improved enough to attain the LEED-Silver goal. North Star site personnel were made aware of deficiencies before they were covered up, and the Downsview installation crew were held to higher standards. As a result of pre-drywall inspections, only 4 ERV’s out of 78 were installed incorrectly, and all could be balanced and meet requirements for local exhausts (EQ 3.0,


ATTENTION: HOME BUILDERS

Introducing a revolutionary new product that eliminates dirty,

dusty floor vents during homeconstruction. Forever.

Our product is made from recycled materials. Made in Canada.

by preventing dust, dirt, and garbage from entering the duct -work.

on to detail = enhanced customer satisfaction.

design.

NEW PRODUCT

www.protecvent.com905.532.0722

protecvent-better builder mag1-4 page ad.indd 1 13-05-07 1:59 PM

ANDRE', NORTHSTAR'S SITE SUPER OVERSEES DUCT BLASTING

HI-VELOCITY AIR DISTRIBUTION WITH A CONDENSING HOT

WATER TANK

VERIFYING RANGE HOOD CAPACITY

12

BUILDER NEWS

4.2, 4.3, 5.2, 5.3). Commissioned ERV’s garner 6 LEED points on an exhaust duct install.

From my experience, many local exhausts in bathrooms do not result in adequate air displacement. EnergyStar rated fans only consider their power consumption and do not guarantee good airflow. Never the less, exhaust fans like the Panasonic models that use DC fan technology, always live up to their rating. Improperly sealed exhaust fan ductwork and roof vent terminations often mean that many installations don’t provide adequate flows, which ultimately will lead to homeowner complaints. Let’s test the fans and see what’s happening and make improvements necessary for performance.

With an increase in asthma and allergies, air filtration is an important feature in any air distribution system. Filters with a measured efficiency rated value (MERV) receive 1 point EQ 7.2.

Many builders are starting to understand the importance of protecting the ductwork from contamination during construction. Brookfield Homes is using ProTecVent on their FutureProofed, LEED-Gold home in Niagara on the Lake. The ProTecVent is installed on the subfloor during construction at the pre-drywall stage to ensure that supply ductwork does not get contaminated with debris. ProTecVent also ensures proper fitting of floor boots to match floor finishes such as ceramic and hardwood. Many builders do duct cleaning before PDI and ProTecVent reduces the need to do this. The

filter portion of the product can be reused multiple times.

Everybody knows the new car smell, and some like it. Its presence indicates volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) which are unhealthy. The very same situation happens in new homes where the materials and finishes emit VOC’s, off-gassing the chemicals that are trapped inside. A pre-occupancy flush earns points by running the air circulation and ventilation system to air-out the house 48 hours before occupancy (EQ 8.3).

In the end, most argue that all this planning and testing is a good thing; despite the time consuming learning curve and the added costs of enrolling and certifying. The common question is, who pays? We all know the answer, the home-buyer does! The builder faces more up-front costs but can use the mechanical system checklist to create a new process. Rethink, retool and actually save money on production costs while reducing customer complaints and receiving subdivision approvals.

WILLIAM GREIG OF BROOKFIELD HOMES AND THE PROTECVENT

C O M PA C T I N S TA L L AT I O N O F E R V

JOHN GODDEN IS THE PRESIDENT OF CLEARSPHERE AND PUBLISHING EDITOR OF BETTER

BUILDER MAGAZINE.

13

BUILDER NEWS

Once again the City of Waterloo played host to the 24th annual Ontario Technological Skills Competition, a qualifying event for the Skills Canada National Competition. Over 1900 competitors competed in over 60 skilled trade contest areas, all vying for a spot on the podium as well as a chance to represent the Province of Ontario at the national competition. The annual event is the cornerstone of Skills Canada – Ontario, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion

of the skilled trades and technologies as viable first-choice career options to Ontario youth. An estimated 30,000 spectators attended the competition held at RIM Park and witnessed events ranging from aircraft maintenance all the way through to plumbing and precision machining.

Clearsphere's own Josef Hanik competed at this year’s contest after having been chosen to represent George Brown College in the Architectural Technology and Design category. Competitors were assessed on their ability to utilize Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) software in the preparation of a set of architectural commercial working drawings. Marks were awarded for the contestant`s ability to incorporate common architectural, engineering and construction themes including: envelope design, space planning, code compliance, structural determination, mechanical and electrical systems integration, maintainability, environmental sustainability and accessibility. Through lots of hard work and preparation Josef was able to bring home the silver medal after finishing second in the province.

About Josef Hanik: After graduating from high school in Barrie Ontario, Josef moved to Kingston Ontario to attend St. Lawrence College where he studied general carpentry. Josef then headed out east to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia where he worked as an apprentice carpenter on a wide variety of job sites ranging from Canadian Military Bases to residential homes. Josef then returned to Ontario where he honed his carpentry skills constructing timber frame homes and cottages. After a few years of reading blueprints Josef found himself wanting to be more involved with the design process which led him to the Architectural

Technology program at George Brown College. Josef`s studies at George Brown ultimately led him to Clearsphere where he`s now employed as a Junior Technical Advisor.

Clearsphere Congratulates Josef Hanik


CLEARSPHERE'S OWN JOSEF HANIK

B E T T E R B U I L D E R S TA F F

Steve Baden, President of RESNET, congratulates Antony Zanini of Clearsphere, the recipient of the Bruce Gough Memorial Award at the 2013 RESNET Conference held in Orlando, Florida.

The Bruce Gough Memorial Award

STEVE BADEN, PRESIDENT OF RESNET AND ANTONY ZANINI OF CLEARSPHERE,

rHVCAResidential Heating Ventilation

Contractors Association

rhvca.com | [email protected] | 905-264-9967

heartThe

of your

home

Don’t leave the health of your home’s

most valuable asset to chance. Trust only

a RHVCA member to design, install and

service your heating, cooling and ventilation

system. Our members represent the

highest standards of training, certification,

and expertise in the HVAC industry.



rhvca.com | [email protected] | 905-264-9967

heartThe

of your

home

Don’t leave the health of your home’s

most valuable asset to chance. Trust only

a RHVCA member to design, install and

service your heating, cooling and ventilation

system. Our members represent the

highest standards of training, certification,

and expertise in the HVAC industry.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Good design, good installation, good equipment has always been the unofficial motto of the Residential Heating Ventilation Contractors Association (RHVCA), says CEO Domenic Di Battista. Instituted in 1968 as the Toronto Residential Air Handling Group, the recently renamed RHVCA functions in many ways for the trades it represents: education for its unionized members; input into training and certification; and lobbying for bylaw changes.

Although the Ontario building code sets a standard province-wide, Battista says there are numerous bylaw inconsistencies between municipalities. This isn’t only confusing, it also adds to contractors’ workload when they have to go fishing around for different materials, Di Battista says. “One municipality might request a certain heating rod that’s not used in another jurisdiction. There’s no conformity to the standards, and contractors have to adapt to each municipality.” The as-sociation has been lobbying to change this.

Another initiative of the RHVCA is getting down in writing their mandate of good design, good equipment, good installation practices. The brochure, currently being drafted, should be ready by the end of this summer, Di Battista says. “It outlines the green leadership practices that we support. I think it’s fair to say that everyone in our industry is working towards a green environment, at the same time aiming to install systems that are a better product, and save consumers money in the long run.”

The three principles work together – design, equipment and installation – to create heating, cooling and ventilation systems that are appropriate to a building, because of properly sized equipment and skilled installation.

Oversized equipment – a furnace too big for a house – is a common occurrence, Di Battista says. Why these monstrous furnaces were installed in the first place was to compensate for the cycling on and off – the house cools down, so the furnace comes on and heats the space quickly, and then

shuts off just as fast. The constant cycling on and off does not provide a comfortable interior environment – too uneven in its output -- plus it costs a lot more, Di Battista explains.

In larger homes, the solution isn’t a larger furnace, but a zone system – two separate furnaces to handle for the main and second floors. When equipment is the right size, there’s greater energy efficiency. Coupled with improved insulation and tightness, the building can realize all these benefits. The last piece of the equation is proper installation. Most furnaces and ductwork have gaps, where air escapes so that the last run of the ductwork gets nothing. Proper instal-lation would include sealing joints with compound, so that the furnace can deliver the air everywhere without leakage.

Likewise, the ductwork should be smaller to correspond with the smaller HVAC system. The new air distribution ventilation systems , with efficiency motors to reduce hydro consumption, should also be designed for a specific house.

RHVCA is currently developing a new water-based system that heats by passing water through coils. It can be zoned to service main and second floors, and is so sophisticated that there is only one degree difference between floors.

When equipment has been properly designed, sized and in-stalled, Battista says it ensures the interior of a house stays comfortable, is free of odours, and uses less energy, which translates into lower bills.

In the 25 years that Di Battista has been a contractor – and the last five that he’s been fulltime CEO of RHVCA – he has seen a lot of changes to regulations, most of them for the better.

The Ontario building code, too, is constantly pushing energy efficiency expectations up. Heating systems today

A L E X N E W M A N

RHVCA—Good Design, Good Installation and Good Equipment


16

BUILDER NEWS

are expected to be 95% efficient -- years ago, a high efficiency furnace was considered about 60%. The equipment as well has become much more sophisticated – in the “old days” you installed a furnace with ducts. Today, there are several pieces that work together to create an airtight home, and then heat, cool and ventilate it.

But complex equipment requires skilled installers; contractors must now be certified in order to install heating and cooling systems, drawings won’t be accepted at City Hall without it.

The process of certification to receive a certificate of qualification (CofQ) involves a five year apprenticeship program. Administered by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, the program has two components: practical with on-site work, followed by three phases of schooling (beginning, intermediate and advanced), following by an apprenticeship and culminating in a written exam taken at the ministry’s office.

A passing mark is 70%, up from the former 60% requirement, which allow graduates to receive their papers as sheet metal journeyman. Di Battista says joining a union isn’t necessary to work after graduation but he says every journeyman should belong.

ALEX NEWMAN IS A WRITER, EDITOR AND RESEARCHER AT WWW.INTEGRITYCOMMUNICATIONS.CA

It’s been 40 years since North Americans experienced the effects of the oil crisis and started thinking more seriously about energy conservation.

In 1973, Arab oil producers decided to boycott the west to punish the United States for sup-porting Israel in the Yom Kippur war against Egypt, causing the price of oil to quadruple and gas prices to skyrocket in North America.

By early 1974, the U.S. started rationing gas and many sta-tions ran out. The crisis was a wake-up call to the downside of oil dependence, sustainability and the ‘green’ movement gained new traction.

Compact cars became a hot commodity, and car pools and mass transit became more attractive transportation options.

Mike Martino recalls that time: “I was in college and there were long line-ups at the pumps and people were crossing the border to get gas.”

At the time, furnaces used in homes were only about 55 per cent efficient. In the 1970s, in light of the oil crisis, HVAC equipment started to become more efficient, improving to about 75 per cent efficiency.

“As we got into 80s, equipment started to go up to 90 per cent efficient,” says Martino, an HVAC specialist and owner of Martino Contractors Inc. “This was all because of what happened during the oil crisis.”

Martino notes that a lot of today’s ‘new’ technology isn’t new at all: “Believe it or not, in the ‘80s, there were so-lar panels for domestic hot water heating, air-to-air heat pumps and furnaces with ECM motors.”

U.S. President Jimmy Carter had 32 solar panels installed


FEATURE STORYFEATURE STORY

By Tracy Hanes

Mike Martino Looks at 40 Years of Energy Efficiency in Canada

MIKE MARTINO (FRONT & CENTER) AND HIS AWARD WINNING TEAM

18

FEATURE STORY



For the past 25 years we, at Martino Contractors, have built a coveted reputation performing energy efficient and customized installations in the heating and air conditioning market.

So why should you as a home builder depend on Martino Contractors?

It’s because of our reliable, consistent approach to doing business, our customized designs and quality installations, and twenty-five years of dependable and fast service. We are committed to providing home comfort solutions that exceed our customer’s expectations through professional design, installation, service and the use of environmentally friendly energy efficient products.

Call us today and you will find out why our customers are committed to us and why Martino Contractors has won BILD Trade Contractor of the Year in 2010 and 2011 and selected as a finalist in 2012.

Let the professionalism and service we provide go to work for you!

Thank you,

Mike Martino

Martino Contractors Ltd.

[email protected] • www.martinohvac.com • 1-800-465-5700

MikeMartino

WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

Bringing a World of HVAC Products to You.

on the White House in 1979 to set an example to the American people to conserve energy. President Ronald Reagan had them removed when he took office in 1981.

In Canada, the government introduced the Canadian Off-Oil Substitution Program (COSP) in the early ‘80s which gave homeowners $800 to convert their oil furnaces to natural gas or electricity.

“We had to do heat losses of houses to determine the proper size of furnace that was to go into that house,” says Martino.

But public interest in conserving energy waxed and waned during the 1990s and early 2000s, as energy costs dropped, then started to gain momentum again.

“For the last five to seven years, we have been taking energy conservation very seriously and it’s now here to stay. What has changed with the green movement is that children have bought it into it over last decade like no other generation,” says Martino. “And it’s not only the cost of energy going up, but the availability of it.

“Before, you could jump in (to conservation) with one foot and jump out, and had no one looking over your shoulder saying ‘Dad, you’re leaving the lights on’ or ‘Dad, separate the plastics.’”

