Deadline for the Ontario GreenSpec Home Sweet Home Competition Dec. 31/2010

There is this neat little website out there called Ontario Green Spec. It’s an online directory that’s FREE to the public and lists companies in Ontario that specialize in different services and materials specific to building green. While the site is still in “beta” or test phase, it’s worthwhile perusing through if you’re looking for services to help you green your next home build or renovation. The really neat thing about this website is that all of the services, materials and resources listed are in Ontario.

In keeping with its green building theme, OntarioGreenSpec.ca is running its second annual Home Sweet Home green building competition and  the deadline is December 31, 2010 for entries. The competition highlights fantastic green residential building projects completed in 2010. The point of the competition is to highlight the teams that have built great green homes or buildings in Ontario. There are four categories of green building that represent the different applications of residential green building. They are:

Production Home of the Year: this category is for homes that can be easily replicated. Its purpose is to encourage a fundamental shift in the way houses are built, using fewer resources, producing tighter buildings.

Custom Home of the Year: this category is for unique green homes that “push the green building envelope” so to speak. These homes tend to be highly creative in their nature and entry is often owner initiated.

Affordable Home of the Year: recognizing that building a green home has to be inclusive, this category is for homes that are built with both operating costs and initial costs in mind.

Renovated Home of the Year: renovating our current home stock into tighter, better performing buildings is likely one of the greenest measures a home owner can make. This category recognizes, and encourages, people to consider a green renovation for their older home.

All four categories will look at such factors as water and energy efficiency, waste minimization, use of third party labeling programs, use of environmentally-friendly materials, and sourcing of these materials as close to the home site as is feasibly possible.

Know of a home that might fit into one of these categories? Find out more about how to enter.