Sustainable environment is at the heart of many discussions and worries. Construction and renovation belongs, most of the time, to a sector that is not supportive to our planet. At ESPÉ, we act on our ecological impact ! As we are eco general contractor, we are aware of the stakes.
ESPÉ: Eco general contractor
02 May 2023 5 min
What is an Eco contractor ?
It’s a contractor that applies the best practices to build or renovate in a sustainable and healthy way. At ESPÉ, we apply the recommendations used in residential renovation. EcoHome is the organization that delivers the certification.
In Quebec, to get this status, the contractor has to pass a theoretical exam and apply 6 of the 12 following eco responsible actions for renovation sector :
- Sustainable practices
- Give documents to the clients (like informations about radon)
- Reduce uses of fossils energy
- Use ecological, local and upgraded products
- Ecological use of the wastes
- perform an infiltrometry
- install low-flow devices
- Use VOC free paint (volatile organic component )
- Demonstrate 3 ecological options in the show house (building)
- Responsibly manage trees on the work site (more in construction, rare in residential renovation)
- Install a radon solution
- Avoid floodplains, environmentally sensitive areas and wetlands (construction)
Ethical code and eco contractor values are based on environment respect and sustainability. For a renovation company like ours, we have to be naturally sensible about the environment to become eco contractors. Actually, this sector has a high level of pollution (construction industry is about 15% of greenhouse gas emissions at the international level).
Renovation and construction are about a third of the 20 million tons of solid waste in Canada per year. This is why it is important for us to act and become an eco contractor. It’s been many years that we have received this certification and we have experience to support our clients in the ecological renovation of their house.
What are the actions taken by ESPÉ as eco general contractor ?
ESPÉ has put in place several actions. Without limiting ourselves to these examples, we have put in place processes that allow us to offer a green service to our clients. In order to contribute to a circular economy in renovation, we have started to deconstruct instead of demolishing on our work sites. We give recycled materials to people who are interested. We are proud to participate in the Quebec circular economy. We invite you to check the press release written by APCHQ with whom we participated in this project.
To recycle the non-used materials, we installed several kinds of waste garbage to sort. We also use polyuréthane to insulate the homes of our clients. This insulator is ecological, it contains 18% of recyclable materials and no ozone-depleting substances.
We apply our recommendations of radon tests during basement renovations. Our clients are happy to know that their health is important to us and that we are proactive about these tests for their property.
We encourage our clients to choose windows and doors certified Energy Star. These doors and windows are between 15% and 20% more energy efficient than ordinary windows. It allows our clients to save money on their energy bill and to act for the planet. Moreover, there are subsidies allocated to buy these windows or doors. Most of the time, the cost is profitable. Don’t hesitate to contact us to know more about it. We can provide you with a grant guide.
As an Eco general contractor, we must offer building materials better for the health of our clients such as VOC free paints and/or more water-efficient plumbing fixtures.
We also encourage our clients to use DEL lights because it consumes less energy and it lasts longer.
The use of sustainable and healthy materials allows us to reduce our ecological impact and reduce both waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Our construction standards are going beyond what is asked by the National Building Code (NBC). It allows our clients to enjoy their renovation longer. This is sustainability too !
Reminder : the increase of greenhouse gases results in a rise in temperature from which several environmental problems arise…
What benefit for our clients acting with an eco general contractor ?
Choosing ESPÉ as a Eco general contractor, our clients will have the following benefits :
• a more sustainable and healthy house
• a sustainable renovation
• a reduction on electric bills
• acting on the environment, participate to sustainable development
• participate in the Quebec circular economy and local economy buying materials made in Quebec
• possibility to get cumulative grant going up to 40 000 $
To ask for a submission, for your renovation project in Montreal, please click the link to our form here.