Technologies such as solar panels and furnaces with ECM motors started gaining popularity again.

Natural Resources Canada’s EcoEnergy program that ran from April 2007 to March 2012 spurred renewed interest in energy efficiency by rewarding homeowners who carried out energy-saving retrofits. Many of them tore out furnaces to have them replaced by new, but not necessarily much better, furnaces.

“What’s interesting was that back then (in the ‘80s) when you converted a house from an oil to gas furnace, you had to take a permit out,” notes Martino. “Now there are no permits required.”

With EcoEnergy, homeowners also carried out air sealing, replaced leaky windows and improved the insulation in their houses, which meant they wouldn’t require a furnace of the same size they were removing.

What typically happened, says Martino, is that while the new furnace may have had a higher efficiency rating, it tended to be the same size as the old one and wasn’t ‘right sized,’ taking into consideration the tighter building envelope and other improvements that reduce heating loads.

This is still happening in many new home builds and in retrofits of older homes.

Many contractors still use a rule-of-thumb load calcula-tion based on square footage, using out-dated information and performance specs, rather than taking the time to do a proper heat loss calculation using a spread sheet and determining how much heat is escaping through walls, win-dows and roof. It’s also quicker and easier just to replace an old furnace with one the same size than installing a smaller one.

With building envelopes getting tighter, a whole building approach is required, looking at the house as a system and considering how one system affects the other, says Martino.

Improperly sized furnaces cycle on and off, waste energy and do not create proper heat distribution for comfort, and their motors and heat exchangers get stressed. As a result, they don’t deliver the anticipated energy savings, he notes.

Martino says there are a couple of issues that need ad-dressing in the building, renovation and HVAC industries: for one, no one is checking to see if the heating systems are being properly engineered, and there’s also the cost factor: smaller, energy efficient modulating gas furnaces with ECM motors are more expensive, even though they’ll save homeowners more in the long run, and often people don’t want to put out the extra money.

“There’s a lack of proper training in the industry and there are shortcuts as far as costs go,” says Martino. “To properly start up a furnace and to check it out can take up to an hour and that’s $100. You want to make sure you are getting the right temperature, the right air flow and you want to do a safety check too to ensure there are no gas leaks. But why do it when you can get away with not doing it?” (Martino insists

T R A C Y H A N E S

MIKE MARTINO WINS BILDS CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR 2011



For the past 25 years we, at Martino Contractors, have built a coveted reputation performing energy efficient and customized installations in the heating and air conditioning market.

So why should you as a home builder depend on Martino Contractors?

It’s because of our reliable, consistent approach to doing business, our customized designs and quality installations, and twenty-five years of dependable and fast service. We are committed to providing home comfort solutions that exceed our customer’s expectations through professional design, installation, service and the use of environmentally friendly energy efficient products.

Call us today and you will find out why our customers are committed to us and why Martino Contractors has won BILD Trade Contractor of the Year in 2010 and 2011 and selected as a finalist in 2012.

Let the professionalism and service we provide go to work for you!

Thank you,

Mike Martino

Martino Contractors Ltd.

[email protected] • www.martinohvac.com • 1-800-465-5700

MikeMartino

WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

Bringing a World of HVAC Products to You.

20

BUILDER NEWS

on doing the proper start-up procedure with his clients).

He thinks a process should be in place to ensure that systems are being properly matched to homes and HVAC systems should be checked to see if they are engineered and installed properly.

“There are requirements in place through the Ontario Building Code, but a lot of it has to be reinforced,” Martino says. “Each city has its own heating departments. It has to go back to the municipality. The government wants energy conservation done properly. And what about all the energy auditors out there (many who came on stream when the EcoEnergy program was launched)? How many of them verified that the furnaces installed were right sized? It’s a shame that all that money was spent and then furnaces weren’t right-sized.”

‘Right sizing’ HVAC equipment is crucial in creating energy efficient homes and Martino notes that higher energy costs are here to stay, and with the growing awareness of sustainability generated by the younger generation, consumers are taking a closer look at how their houses are being built and how they are performing.

“Thanks to the Internet, people are so much more educated and they also do their research,” says Martino. “It’s amazing what we hear back from salespeople. A lot of our customers already know about ECM motors and know what SEER rating is.”

Martino Contractors has been in business for 26 years and specializes in new construction installations, service and mechanical system design. Martino Contractors was the 2011 and 2010 BILD (Building Industry and Land Development Association) Trade Contractor of the Year.

While new construction remains the company's main focus, it has expanded its design and retail departments and has qualified designers who complete each HVAC design in-house to meet building code standards.

TRACY HANES IS A FREELANCE FEATURE WRITER FOR THE LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN

CANADA AND SEVERAL MAGAZINES. WWW.TRACYHANES.CA

BUILDER NEWS

If you can find a green solution that actually saves money, then the investment is a multiple win situation. Bill Gates says the next big thing will be toilet technology. Some of that future change is here today. Reducing or eliminating water consumption in design of new facilities or retrofitting of existing is an emerging change of practice.

For golf courses, recent player demographics have changed the demands for course owners. There are more seniors and women playing. Getting down to basic body functions – as we age we will have to use the “facilities” more often. The old standard of go “hide behind the tree” or see “Johnny- on-the-spot” doesn’t cut it any longer. A memorable golf experience includes clean, well built on-course restroom facilities. The traditional on-course options have been the low-end port-a-potty, the full-service half way house and the mid-range building on a pump out tank.

The key is water savings. If a course has an average of 150 golfers per day with 200 golf days in a season, and half the players use the on-course facility, 90,000 liters of water is needed for a 6 liter toilet facility. For an old 3.5 gallon guzzler, that would be 210,000 L. With a 1 pint flush toilet, water usage is reduced by 80,000 L and 200,000 L respectively. With a no water composting system, the water savings are 100%.

The other savings is capital costs. By disconnecting the infrastructure, the costs of running long distance buried electrical cable, water lines and sewer connection / septic bed construction are eliminated. An off-grid facility is created by combining composting toilet technology, solar power and evaporation bed. The “disconnect” allows the building to be much more site flexible. The infrastructure savings potential can be in the order of $30,000 plus, per building.

Composting toilets use bacteria to break down solids. The liquid keeps the compost moist and combined with air flow, allows for happy aerobic bacteria to do their thing. Any excess liquid can go into an overflow drain which enters a mini evaporator bed.

The evaporation bed with shallow root perennial plants is designed to encourage liquid to be drawn up from the shallow bed. Ultra low water flush toilets or a non water system mean very little liquid into the ground. The small excavation area is less destructive to tree roots and local ecosystems.

