Main Navigation
Go to Sub Navigation

Green Housing Incentive Program

 The City of Kitchener, in partnership with Community Renewable Energy Waterloo (CREW), offers a grant program that is intended to encourage homebuilders and homebuyers to invest in green buildings, and offset direct building impacts on energy, water and waste for new home construction.

 Doing so will entitle homebuilders to incremental grants for every green home they build; and long-term cost savings for green-home buyers, who will enjoy reduced energy and water bills, as well as health benefits through improved indoor air quality, as a result of the green technology used to build their homes.

 Funding for the incentive program, in the amount of $500,000 over three years -- 2010-2012 -- was approved by city council as part of a Local Environmental Action Fund application made by CREW, in conjunction with the city's building division.

 Under the terms of the program, residential dwellings built and certified to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards will receive a financial incentive in the form of a grant. The amount of the grant is incremental dependent upon the LEED performance level. For example, a single-detached dwelling built to a LEED platinum standard would receive a larger grant than a single detached dwelling built to the base LEED certification standard.

 Building to LEED standard takes the current ENERGY STAR standard, required for all new building, to the next level -- incorporating greater requirements in more environmental areas, including energy, water and air quality.

 Building new homes to LEED standards will also:

  •  Reduce Kitchener's carbon footprint by approximately 3,600 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over three years.
  • Provide substantial water and landfill savings.
  • Provide human health benefits, including improved indoor and outdoor air quality through the reduction of fossil-fuel use.

 Green-homeowners enjoy:

  • Lower energy and water bills
  • Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
  • Less exposure to mould, mildew and other indoor toxins; improved quality of life.

 Application process for homebuilders

 The city has made the process of applying for a KGHIP extremely simple for homebuilders. 

  • Builder is notified of the grant each time they apply for a building permit.
  • Builder applies to the city for grant funding after building a new home; third-party verification of LEED is required.
  • City reviews application; if LEED certificate if valid and application is complete city pays builder.

For more information, please see:

 For more information, please contact us at 519-741-2312.

 

 

 

 

Mobify empowers marketers and developers to create amazing mobile web experiences. Tap to learn more

Mobify