Team GTA-GBC is awesome! Lyle worked some magic and organized an all-day outing to see some of actual LEED Platinum & Gold buildings in real life. We spent an amazing and exhilarating Friday getting exclusive tours of Toronto's hidden green gems set in the backdrop of the Humber Valley and acres and acres of green trees, butterflies, and birds. We visited the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) Restoration Services LEED Platinum building, The Kortright Center: EarthRangers (site of the World Green Building Council office), and the Archetype Houses. After the whirl-wind of activities in the last 2 weeks with meeting all the who's who and learning the what's what of the building industry, it was really rewarding to finally get to see how a LEED certified building in action. While at Earth Rangers, we ran into Nicole & Dominick from the World Green Building Council, and they joined us on a tour as well. The amazing part is that for an average consumer with little technical knowledge (like myself), the experience of working and living in a green building will probably be no different than any other type of building (although there is something to be said for having fresh air circulation and natural lighting). Of course, the main difference is behind the scenes- it's the smart, efficient, and savvy use of existing technologies that make green buildings resource efficient and healthier for the environment and soul. Why this hasn't been implemented on a large scale is a mystery to me- but, I'm hopeful that change is happening and orgs like the GBC are making it happen.
My camera died so no photos, but hopefully Marcus will post some. Some fun highlights of the trip:
- Composting toilets at TRCA Restoration Services!
- Solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the Archetype houses (w/ the Green Energy Act FIT, produces $4k annually!!! high cost upfront (~$50K) but simple payback in 10 years- Yay econ 6170!!!)
- Solar PV & wind turbine test sites at the Living City (so awesome!!!)
- Standing inside the groundspring air/fan converter machine thingy (j'amaze- my worse nightmare -claustrophobia, being entombed whilst alive, etc- but so awesome!!!)
- Solar PV arrays in the Earth Rangers parking lot
- A magnificent bald eagle in a bird cage at Earth Rangers (the symbol of American freedom, caged by Canada...oh the irony! :-))
- Recycled paper kitchen countertops in Archetype House!!!
I usually get jealous of the students who have flown all over the world but here we are neighbours and I am green! I think every workplace should have more field trips.
ReplyDeletewow! I would love to go and see all this myself! You are definitely lucky to have had the opportunity.
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