The solutions are by no means cookie cutter. There are specific course requirements, location considerations, design details, building logistics and possible septic and building permits. My experience with permits for composting systems is that each municipality makes its own call, with the responses being from “no permit required”, to “permit required, how can we help”, to well, some challenges. The ac-ceptance is definitely growing.

Examples of successful installations are Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, Muskoka Highlands GC and Parry Sound GC, Silver Creek GC (Garden River FN) in Ontario.

Other applications are cottages, remote homes, parks and out buildings, recreation facilities and for environmentally progressive home owners.

Going green with a washroom facility does take a little maintenance care to keep the bio system happy. The payoff is the budget, the golfers and the environment. The triple bottom line.

A L S E Y M O U R

Composting Toilets on the Course

AL SEYMOUR IS THE PRESIDENT OF MUSKOKA IN THE CITY INC.


22

BUILDER NEWS

“Comfort has become a major requirement of our houses in modern Western societies. So much so that we are prepared to overheat them with the heavy consumption of fuels in the winter, and to refrigerate them with air condi-tioning in the summer.” – P. Oliver1

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing’s energy efficiency requirements contained in SB-12 include various alternatives that allow the insulation levels of the envelope to be lowered provided higher efficiency mechanical systems are used to compensate for the increased energy consumption. From an energy consumption perspective the scheme is useful in ensuring houses achieve more or less the same level of energy efficiency. Unfortunately, trading off envelope insulation including high performance windows for mechanical systems runs counter to how buildings have evolved over time – an evolution that has been driven by our thermal comfort needs.

Clothing was the natural barrier to the cold. Early tapestries were placed on walls enhancing comfort by reducing radiative heat losses from the body to the poorly insulated walls. At night the canopy bed further separated our warm bodies from the poorly performing envelope. Early Canadian houses with wood frame walls filled with stone or wattle and daub provided little relief from the Canadian winter.

In our earliest buildings, the central hearth (sometimes just a fire pit) was used to enhance thermal comfort. The central hearth compensated for the poorly insulated, often drafty envelope. English manor houses of the 14th century often had only one fireplace on the ground floor. As means improved and our standards for comfort rose, individual rooms became fitted with fireplaces. The multiplication of

chimneys in 15th century manor houses marked the advent of distributed heating. The chimney became a symbol of the means of the manor lord. Fake chimney stacks were some-times used to give the illusion that there were many rooms being heated.

The 18th century brought the notion of comfort even to furniture as padding (horse hair for men and down for women) replaced uncomfortable benches. Mass production and industrialization democratized comfort, making it a mass commodity. Physical comfort was no longer a privilege of the wealthy but a common expectation, accessible to all.

Where the poorly insulated envelope was not able to provide the thermal comfort we desired, new mass produced heating systems made of pipes and radiators that distributed the heat from a central boiler dramatically improved indoor living conditions.

The recent advent of high performance envelopes has redefined our traditional approach to building design and

The Benefits of High Performance

ENHANCING THERMAL COMFORT AND THREE BARRIERS TO THE COLD: CLOTHING, THE

CANOPY BED, AND THE BUILDING2.

M I C H A E L L I O

THIS CLUSTERING OF CHIMNEYSTACKS BECAME A SYMBOL OF WEALTH AND THE

PRIVILEGE OF COMFORT 3.

FIGURE 4: RADIATOR CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS DATING BACK TO THE EARLY 1900S 4.


BUILDER NEWS

23

quest for comfort. Discomfort from radiative heat loss from our bodies to cold envelope surfaces is very significantly reduced in houses built with high performance walls and windows. Old rules that forced designers to place heaters under cold windows to improve comfort are no longer relevant in an age of high performance envelopes. The need for mechanical systems to compensate for poorly insulated, drafty envelopes has virtually vanished. The new approaches to construction have reduced the need for supplemental heat dramatically.

It’s not clear to me why in the age of high performance envelopes we would want to trade them off in favour of larger (albeit efficient) mechanicals. It’s not clear to me why anyone would choose to erode the performance of the envelope that costs so much to upgrade and that can last as long as the building in favour of a mechanical system that only lasts 15 or 20 years. Reducing the insulation of the envelope in many regards is a step back in time.

“We must rediscover for ourselves the mystery of comfort, for without it, our dwellings will indeed be machines instead of homes.”

– W. Rybczynksi, Home: A Short History of an Idea, 19865

SOURCES:

1. Housing: Symbol, Structure, Site, 1982

2. Heating, Cooling, Lighting: Sustain-able Design Methods for Architects, by Norbert Lechner, 2009

3. English Manor Houses, by Nicholas Cooper, 1990

4. Architectural Hygiene or Sanitary Sci-ence as Applied to Buildings, by Sir Banister Fletcher, 1933

5. Home: A Short History of an Idea, by Witold Rybczynski, 1986

MICHAEL LIO IS PRESIDENT OF BUILDABILITY CORPORATION,

[email protected]

The Power-Pipe®

uses outgoing warmdrain water to pre-heat

incoming cold freshwater in Residential, Commercial

and Industrial, thereby reducing energy costs.

TURN THAT WASTED ENERGYINTO $AVING$ WITH THE

www.power-pipe.com

Saving Energy IntelligentlyE N E R G Y I N C .

Developed and Manufactured by:

LOWER ENERGY BILLS.GREAT RETURNS.

Drain Water Heat Recovery Systems

H O W I T W O R K S

®

Commercial Applications

Rec. facilities, restaurants, laundry, hospitals, prisonsMany design & installation optionsWater heating can be one of the highest loadsSave 30% to 60% in water heating costsInvestment Returns of20 to 100%/year

Industrial Processes

Many industrial processes dump warm effluentMaintenance-free and seamless integrationWater heating is often the largest energy loadSave 30% to 70% in water heating costsInvestment Returns of25 to 300%/year

MANY PROVENMARKETS

Single-HomesBoth new construction and retrofit3 very simple installation optionsWater heating commonly accounts for 20% to 30% of total energy costsSave 20% to 35% in water heating costsInvestment Returns of10 to 50%/year

Multi-UnitResidential BuildingsApartment buildings, condos, dorms, hotelsSeveral different design optionsWater heating commonly accounts for 25% to 35% of total energy costsSave 25% to 40% in water heating costsInvestment Returns of15 to 50%/year

GreenBuild 8x10 Pstr3_Print.pdf 5/7/12 10:34:54 PM

INDUSTRY NEWS

24

An amendment to the 2012 Ontario Building Code has provided a major boost for a Kitchener company and has made it easy for builders to meet Code standards.

In March, Ontario officially became the first jurisdiction in North America to provide direct energy credits for Drain Water Heat Recovery (DWHR) technology within the OBC, following France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

That was welcome news for RenewABILITY Energy Inc. of Kitchener, maker of the PowerPipe. While drain water heat recovery units have existed for decades, RenewAbility Energy Inc. created a revolutionary design with the PowerPipe, using multiple copper coils wrapped in parallel around a drainpipe to maximize heat transfer.

