How energy-efficient, affordable homes could help Canadian renters and manufacturers alike

May 1

construction worker adding energy efficient lining to window frame — For builder and consultant Mark Bernhardt, affordable homes can and should be built with energy efficiency in mind. Photo submitted by Mark Bernhardt

By Alexa MacKie

Smart building doesn’t need to mean high-tech gadgets and “smart” appliances — just ask Mark Bernhardt, who has been building high-performance energy-efficient homes across Canada for two decades.

“Actually, most of our buildings are kinda dumb,” he said. “They’re not smart buildings, they’re simple, easy to operate.”

Bernhardt said building energy-efficient homes is all about minimizing the house’s surface area with a simple design, an envelope-first approach creating long-lasting structures with less energy, making other parts of the house like heating and cooling systems easier to operate and less energy-consuming — and that energy efficiency can and should “definitely” extend to affordable housing.

“There’s no good business case for building a crummy building,” he said.

Bernhardt is not alone in his desire to see more affordable, energy-efficient homes in Canada. Local leaders across the country are also making the case to federal leaders.

Mayors and councillors across Canada signed an April 11 open letter calling for “bold and achievable” climate-related ideas for the next federal government to implement. One of those ideas is building at least two million affordable energy-efficient homes.

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