If you’re concerned about the environment, you probably aspire to one day live in a greener, LEED certified house. Following are some realistic criteria that will get you closer to your goal.
1- A Location Near Public Transport
Is your house located in an area where public transport is facilitated by infrastructure and bus routes? This is one of the criteria for LEED certification. More and more, we want to build neighborhoods housing several residents (condos and townhouses) who can travel on foot or by public transportation, without the need for a car. In fact, some cities require that there be only one parking space per residence.
2- Good Management of Runoff Water
Planning professionals, such as landscape architects, have been sounding the alarm for several years: poor management of rainwater harms infrastructure, in particular by overloading sewers. Land that is designed to absorb water is ideal, be it by using recovery basins or large plant areas.
3- A Reduction in Heat Islands
Black paved surfaces are a scourge in residential areas without mature trees. They generate a lot of heat which creates suffocating radiation and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Opting for light-coloured paving slabs is one way to reduce this impact. Also, it’s best to limit the asphalted and concreted areas to a bare minimum (by covering only the space necessary for parking) and top it off with lawn or greenery.
4- Properly Dispose of Renovation Waste
You’re in the middle of a bathroom renovation and just about everything gets a makeover: outdated floorings, cracked vanity and worn shower curtains. The trash bin seems the perfect place for disposing of any detritus however, this is not a sustainable approach. Reuse what you can, give away what is still good and drop off any recyclable materials at a sorting centre.
5- Impermeability to Radon
This criterion is particularly easy to implement if you’re in the middle of building your house. Radon can have harmful effects on the health of a building’s occupants and on the planet. Currently, in Quebec, almost all buildings contain it (fortunately, only a tiny amount). LEED certification requires that a property be 100% protected, by installing an active depressurisation column.
6- Avoid Having an Attached Garage
To prevent the air in your home from being polluted by exhaust gases and chemicals (engine oil, etc.), LEED certification suggests that you not have a garage built into the building.
7- A Large Closed Vestibule
In order to create a thermal barrier to prevent the air conditioning from escaping in summer and the cold air from entering in winter, a large vestibule is required. It must be large enough for several occupants to be there at the same time, with the doors closed (exterior and interior), and allow them to take off their shoes and remove their coats.
8- The Use of Solar Energy Through Windows
Solar energy is a renewable, energy-efficient and accessible resource. How to capture its hot rays? Through the windows! Of course, these must be oriented to the south since it is in this direction that the hours of sunshine are the longest. However, it’ll be necessary to install efficient blinds during the summer so as not to consume more electricity to operate the air conditioning system.
9- The Choice of Materials
A final non-negligible criterion - perhaps even the most important - is the choice of materials during renovations or construction. Wood should be your first choice and should originate from responsible sources. The use of MDF panels made of rice residue or even hemp-based insulation are also among the choices encouraged by LEED certification.
Does your house already meet some of these criteria?