The technology, developed by RenewABILITY CEO and founder Gerald Van Decker, who holds a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, significantly reduces energy use and water heating costs in everything from residential homes to industrial buildings, at affordable cost. Other benefits are that the PowerPipe is self-cleaning and maintenance-free, making it simple for home-owners.

While leading Ontario ‘green’ builders have used the Power-Pipe for several years, and Enbridge and Union Gas provided it to builders through their energy conservation programs, the OBC inclusion marks a “major milestone,” said Van Decker, who held an event at RenewABILITY in April to celebrate.

Van Decker said the device reduces energy consumption by 6 to 10 per cent and saves two-thirds of the energy a solar heating system would, at one tenth of the cost.

In the past nine years, the PowerPipe has created 146,000 gigajoules in savings. That means, said Van Decker, that the 25,000 installed units have saved energy equivalent to what 1,800 Net Zero homes would conserve.

Van Decker explains that while the PowerPipe has gained recognition in Ontario, thanks to the Enbridge and Union Gas programs and builders adopting it, it’s still virtually unknown in other parts of Canada and the United States. Part of that is due to the Pipe’s low profile – it doesn’t stand out on a home like solar panels do and it’s quiet and passive.

But Van Decker is confident that with its inclusion in the OBC credits, it will see further adoption across North America. It is also suited to retrofits of older homes and is sold online by Sears and Home Depot.

Van Decker thanked the Ontario government for blazing a trail by becoming the first in North America to provide credits for drain water heat recovery.

“Our manufacturing sector has taken quite a hit and what’s interesting about this product is that it’s not only green manufacturing, but it’s manufactured in the downtown,” said Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr. “With the changes made to the Ontario Building Code – and it’s a welcome change – this adds another green aspect to building and I’m pleased it’s come about.”

“This is a new technology that has an exciting future, not only in the province, but across Canada and internationally,” said John Millroy, MPP for Kitchener Centre. He said by 2017, new homes will be required to be 50 per cent more energy efficient than they were in 2003.

Shannon Bertuzzi of Enbridge said when she first saw the PowerPipe in 2008, her impression was “this is a great product. It is simple, easy to understand and replacing something that is sitting there doing nothing.” Bertuzzi says the PowerPipe is now used in more than 5,000 homes in the Enbridge franchise area and 150 builders have adopted it. Homeowners also love it, she added.

Empire Communities started building Energy Star homes six years ago and was the first builder in Ontario to make the label standard on its homes. Empire executive vice president Paul Golini Jr. said when his company learned about the power pipe, they quickly realized the benefits and have incorporated it into their building program since.

“I think this is an amazing success story about how industry is collaborating with government to do right with the environment,” says John Godden, CEO & Founder of Clearsphere and president of CRESNET (Canadian Residential Energy Network). Godden says with the OBC demanding higher standards in terms of performance, it’s important to have such partnerships to empower the building industry to do what it needs to, to deliver energy conservation.

He predicts the PowerPipe will play an even greater role in Ontario construction going forward, as the next OBC will raise the bar for energy efficiency higher and put a greater emphasis on renewable energy and water conservation.

“This technology can be coupled beautifully with grey water recycling. It’s a big up-and-coming technology,” said Godden.

SB-12 Recognizes Drain Water Heat Recovery

T R A C Y H A N E S

TRACY HANES IS A FREELANCE FEATURE WRITER FOR THE LARGEST DAILY NEWSPAPER IN

CANADA AND SEVERAL MAGAZINES. WWW.TRACYHANES.CA

!

!

136!Ottawa!St.!S.!–!Unit!3! Tel:!(519)!88580283!Kitchener,!ON!N2G!3S9! Toll!Free:!(877)!60685559!Canada! ! ! Fax:!(519)!88584475!

ver.!April!18,!2013!©!2013!RenewABILITY!Energy!Inc.

! ! !!!!!!!!!!! !

!

!

!!!!!!!!

Ontario!Building!Code’s!SB312!Allowable!Power3Pipe®!

Tradeoffs!for!Homes!with!Natural!Gas!Heating*!

!

!

NOTES:!!!

*!These!tables!summarize!the!Ontario!SB812!“prescriptive!tradeoffs”!available!for!DWHR,!effective!March!15,!2013!as!per!CodeNews!Issue!213.!!

§!Builder!must!have!at!least!2!showers!connected!to!a!Power8Pipe(s)!except!for!homes!that!have!only!1!shower.!!

‡!In!order!to!comply!with!SB812!requirements:!1)!Drain!Water!Heat!Recovery!(DWHR)!units!must!be!rated!and!labeled!according!CSA!B55.1:!“Test!method!for!measuring!efficiency!and!pressure!loss!of!drain!water!heat!recovery!units“.!Under!CSA!B55.1,!the!efficiency!and!pressure!loss!of!DWHR!units!are!always!rated!and!labeled!at!a!flow!rate!of!9.5litres/minute!(2.5usgpm).!CSA!B55.1!does!not!allow!for!labeling!efficiency!and/or!pressure!loss!at!any!other!flow!rate.!!2)!DWHR!units!must!comply!with!CSA!B55.2!“Drain!water!heat!recovery!units”!to!ensure!safety,!materials!and!class8configuration.!!!

•!All!Power8Pipe!Models!shown!in!the!tables!herein!are!listed!by!Intertek!and!labeled,!according!to!CSA!B55.1!to!have!the!minimum!efficiency!required!for!the!corresponding!SB812!tradeoff.!•!Every!Power8Pipe®!unit!is!listed!with!Underwriter!Laboratories!to!comply!with!CSA!B55.2!and!labeled!accordingly.!!

!

Minimum!

CSA!B55.1!

Efficiency§‡!

Permitted!SB312!Downgrade!

Minimum!

Compliant!

Power3Pipe*‡!

CSA!B55.1!

Pressure!

Loss‡!

Above!Grade!Walls:!from!RSI!3.87!(R22)!to!3.52!(R20)!

Foundation!Walls:!from!RSI!3.52!(R20)!to!2.11!(R12)!

Window!U!values:!from!1.6!to!1.8!

Furnace!AFUE:!from!94%!to!90%!

36.0%!

HRV!Efficiency:!from!75%!to!55%!

R3334!/!Eff=36.9%! 1.3!psi!

46.0%! Above!Grade!Walls:!from!RSI!4.23!(R24)!to!3.52!(R20)! R3348!/!Eff=46.6%! 1.9!psi!

Zo

ne

!1!

So

uth

ern

!

62.0%! HRV!Efficiency:!from!75%!to!None! R3380!/!Eff=62.0%! 3.2!psi!

