Demonstrated Sustainability: A 3-Part Series on Building What Lasts

The Hidden Side of Green: What Makes a Home Sustainable

By Ben Jardine, P.Eng., Founder and President of The BestLife Group

In our last article, I talked about why sustainable building isn’t optional anymore—how regulation, energy prices, and buyer expectations are redefining what “standard” means in construction.

Now let’s talk about what actually makes a home perform sustainably. Because the truth is, the most important features of a high-performance home aren’t the ones that make the marketing brochure. It’s not always solar panels or green roofs. It’s not flashy finishes or oversized mechanical systems.

The features that matter most are often the ones you can’t see at all—what’s behind the drywall, under the siding, or built into the form and orientation of the home itself.

Start With the Envelope

If you want a home that truly performs, it starts with the envelope—the shell that separates inside from outside. Walls, roof, foundation, windows, and doors all work together to determine whether that home will hold its heat in winter, stay cool in summer, and operate efficiently year-round.

At BestLife, we focus on three core envelope elements:

1. Insulation

You don’t need the fanciest materials. You need the right R-value in the right places.

• For example, code might require R60 in the attic—but for a 25% cost premium, we can often go to R100, dramatically reducing heat loss.
• And in some cases, it’s better to use a standard material like fiberglass in larger volumes than to splurge on “greener” materials in minimal amounts.

If your resources are limited, spend them where they’ll make the biggest difference—and that’s almost always in the envelope.

2. Air Sealing and Membranes

Drafts and air leaks kill efficiency and comfort. A properly installed air barrier system—membranes, taping, and continuous sealing—keeps outside air out and conditioned air in.

This not only boosts energy performance but also reduces moisture issues, improves indoor air quality, and makes the building quieter and more durable.

📌 According to Deep Energy Retrofits, comprehensive air leakage control can reduce energy costs by up to 30% by sealing common energy-loss points.
 (deepenergyretrofits.ca)

3. High-Performance Windows

Windows are a double-edged sword: vital for natural light and livability, but a major source of heat transfer.
 We use:

• Triple-pane glass
• Low-E coatings
• Proper sizing and placement for solar gain in winter and shading in summer

📌 Natural Resources Canada (NRC) states that windows, doors, and skylights can account for up to 35% of total home heat loss, reinforcing why performance glazing matters.

📌 According to Magic Window, upgrading from double to triple-pane windows can improve thermal performance by 20–30%, particularly in cold climates.

We’ve had tenants stay longer because of the amount of natural light in their home. That’s a result of thoughtful design—not accident.

Small Features, Big Impact

Beyond the envelope, there are a host of simple, effective technologies that make a significant difference in everyday energy use, often without costing much.

Smart Thermostats and Zoned HVAC

A Nest or similar thermostat that auto-adjusts based on occupancy can prevent energy waste when no one’s home.
 Pair that with zoned systems—where you can control different areas independently—and you’re not heating or cooling areas unnecessarily.

📌 Save on Energy reports that smart thermostats can help homeowners save up to 8% annually on heating and cooling bills.
 (saveonenergy.ca)

LED Lighting and Energy Star Appliances

LED lighting is now standard, and for good reason:

• Up to 90% less energy used

   

• 15x longer lifespan compared to incandescent bulbs

📌 NRC confirms that ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs use significantly less electricity and last up to 15 times longer, helping reduce long-term lighting costs.
 (NRC – LED Lighting)

Add ENERGY STAR appliances, and you’ve got built-in, automatic savings baked into daily life.

Low-Flow Plumbing Fixtures

Water conservation doesn’t get as much attention in Ontario as it does in drought-prone regions, but it still matters, especially because water heating is energy-intensive.

📌 NRC estimates that water heating accounts for 17–20% of a typical home’s energy use. Low-flow fixtures reduce both water usage and energy bills.
 (NRC – Water Heating)

Installing the following can reduce utility costs while improving sustainability without impacting user experience.:

• Low-flow showerheads
• Dual-flush toilets
• Aerated faucets

Design Is a Technology Too

A home’s shape, orientation, and layout are just as critical as its materials. These choices are baked in before construction even begins, so they don’t add cost, just thoughtfulness.

At BestLife, we prioritize:

• Solar Orientation: Glazing on south-facing walls to capture winter sun.
• Shading and Overhangs: Trees and rooflines that reduce summer overheating.
• Compact Form: Simpler shapes that lose less heat through exterior walls.

📌 NRC promotes passive solar strategies that use orientation, window sizing, and thermal mass to reduce reliance on mechanical systems.
 (NRC – Passive Solar Design)

Sustainable building doesn’t always mean high-tech. Sometimes it just means smart planning.

Thinking Ahead Without Overbuilding

A common misconception is that sustainable building means maxing out on everything—solar, batteries, automation, off-grid backup. But most buyers don’t want or need all of that on day one.

What they do want (and what we build) is future-ready homes.

We call it provisioning:

• EV-ready wiring to the garage
• Conduits for future solar inverters
• Panel capacity to support AC or battery backup
• Mechanical layouts that allow easy upgrades without major renovation

It’s how we help homeowners build once and build smart.

Our Approach

At BestLife, our base build includes what many others call upgrades:

• Above-code insulation where it matters most
• Carefully sized, high-performance windows
• Fully integrated air barrier systems
• Smart, efficient lighting and plumbing
• Nest-compatible controls and future-focused infrastructure
• Passive solar-aware design and efficient drainage planning

This isn’t our “green package.” This is the standard we believe every home deserves.

Because performance, comfort, and resilience aren’t luxuries. It’s just “good building.”