Gary Meine, technologist with ICF manufacturer NUDURA, explains how the LEED building standard differs from the Net Zero Energy standard, and how ICFs can be used to build a LEED structure

In this short video, Gary Meine, architectural technologist for ICF manufacturer NUDURA, explains LEED to residential contractors who may not be familiar with this ultra-environmental building standard.

As Gary tells Rob Koci, while standards like Net Zero Energy focus on measuring energy production and consumption, LEED tends to look at the environment as a whole.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. While LEED is well-established as a commercial building standard in Canada, it has been slower to penetrate the residential homes industry. But it is happening.

Gary explains how ICFs can help a building to qualify as a LEED-certified project.

For example, reducing waste during construction leads to significant LEED "points." A traditional stick-frame house might see 20 per cent or higher material waste. An ICF house can reduce that waste to a few percentage points.

Additionally, an ICF-built house can allow the builder to downsize the HVAC system, again leading to more LEED points than a larger system.

For more information on LEED, please contact the Canada Green Building Council.