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What is an R-2000 home?

R-2000 homes are conceivably the most energy-efficient, environmentally responsible homes available in today's real estate marketplace.

Every R-2000 home is designed, built, tested and certified to meet exacting technical standards that exceed current Canadian building codes. A unique blend of technology and crafts -- R-2000 homes offer significant energy savings, health and comfort advantages, and are more friendly to the environment.

R-2000 homes feature

• a whole-house, continuous ventilation system;
• more environmentally-friendly materials and equipment;
• advanced heating and cooling systems;
• energy-efficient appliances and lighting;
• energy-efficient windows and doors;
• a "tight" building envelope to reduce drafts and heat loss; and
• high levels of insulation.

What are the benefits?

• better air quality
• environmentally-friendly
• less noise and less dust
• fewer drafts and cold spots
• more comfortable than a conventional home
• lower energy bills
  

Some are easily quantified in dollars and cents, while others are not. Energy savings, for example, can be readily determined. An R-2000 home can cut your energy bills by as much as 50 per cent over a conventionally-built house. The resale value of an R-2000 home is usually higher. Also some banks offer special mortgage rates, further reducing the operating costs of owning a home.

Other benefits are not easily measured financially, but nonetheless can have significant value. For example, better air quality usually means healthier living conditions. Some people with respiratory problems have experienced marked improvement after moving into an R-2000 home. Other benefits such as improved comfort, less noise, less dust and fewer drafts are often mentioned by satisfied R-2000 homeowners. Many appreciate that their R-2000 home is better-built. Finally, the fact that a new R-2000 home is easier on the environment is a benefit that accrues to all of us.

How Much Does it Cost?

Is it worth it?

Based on survey results, most of the current R-2000 homeowners say "yes". But only you, the buyer, can properly answer this question. Keep in mind that not all the benefits of R-2000 living can be measured in dollars and cents. For some people, families with small children and those who suffer from allergies and asthma, for example, the superior air quality of an R-2000 home may be considered priceless.

But choosing R-2000 can make good financial sense, too. A simple way is to compare costs and benefits. If you can put a common value to the costs and benefits outlined here, the answer to that question could be easily calculated. You could simply list the costs and the benefits that are important to you, assign a value to each one, and compare the results. You then could make your decision accordingly.

Of course it is not easy to assign values to some intangible benefits. It also can be difficult to compare up-front, so-called capital costs, with energy savings that accumulate over the life of the house. Therefore, such a simple analysis may not be sufficient.

Another way to answer this question is to look at the cash flow implications of buying an R-2000 home. In many cases, an R-2000 home can actually save money, right from the start. The reason is simple. A home's purchase price is just one of the costs of ownership. The other is the operating cost -- the cost of financing, maintenance, property taxes and energy.