41.0%! Above!Grade!Walls:!from!RSI!4.23!(R24)!to!3.87!(R22)! R3340!/!Eff=41.3%! 1.6!psi!

46.0%! Foundation!Walls:!from!RSI!3.52!(R20)!to!2.11!(R12)! R3348!/!Eff=46.6%! 1.9!psi!

Window!U!values:!from!1.6!to!1.8!Zo

ne

!2!

No

rth

ern

!

36.0%!HRV!Efficiency:!from!75%!to!55%!

R3334!/!Eff=36.9%! 1.3!psi!

©!2013!RenewABILITY!Energy!Inc.!

ISSUE 06 | SUMMER 2013 25

SB-12 Recognizes Drain Water Heat Recovery

www.inlinefiberglass.com 1.866.566.5656

INLINE FIBERGLASS LTD. can help your clients meet their energy and thermal

performance targets in most cases without the use of special designs or expensive

glass options. Call us to discuss your next project and find out why our windows are

chosen often for LEED designs, Passive Homes, Healthy Homes, Health Centers, Hospitals,

Schools, Fire Stations, Hydro Offices, Retirement Homes, Nursing Homes . . .

MEMBER/MEMBRE

Unison Community Health Centre / Architect: Hilditch Architect / Constructor: Buttcon Limited

INLINE FIBERGLASS LTD.Covering all your angles, SB10, SB12, Energy Star, NFRC, High Performance Window Products

INLINE SAB38.indd 1 12-11-29 11:00 AM

www.inlinefiberglass.com 1.866.566.5656

INLINE FIBERGLASS LTD. can help your clients meet their energy and thermal

performance targets in most cases without the use of special designs or expensive

glass options. Call us to discuss your next project and find out why our windows are

chosen often for LEED designs, Passive Homes, Healthy Homes, Health Centers, Hospitals,

Schools, Fire Stations, Hydro Offices, Retirement Homes, Nursing Homes . . .

MEMBER/MEMBRE

Unison Community Health Centre / Architect: Hilditch Architect / Constructor: Buttcon Limited

INLINE FIBERGLASS LTD.Covering all your angles, SB10, SB12, Energy Star, NFRC, High Performance Window Products

INLINE SAB38.indd 1 12-11-29 11:00 AM

BUILDER NEWS


Ani Bogovic Gets the Green!With plank hardwood floors, 12-foot ceilings, a flood of natural light, and high end finishes, this Dekla custom built house proves that green can, and should, be beautiful.

The builder behind the Dekla name, Ani Bogovic, is a committed green advocate who had a 25-year career with other builders before stepping out on her own in 2009. Each house she has since built is a testament to the possibilities of energy efficient good looks and with her latest venture, a home that buyers are willing to pay more for.

After severing a large lot in south Etobicoke, Bogovic divided it into two 25x128 ft lots. She then built two custom homes, one for her sister and one she would eventually sell. Both houses were 2100 sq. ft. (including the above-grade basement it’s 2800 sq ft). Both boasted five bathrooms, three full and two powder rooms; four bedrooms and a 20x40 foot kitchen-family room combo.

Bogovic then filled the homes with top of the line finishes and features: Caesarstone counters, marble backsplash, HansGrohe faucets, custom kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, wide plank hardwood floors and a Tarion warranty.

But it was the home’s green features: HRV, Polaris dual purpose water heating system with a Power- Pipe drain water heat recovery system, Roxul insulation in walls and ceiling that boosted the home’s R values, BP Excel structural insulated sheathing, and Blueskin house wrap and window sheathing that helped the home sell for more than what comparable homes in the area go for.

Bogovic is still a little surprised about that, because she like everyone else has always believed that home buyers aren’t pre-pared to pay for green.

Enter Sabrina Scapicchio and Sean Griffith, two thirty-something high school teachers looking to move from their Fort-York-area condo into a house. But not just any house, they wanted a green built home. With Griffith working in Ajax and Scapicchio in Brampton, the couple wanted to stay east of Browns Line. They seriously considered one subdivision offering geothermal as an upgrade, but as soon as they saw Bogovic’s house, they put in an offer.

It was the marriage of beauty and function that sold them. “What’s not to love about the house,” Scapicchio says. “It’s gorgeous and energy efficient.”

“I’m keen on the energy reduction but Sean is way ahead of me on that,”

A L E X N E W M A N

Air. Vapour. Water. Ice Nothing gets past Henry.

®

Air and Vapour Barrier

Waterproofing Roofing

Protecting properties – and reputations – for decades

Henry’s Building Envelope Systems®

provide industry-leading protection

from uncontrolled air, vapour and

moisture, from foundation to roof.

Proven effective in the challenging

winters of Canada, our air and

vapour barriers, waterproofing and

roofing products protect properties

from the elements to save energy,

prevent damage, extend building life,

and create more comfortable and

healthy indoor environments.

BlueskinVP®

This fully adhered membrane functions not only as a water-resistant barrier and rain barrier, but stops uncontrolled air leakage.

performance

longevity

Blueskin®WBSeal out air and moisture, and seal in energy and comfort with this self-adhered window and door flashing.

infiltration and water damage

Blueskin®WP200The first choice in sheet applied waterproofing, this self-adhered waterproofing membrane is designed for prepared concrete or masonry substrates, providing a waterproofing barrier for below grade use.

lateral water movement

increased protection at overlaps

www.henrycom

Blueskin® ROOF RF200/RF200LTA self-adhered ice and water barrier, specially designed for sloped roof surfaces to provide a secondary seal under shingles or tiles.

temperature underlayment

polyethylene film

fasteners

Eaveguard Self-Adhered Shingle Underlayment

helps prevent leaks from wind-driven rain and ice damming.

asphalt and glass fiber mat

slip-resistant working surface

for ease of application

Air. Vapour. Water. Ice Nothing gets past Henry.

®

Air and Vapour Barrier

Waterproofing Roofing

Protecting properties – and reputations – for decades

Henry’s Building Envelope Systems®

provide industry-leading protection

from uncontrolled air, vapour and

moisture, from foundation to roof.

Proven effective in the challenging

winters of Canada, our air and

vapour barriers, waterproofing and

roofing products protect properties

from the elements to save energy,

prevent damage, extend building life,

and create more comfortable and

healthy indoor environments.

