By Guy Patterson
RMOW Community Housing Planner
When it comes to green building in Whistler there is some good
news and bad news, but the heat is on building better and that’s good.
Here is the good news: buildings account for about half of all
the energy consumed in the United States, and also for 50 per cent of that
country’s carbon dioxide emissions. Here in Whistler, buildings consume 60 per
cent of our energy and are the source of 40 per cent of the community’s
greenhouse gas emissions. Good news? Certainly. These data mean that we can
combat climate change from the comfort of our homes, offices, restaurants,
hotel rooms and nightclubs. In fact, we can combat climate change while improving
the comfort of these spaces.
More good news: as we learn more about how much energy
buildings consume, we also discover endless opportunities for improvement. For
decades at least, building scientists, engineers, architects and amateurs have
been developing myriad solutions to make our indoor lives better. Excepting an
unfortunate 1970s trend in windows that could not be opened, when buildings are
designed to use less energy, they invariably provide a more pleasant
environment for occupants. The benefits of energy efficiency include fresh air,
consistent temperatures and ample natural light.
Sadly, other trends can scuttle the promise of evolving and
constantly improving energy efficiency techniques. For example, while North
American families are getting smaller, their homes are expanding: home size per
occupant has increased threefold since the 1950s. In resort communities like
Whistler, homes are larger than the national average, and also tend to
incorporate complex features that further increase materials and energy
consumption. Results for non-residential buildings are similarly troubling;
that is, despite our ninja-like abilities to design energy-saving structures
and equipment, many buildings are getting bigger, more complex and as a result,
more energy intensive.
Happily, change is in the air. The government of British
Columbia recently acted in an uncharacteristically nimble fashion introducing
changes to the provincial Building Code mandating specific energy and water
efficiency measures in all new buildings. These changes bolster ongoing efforts
in our own community to develop and disseminate a set of locally appropriate
green building guidelines known as Whistler Green. In addition to energy and
water efficiency targets more ambitious than those recently mandated by the
province, Whistler Green addresses four other key building performance
objectives: site works and landscaping, waste, materials and indoor
environment.
Whistler Green is an important component in the RMOW’s
multi-faceted approach to meeting
Whistler2020’s
description of success for the built environment. In a related
decision, Whistler Council adopted a Green Building Policy which follows
leading municipalities like San Francisco and Vancouver in establishing targets
to improve the performance of all new construction and renovation projects. The
policy requires development permit and rezoning applicants to complete a green
building checklist describing all of the measures they will take to minimize
site impacts, save energy, water and materials, reduce waste and improve indoor
air quality. The RMOW also plans to develop a green building awards program, so
that architects, builders and property owners can gain recognition not only for
promising to build green, but for demonstrating, documenting and communicating
their results.
We know that building construction and operation contribute to
climate change, and that the constellation of scientific evidence, technical
competence, public opinion and government regulation promises to make building
green the new norm. Buildings are increasingly judged not just on their
aesthetic or functional attributes, but on their capacity to minimize energy
use and in some cases generate more energy than they actually require. How long
before homeowners brag about reducing their kilowatt hours and using their home
more efficiently rather than expecting accolades for installing a new hot tub
or media room? Let’s hope not long.
Code Green has arrived, Whistler Green is trying to help our
community lead the way beyond.
To KNOW MORE about other actions that are moving our
community toward Whistler2020, to tell us how you’re contributing, or to find
out how we’re performing visit
www.whistler2020.ca
.
