Global trends have builders thinking green
Published on March 25, 2011
Emerging as a leader in green building products and technologies, Alberta’s green building sector, according to the provincial government has enormous potential to expand existing product lines and introduce new technologies, allowing for builders and consumers to build green in a variety of ways.
Jason Friesen, co-owner of Jayco Builders Inc. located in Bow Island, expressed that incentives offered by municipal, provincial and federal government assisted companies, similar to his, to become green certified and able to build energy efficient in areas such as: air quality, ventilation, lighting and water consumption.
Friesen believes that more consumers are putting their money into better insulation and increasing their properties efficiency. The City of Medicine Hat’s Hat Smart Incentive Program is one of the ways that consumers have been reimbursed in the past for adopting energy- efficient technologies.
“Building Green” refers to more than just energy - efficient construction, the term has evolved to tackle other environmental concerns including emission and solid wastes as well as ecological damage,” said Tracy Heebner, Rural Business Enhancement Officer at the Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta. “This has allowed Alberta businesses to introduce products such as roof shingles made of recycled tires and pre-manufactured components utilizing innovative materials.”
Other companies in southeast Alberta offering green building products are Hiebert Cabinets & Fine Woodwork, which utilizes reclaimed wood for some of their custom cabinetry as well as TERRALTA Inc. who offers renewable energy products such as: geothermal, solar, wind and efficient building systems.
“Awareness is increasing among consumers and building companies are utilizing this opportunity to diversify their operations and get a competitive edge,” said Heebner. “It’s important we raise awareness of the incentive programs we do have in place and hopefully see others develop in the future; there’s local as well as international demand for products and expertise related to green buildings and we see that demand increasing in the future.”
Tracy Heebner’s role with the EDA is to assist companies in rural southeast Alberta gain access to pertinent industry knowledge, funding and expertise to expand or introduce new technologies to market. To learn more about what Tracy or the EDA can do for your business contact 403 488-7015, info@edalliance.ca or visit www.edalliance.ca for more information on opportunities in the green building sector.
These services come at no cost to businesses located in southeast Alberta - funding from the EDA and the Rural Community Adaptation Grant Program (RCAP), a Government of Alberta initiative, made this possible.