The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) announced on Wednesday that it has certified 10 projects under its Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) standard.

The projects—four of which are located in Ontario—span a breadth of uses, including new and existing offices, schools and warehouses. All of which is proof, says the council, that any type or age of building can achieve zero carbon.

Mohawk College’s Joyce Centre receives dual certification

Under the ZCB standard, a building can be certified to design or performance standards. The design certification assures a project has been designed according to zero carbon building requirements, while the performance certification demonstrates the project has achieved zero carbon emissions over one year of operation.

One of Canada’s first zero carbon pilot projects, The Joyce Centre for Partnership and Innovation at Mohawk College, has achieved both certifications. The Joyce Centre design reflects a strong focus on zero-carbon, with a high-performance building envelope that minimizes heating and cooling demand, an all-electric geoexchange system, and a rooftop photovoltaic system.

The careful, integrated design and construction process paid off and building operations have demonstrated better-than-expected performance—enabling the project to achieve ZCB-performance certification.

“The Joyce Centre is a beautiful and functional example of what a sustainable learning space can offer,” said Mohawk College President Ron McKerlie. “This Canada Green Building Council Performance certification confirms that we have been operating The Joyce Centre effectively and that we are meeting the goals we set out in the building’s design.”

“Zero carbon buildings, like The Joyce Centre at Mohawk College, represent a great opportunity for cost-effective emissions reduction,” said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO, CaGBC and CEO, GBCI Canada. “These projects spur innovation in design, building materials and technology while creating new skills and expertise for tradespeople and professionals. Owners are also recognizing the benefits a zero-carbon building can bring, including increased resiliency to extreme weather events, meeting occupant expectations for comfort and corporate leadership, and future-proofing against rising carbon costs.”

Made-in-Canada standard

Introduced two years ago, the ZCB Standard was designed to guide the industry in building to zero and help Canada meet its international emissions targets by 2030. Since its launch, the standard has shifted the green building conversation to focus on carbon as its key performance metric.

The CaGBC says a carbon metric recognizes the true climatic impact of a building and brings to light aspects not considered by energy efficiency, including the importance of selecting low-carbon construction materials and energy sources for building operations.

The projects that have already achieved ZCB certification include:

• evolv1 in Waterloo (ZCB – design)
• The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation, Mohawk College in Hamilton (ZCB – design and performance)
• 100 Murray Street in Ottawa (ZCB – performance)
• Building NX, Humber College in Toronto (ZCB – design)
• Cima+ Sherbrooke in Sherbrooke, QC (ZCB – design)
• Rayside Labossière architects in Montréal, QC (ZCB – design)
• École Curé-Paquin in Saint-Eustache, QC (ZCB – design)
• 355 Wilkinson Ave in Dartmouth, NS (ZCB – design)
• 495 Wilkinson Ave in Dartmouth, NS (ZCB – design)