BlueskinVP®

This fully adhered membrane functions not only as a water-resistant barrier and rain barrier, but stops uncontrolled air leakage.

performance

longevity

Blueskin®WBSeal out air and moisture, and seal in energy and comfort with this self-adhered window and door flashing.

infiltration and water damage

Blueskin®WP200The first choice in sheet applied waterproofing, this self-adhered waterproofing membrane is designed for prepared concrete or masonry substrates, providing a waterproofing barrier for below grade use.

lateral water movement

increased protection at overlaps

www.henrycom

Blueskin® ROOF RF200/RF200LTA self-adhered ice and water barrier, specially designed for sloped roof surfaces to provide a secondary seal under shingles or tiles.

temperature underlayment

polyethylene film

fasteners

Eaveguard Self-Adhered Shingle Underlayment

helps prevent leaks from wind-driven rain and ice damming.

asphalt and glass fiber mat

slip-resistant working surface

for ease of application

29

BUILDER NEWS


It was the marriage of beauty and function that sold them. “What’s not to love about the house,” Scapicchio says. “It’s gorgeous and energy efficient.”

“I’m keen on the energy reduction but Sean is way ahead of me on that,” Scapicchio admits. “His school [Durham’s Dennis O’Connor] is very environmentally oriented. We were prepared to pay a little more for a house that’s this green, because we plan to stay here a long time, and that it will save us money over the years. And Sean really hopes that we’re helping to push the trend to green housing, “you know more people like us buying houses like this.”

While the desire for green was there, Scapicchio says it wasn’t until Clearsphere’s John Godden met them at the house and explained everything so that they comprehended the extent of the system’s efficiency, and knew they had made the right decision to buy.

When they came to the heat recovery system, Scapicchio recognized the three lights on the box. “It was the same as my first house in Brampton a couple of years ago. But I never used it because I had no idea what it was.”

“John described the HRV as the lungs of the house,” she says. “Because energy efficient homes are so airtight, you don’t get enough air circulation. This would give us fresh air that has been filtered and purified of any pollutants, and even on heavy smog days, the interior atmosphere is consistently fresh.”

Godden also showed them how the Polaris dual purpose water heating system works, with heat being extracted from waste shower and sink water by a copper coil pipe, thereby reducing the energy required to heat up the water needed to heat and cool the house. Panasonic fans with Smart Flow DC technology ensure spot ventilation in bathrooms.

Scapicchio and Griffith are thrilled that their new home also has an efficient building envelope to complement the mechanical systems. Roxul insulation in the walls and roof/attic has given their new home higher fire resistance and sound control. Blue-skin wrap between the exterior cladding tightly seals the house and is an extremely effective moisture barrier, thus eliminat-ing the potential for mould and increasing durability.ALEX NEWMAN IS A WRITER, EDITOR AND RESEARCHER AT WWW.INTEGRITYCOMMUNICATIONS.CA

30

BUILDER NEWS

BP Excel breaks new ground

in structural insulation

thanks to a membrane that

combines air barrier protec-

tion, moisture-evacuating

breathability, and strength

like no other product.

And it’s green — made from

98% recycled materials, free

of VOCs and ozone-depleting

CFCs or HCFCs, and glued

together with wheat starch.

For homebuilders looking

for innovation and value

on an exponential scale:

Excel is innovative green

design, exceptional thermal

insulation and structural

strength all in one breathable

sheathing that delivers

outstanding performance

with unparalleled strength.

www.bpcan.com

WELCOME TO STRUCTURAL INSULATION REINVENTED FOR TODAY’S WORLD — AND A SUSTAINABLE TOMORROW.

MADE HERE PREFERRED EVERYWHERE

NEW!

Excel_Ad_BetterBuilder_v2.indd 1 12-12-12 16:02

The Importance of Vent Terminations for Bathroom Exhaust FansThe expression like a round peg in a square hole connotes a basic problem in matching things that don’t fit together. When it comes to air moisture leakage in houses, the shapes of pipes and penetrations need to match, be a good fit and be sealed tightly. This is especially true of exhaust vent terminations in the roofs of houses.

LET’S LOOK AT THE INS AND OUTS OF THE SUBJECTAir Leakage IN: The vent termination is designed to close when negative pressure is acting on it, therefore closing it until pressurization is established again. The flapper closure makes the holes surrounding the connection to the attic the path of least resistance for air and allows air to leak into the attic. This phenomenon is measured during a blower door test and results in a poor energy rating for the house.

Air Leakage OUT: Improperly sealed roof vents leak air to the outside resulting in wasted energy. Leakage also causes issues for durability. As warm and moist ex-haust air being exfiltrated from the bathroom or kitchen is redirected back through the roof penetration and deposited within the attic condensation can form; causing water condensation, mould and ultimately rot. The number one culprit for this scenario is a poorly installed bathroom fan.

Intentional building envelope penetrations, whether in ceilings where exhaust fans are installed or in the roof deck openings that house the vent terminations, have the potential to undo any effort to build airtight homes. Maximum Ventilation’s CT-4 Vent Termination is built to seal and exhaust air where it is supposed to go, outside, not back into your attic.

GLEN’S CASE STUDY,Glen Hill lives in a 30 year old home in Pickering and asked us to inspect his house to determine options for potential energy savings. After

investigating the building envelope, we discovered leakages around bathroom exhaust vents caused by faulty roof vent terminations. Initial balometer readings revealed air leakage through exhaust fans of 82 CFM while running the blower door at -50 Pa. Our roofers properly sealed the ceiling exhaust fans from the attic and replaced the roof vent terminations with a Maximum Ventilation CT-4 unit. Leakage tests conducted on the same exhaust fans after the new roof vent terminations were installed gave us measurements of 8 CFM. The Maximum roof vent allowed a decrease in leaks. Final blower door test results were 3.68 ACH, comparable to a newly built home. Now Glen can feel confident that his home is more energy efficient and that there is no chance of condensation damage from leaky exhaust fans.

Blower door results are higher because during depressurization tests of the house, air is sucked through the holes and leakage areas in the unsealed venting system.

J O R D A N L A N E

MAXIMUM VENTILATION’S MODEL CT-4 VENT

TERMINATION BEING PROPERLY INSTALLED

EXHAUST FANS DRIVE PRESSURIZED AIR INTO THE ATTIC

CAUSING MOISTURE DAMAGE BECAUSE THE VENT

TERMINATION AND PIPING IS NOT SEALED.

JORDEN LANE IS A LEED & PROJECT FUTURE PROOF COORDINATOR AT CLEARSPHERE

BUILDER NEWS

BP Excel breaks new ground

in structural insulation

thanks to a membrane that

combines air barrier protec-

tion, moisture-evacuating

breathability, and strength

like no other product.

And it’s green — made from

98% recycled materials, free

of VOCs and ozone-depleting

CFCs or HCFCs, and glued

together with wheat starch.

For homebuilders looking

for innovation and value

on an exponential scale:

Excel is innovative green

design, exceptional thermal

insulation and structural

strength all in one breathable

sheathing that delivers

outstanding performance

with unparalleled strength.

www.bpcan.com

WELCOME TO STRUCTURAL INSULATION REINVENTED FOR TODAY’S WORLD — AND A SUSTAINABLE TOMORROW.

MADE HERE PREFERRED EVERYWHERE

NEW!

