Parade of Homes featuring the best of new homes in Manitoba, Canada
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/161409
>> When you're thinking about buying a house, the cost benefits of a new home may surprise you. The building envelope is the physical space between the interior and the exterior of a home — insulation, doors and windows. New homes are so energy efficient that you'll reap significant savings in energy costs. And those savings can really add up, says Mike Moore, president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association. Manitoba is the first province to introduce HRV (heat recovery ventilation). HRV cycles new air from the outdoors into the home as it cycles out older air. It warms the incoming air with heat from the outgoing air. "Manitoba's new homes have the reputation of being some of the most energy-efficient homes in Canada, with the tightest building envelope," he says. "We have to build homes more energy efficient than the other guy because we have such extremes of temperature. Every bit you can save on heating costs is going to help." "This system causes air to flow properly in the home. We're constantly discovering new ways to be energy efficient," Moore says. "We were one of the first provinces to mandate low-flush toilets. We've always been ahead of the curve." 'Manitoba's new homes have the reputation of being some of the most energy-efficient homes in Canada, with the tightest building envelope.' New provincial building codes introduced in 2010 made the standard for new homes even higher, says Pam Vernaus, supervisor of residential programs for Manitoba Hydro Power Smart marketing. "The Power Smart gold standard is now the baseline when building a new home. We're always asking the builders to do a little bit more," Vernaus says. "Considering the climate we're in, we're ahead of the curve. Manitobans buying a new home can be assured they're buying an energy-efficient home that is suitable for our climate." Today's homes improve on past innovations and correct some issues. For instance, HRV resolved some of the problems homeowners were experiencing due to a tighter building envelope. Cont'd on page 118 Parade of Homes Fall 2013 117