Hii!!! (:

       First I would like to thank Tio Coat and their flat roof solutions! This company makes a white roof or rubber roof coating that is guaranteed for the life of the building. If every building had a white roof the whole world would be cooler. Also green lawn care with sustainable equipment  adds to a property’s environmental footprint.  Thank you so much guys for your sponsorship of the Miss Teen Canada-World blog!

Edmonton is a great city! Festivals, pride and Hockey!! I love it! I see nature coming together with the Urban Life – busy but relaxing!  When I go to my mom’s work downtown and we walk for a bit we see buildings, cars and trees…lots of trees especially around the Legislature Grounds  – one of my favorite places to walk around.

But what makes a building green? A Building is green when it tries to conserve resources during construction and throughout the operation of a building.  It also integrates building materials and methods that promote environmental quality, economic vitality, and social benefits through the design, construction and operation of the built environment.  A Green building merges sound, environmentally responsible practices into a discipline that looks at the environmental, economic and social effects of a building or built project as a whole.

So to summarize: A green building is designed to save energy, water, materials and to be less wasteful.  The protection of the environment both indoor and outdoor plus the reinforcement of natural systems!  I learn something new every day!!! (:

Green buildings can contribute to the protection, restoration of biodiversity, urban agriculture, improves comfort, productivity, and livability for the people who occupy them.

Two notable examples of green buildings in Edmonton are the Robbins Health Learning Centre at Grant MacEwan University and the Edmonton Police Service Southeast Division station

While I was searching for information on buildings that are consider green in Edmonton I also found these two stories:

Habitat for Humanity!

Habitat Edmonton takes home 6 awards from national AGM

Habitat for Humanity Canada held its Annual General Meeting on May 4th. As a result of our volunteers, community partners and staff, Habitat Edmonton took home 6 awards:

1. Outstanding Tithe Contribution. Our “tithe” contributions to Habitat Canada goes      towards building homes overseas. For every home we build locally we build      one overseas.
2. SHE Award for Outstanding Health & Safety. This award recognizes the affiliate who has      established a safety management system specific to all activities within      their operation that address safety, health of employees/volunteers, and      protection of the environment.
3. Green Building Award. The Award recognizes the affiliate who has reached the highest      Energy Efficiency building standard for their province and incorporated      sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact during construction      and occupancy.
4. ReStore Innovation Award. This Award recognizes ReStore STAFF and VOLUNTEERS      for their leadership, accomplishments and innovation with their front line      volunteers, within their affiliates and community.
5. ReStore Sustainability Award. This Award recognizes the ONE location within the      Habitat for Humanity Canada ReStore community that has demonstrated      leadership in the area of environmental sustainability from a ReStore      perspective.
6. Affiliate Award of Excellence (Large Urban – 541K+). The Award recognizes affiliates for extraordinary      accomplishments in advancing Habitat for Humanity’s mission.

So proud to be a part of Edmonton where Habitat for Humanity Edmonton  works to give a hand up to those that work hard to help themselves!

Green Building in Edmonton

The Edmonton store opened in May 1998 in a refurbished grocery store. By converting an existing building we saved construction materials and all their embodied energy costs.

Materials

The canopy soffits (the triangular extensions under the eaves) are made from timber recovered from the MacMillan Bloedel plant in Port Alberni, BC. We like the look of natural materials, so the concrete floors are exposed. Minimal floor and ceiling coverings reduce material consumption, and in the case of the floors, require minimal energy consumption for maintenance.

The walls and roof are insulated with efficient Rockwool, made from fibres spun from melted minerals and bonded with various binders. It contains 50% recycled content and provides insulation above the National Energy Code standard.

Energy

100% of the electricity used in the store is generated by Bullfrog power. For all the electricity we use, an off-setting amount is fed into the public grid from turbines on a wind farm. This keeps 466 tonnes of green-house gases out of the atmosphere every year.

To reduce energy consumption, we use high-efficiency fixtures controlled by auto dimmers. Exit signs are lit with high-efficiency LEDs, and the washroom lights have occupancy sensors to turn them off when empty.

A central management system controls ceiling-mounted extractor fans with electronic operators and a high-efficiency, gas-fired hot water supply. CO2 sensors ensure an adequate intake of fresh outside air, without permitting excess that would waste energy to heat or cool. Photocells turn the Exterior lighting and signs on at dusk and the central system turns them off at dawn.

Water

Landscaping on the south side helps reduce urban warming and allows more natural drainage to reduce the burden on the city’s storm water drainage system. The consumption of potable water is minimized through pressureassisted toilets and faucets, and electronic urinal flushing. Faucets are electronically controlled.

We hope the environmental initiatives used in our buildings inspire others. Greener electricity is one of the easiest to adopt. It’s available to any business or individual, with no installations or building modifications required. It does cost slightly more, but there is the option of buying Wind Power Certificates for some or all of a building’s consumption. The total monthly cost difference for a typical home is less than a few upscale coffees, and the GHG reductions are considerable.