Excel_Ad_BetterBuilder_v2.indd 1 12-12-12 16:02

32

BUILDER NEWS

www.roxul.com

Why choice renovators stand behind Roxul Insulation.Better fi t. Fewer call-backs. More satisfi ed customers.When your customers demand quality, start with the better quality insulation. Fire-resistant and water repellant, Roxul insulation is easy to work with, cuts with a serrated knife and fi ts snug without sagging. Choose Roxul ComfortBatt™ for thermal insulation of exterior walls and attics, and Roxul Safe‘n’Sound™ for soundproofi ng interior walls and ceilings to make your next renovation professional grade.

ROXUL® INSULATION

RO

X-2

355_

0612

Best HRVfor compact installations.

Over the past few years I have had the pleasure of visiting and presenting to many of Ontario’s local Home Builder Associations, municipal building officials and to associations in other provinces. Recently I’ve started doing a presentation on the new 2012 Ontario Building Code (OBC). Yes we have a new Code, but there is no need to panic. Here are the changes with respect to energy and water.

There are some changes that improve the energy performance of new homes. Starting in 2014 programmable thermostats will be required along with fully sealed ducting on the supply side of the HVAC system. Starting on January 1, 2015 all furnaces shall be equipped with DC (ECM) motors. This is something that OHBA advocated for as it will help to improve the comfort of the home owner by ensuring that air can be circulated on a continuous basis which should help reduce differences in temperature within the home. (I hope to follow up on this issue with a full article in the near future).

In addition Natural Gas (or propane) ready kitchens and laundry rooms will be permitted as an alternative to electrical. And in January of 2017, the Part 9 Energy Benchmark goes up by 15% from the January 1st, 2012 SB12 levels and the Part 3 Large Buildings goes up by 13% from the current SB10 levels.

There are also water conservation measures being implemented, including toilet flow which will reduce from 6 liters per flush to 4.8L/flush or 3L/6L for dual flush. In addition, shower heads will reduce from 9.5 L/minute to 7.6L/minute.

On-site sewage treatment adopts the new CAN-BNQ 3680-600 national standard for wastewater residential treatment technologies and establishes standards for dispersal beds. This is an area that the government will continue to look at improving as a measure of protecting groundwater.

D O U G TA R RY

DOUG TARRY JR., IS THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AT DOUG TARRY HOMES IN ST. THOMAS , ONTARIO.

The New 2012 O.B.C.: ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY


BUILDER NEWS

33

]

Solar ReadyIt’s fitting that this edition is dedicated to future proofing. This is a concept that I have been discussing and designing into my homes for many years. Why? Be-cause I believe that rising energy costs over the next generation will continue to make energy efficiency a greater priority for our consumers. As an industry, we continue to build ever more energy efficient homes. However, there is one major challenge that we face: our customers!

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for all of my customers and I hope to build for many more. It’s just that today’s consumer is much more demanding than even a few years ago. They want longer showers with multiple showerheads just like they see on the TV shows; they want their home to be uniformly cool all summer, even with that big bank of windows facing the sun. The expecta-tion of performance is that their utility bill will go down, or at least not change, even though they continue to use their personal car wash (that’s what I call the full body wash shower) and run that AC right through the day.

At some point in our customers’ future their thoughts will change from conserva-tion to generation. That’s where future proofing comes in. So I thought I’d share my insights on Solar Ready, the ultimate future proofing for the homes we build.

In 2007, Doug Tarry Homes was contracted by Natural Resources Canada to conduct the Solar Ready pilot project. This included writing the first Solar Ready technical specifications. Since 2007, we have continued to build all of our homes with Solar Ready design as a standard feature. In that time we have also installed several solar thermal water heating systems. In October 2012, NRCan published the revised Solar Ready Specifica-tions.

So here’s the good news. Solar Ready is fairly easy and inexpensive to include in a home provided you put some thought into it during the design process. OK, so two storey homes can be a bit harder because of the popularity of open concept main floors even on two storey homes. It has been our experience that it costs an additional $350-$450 per home for the Solar Ready rough in.

SO WHAT IS A SOLAR READY HOME?There are two key components. First, space on the roof at a viable solar angle, and second, a conduit from mechanical room to accessible attic space. Roof orientation for solar installations is considered viable from Southeast around to West for solar thermal systems. South is most efficient for Photo Voltaic systems. Here are some important points to remember:

• The solar conduit needs to run from the mechanical room to the attic. I prefer to install two – 2” conduits, rather than one 4”. If you ever have to bend the conduit slightly, there is no give in the 4”. Also the 4” requires a 2x6 wall which may not be otherwise necessary for the home.

• It is important to avoid plumbing or mechanical runs in the dedicated location of the conduit, or it may be almost impossible to find later on. Whatever conduit type you choose, it is important that they be capped at both the top and bottom, otherwise you can have a condensation loop into your attic as well as a fire chase. I don’t trust tape as the glue will diminish over time.

• Location of the future solar hot water tank should be shown on the basement plan so that the appropriate amount of space is available. It is also good practice to show the roof elevation that the panels are intended to be installed on, so

• It is not a requirement, but it is a recommended best practice that the trusses intended to carry the solar panels be designed and built with an additional 5 lb. dead load to account for the additional weight.

• Installation of panels should not be directly into the top chord of the truss. Rather it is better practice to attach scab lumber to the side of the top chord and attach into the scab.

• The existing Domestic Hot Water Heater needs to have plumbing valves and “T”s installed and an electrical outlet needs to be located beside the unit. This is to permit quick connection at the time of installation.

www.roxul.com

Why choice renovators stand behind Roxul Insulation.Better fi t. Fewer call-backs. More satisfi ed customers.When your customers demand quality, start with the better quality insulation. Fire-resistant and water repellant, Roxul insulation is easy to work with, cuts with a serrated knife and fi ts snug without sagging. Choose Roxul ComfortBatt™ for thermal insulation of exterior walls and attics, and Roxul Safe‘n’Sound™ for soundproofi ng interior walls and ceilings to make your next renovation professional grade.

ROXUL® INSULATION

RO

X-2

355_

0612

34

PAGE TITLE

Features

To learn more, visit www.savingsbydesign.ca

TM

Helping builders design and build more energy ef� cient homes.

New building codes require new approaches to housing

design and energy performance. Enbridge’s Savings

by Design program is here to help. The program offers

free access to design and technical experts, as well

as valuable incentives to help design and build more

energy ef� cient homes.

Using our unique and collaborative Integrated Design

Process (IDP), we will work with you to identify optimal

solutions for improving energy ef� ciency 25% beyond

Ontario Building Code 2012.

EAQ1130_AugustBetterBuilder_Ad_9X11.5_final.indd 1 2013-07-08 2:16 PM