At Sonbuilt Custom Homes we are very supportive of the industries leading technologies that promote healthy and environmentally energy efficient homes. We have been utilizing building technologies based on the R2000 guidelines for over 10 years.

What is R-2000?

Developed in partnership with Canada’s residential construction industry, R-2000 is an initiative of NRCan’s Office of Energy Efficiency.  It’s aim: to promote the use of cost-effective energy-efficient building practices and technologies.

Since being introduced over 20 years ago, the R-2000 Standard has set the benchmark for home building in Canada.  The Standard is continually upgraded to include new technologies as they become established in the marketplace. And it’s flexible enough to apply to any type of home.

Want to know more:  visit the web sit of Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca

R-2000 Homes Are

Energy Efficient

The R-2000 Standard is based on an energy consumption target for each house and a series of technical requirements for ventilation, air-tightness, insulation, choice of materials, water use and other factors.  The requirements are rigorous - about 40% above building codes.  The  result is new houses that use at least 30% less energy than conventional new houses. 

Environmentally Friendly

Today, more than ever, and R-2000 home is the right environment choice.  By using less energy, R-2000 houses produce fewer greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Certified

Building to the R-2000 Standard requires new home builders to earn a license by taking specialized training and they require annual  upgrading to maintain their certification.

Voluntarily Built

Home builders who build to the R-2000 Standard do so because they believe an R-2000 home is a better home.  Buyers choose them for their superior energy efficiency, comfort, and quality.

Built as a system

Your R-2000 home is designed and built as a system.  The walls, roof, basement, windows, doors, heating equipment and the ventilation system are carefully selected by your builder to work together, delivering exceptional energy performance.

Where is the increased value in the home?

Greater Comfort

R-2000 homes are built for exceptional comfort.  They have even, warm temperatures on the coldest winter nights, and are cooler in the heat of summer.

Fresh Air

The whole-house ventilation system built into every R-2000 home delivers a continuous stream of fresh, filtered outdoor air to every room in the house.

Less Dust and Mold

R-2000 construction minimizes drafts, significantly reduces dust and prevents mold-producing moisture   problems.

R-2000 is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada

How will it benefit my family?

Eliminating stale humid air from the home and  introducing outdoor air is very important. Humid air can cause condensation that supports mould growth that in turn releases toxic spores into the air.

In an R-2000 home, stale humid air is removed and replaced by clean, fresh air with a mechanical ventilation system called a heat recovery ventilator, or HRV.  The HRV captures and recycles much of the heat from the outgoing stale air and uses it to warm up incoming air, which also saves energy. By constantly circulating outdoor air, the HRV helps eliminate the cold spots which causes the  condensation that encourages mould growth.

An HRV is mandatory in every R-2000 home. It is integrated to work safely and in balance with all the other fans in the house, such as those above the stove and in the clothes dryer, furnace room and bathrooms.

Another major cause of poor indoor air quality is the increase of pollutants that are “off-gassing” chemicals into the indoor environment. These pollutants can come from many sources - anything from introduced materials, such as home furnishings and carpets, to structural and finishing materials, such as particleboard and paints. And the problem is everywhere in the homes and buildings in which we live, work and play.

R-2000 homes systematically control these pollutants. The solution is to either eliminate polluting materials in the construction process or effectively seal them in order to prevent hazardous chemical emissions in the home.

Reducing the sources of the pollutants and the ability of remaining pollutants to escape into the air are the starting points for healthy indoor air.

Today one in five Canadian has respiratory problems. Don’t let members of your family become part of that statistic.