Photo courtesy CMHC

CMHC's Sustainable Housing Demonstration initiative—Equilibrium (EQ)—brings the private and public sectors together to develop homes that combine resource- and energy-efficient technologies with renewable energy technologies to reduce their environmental impact. This EQ home is located in Manotick, Ont.

Canadians have received $3 million in premium refunds through Canadian Mortage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC's) Green Home mortgage insurance program. This milestone shows interest in energy-efficient sustainable design and construction remains high in Canada.

CMHC's Charles Sauriol told Construction Canada Online the program allows borrowers to obtain a mortgage insurance premium refund of 10 per cent when CMHC loan insurance is used to finance the purchase or construction of an energy-efficient home or to finance energy-saving renovations. For example, someone who obtains a typical $250,000 mortgage with a five per cent down payment can benefit from a mortgage insurance premium refund of about $690.

In order to be eligible for the program, which has been in effect since 2004, the home must meet one of the following requirements:
1. The house is an energy-efficient R-2000 model.
2. The house has been assessed by a qualified Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) energy advisor and has an energy efficiency rating of 80* or above.
3. It was or will be built under a CMHC eligible energy-efficient building program.
4. The building in which a condominium unit being purchased is 25 per cent more energy-efficient than if constructed to meet the requirements of the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB).