Green Home Terminology You Should Know Before Purchasing!

Green Home Terminology You Should Know Before Purchasing!

Posted: June 11 2021

All the green terminology you should know before purchasing a new home.

We’ve dedicated this blog to all the green features you should know about when considering a new home purchase. From experience, it’s a learning curve to understand all the green features available for your new home. From green upgrades to industry standards, we want to help you understand all the terminology associated with your new home. New home construction has come a long way sustainability-wise, and evolves every day. We proudly get behind green, sustainable building solutions, and even initiate them ourselves. Landmark is committed to building the healthiest, highest performing home on the market & the following green features and labels help us get there!


Blower Door Test

A test that measures airtightness in homes and small buildings. It can also be used to find the location of major air leaks. The equipment for the test includes: 1) a temporary door covering installed in an outside doorway; 2) a fan that forces air into or out of the building; 3) a pressure measurement instrument called a manometer to measure the pressure difference across the fan and the building envelope.


Drain Water Heat Recovery

The use of a heat exchanger to recover energy and reuse drain water heat from various activities such as dishwashing, clothes washing, and especially showers. The technology reduces energy consumption for water heating and is also known 

as water heat recycling, drain-line heat exchange, or grey-water heat recovery.


EnerGuide

The official Government of Canada mark associated with the labeling and rating of the energy consumption or energy efficiency of specific products. EnerGuide® labeling exists for appliances, heating and cooling equipment, houses, and vehicles.


Energy Rating (ER) for Windows

The energy rating (ER) value is calculated using a formula that balances a product’s U-value with its potential solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) and its airtightness. The higher the number, the more energy-efficient the product. ER values normally range from 0 to 50.


ENERGY STAR

The international symbol of premium energy efficiency. Products that display the ENERGY STAR® symbol have been tested according to prescribed procedures and have been found to meet or exceed higher energy efficiency levels without compromising performance.


Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV)

A fully ducted system that delivers fresh-filtered outside air into the house, while moving stale air out. As the fresh air passes the stale air (in separate chambers), the heat from the hot stale air is passed to the cool fresh air, pre-warming it before it is heated. This action reduces the amount of energy it takes to heat the home.


Low-Emissivity (Low-E) Coating

The coating put on glass to reduce its thermal (heat) emissivity (loss). Low-E-coated windows can provide greater thermal efficiency (insulation properties) than regular windows.


WaterSense

WaterSense®, a partnership program developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to reduce water usage by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Products and services that have earned the WaterSense label have been certified to be at least 20% more efficient without sacrificing performance.


R-Value (Insulation)

A measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. Thermal resistance is a measure of a temperature difference by which an object or material resists a heat flow. Therefore, the higher the R-value, the more effectively the insulation resists the transfer of heat (that is, less heat escapes your home in the winter and less heat enters your home in the summer).


Resources:

“Glossary of Terms.” City of Edmonton, Source

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