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Reading through the paper last weekend, I noticed two ads for suburb developments that got me thinking. Which is a good thing, because usually the ads for “Pine Woods” and “Elm Lanes” just get me upset, because they mean that a place that formerly had trees has been razed to the ground, stripped of valuable top soil and *poof*, one more piece of habitat has left the face of the earth forever (or for a really, really, really long time anyway).

But one of the ads I saw was for a new construction development that will be entirely heated and cooled through geothermal systems. (To me this just makes sense! Just install a larger system while the ground is ripped up anyway. The energy efficiency of each home will be very high while the utility costs for each home will be very low. Who wouldn’t want that?) The other ad noted that suburb homeowners could opt to have solar panels mounted on the roof of their new home for no extra charge, and they could then buy electricity at a reduced rate. (A renewable energy supplier is essentially leasing real estate for their panels from new home buyers and panel installation is just part of home construction. Brilliant!)

As a conservationist, I irrationally hate the idea that people need to (choose to!) live in new housing developments beyond current borders. That is totally not fair, I know, but I find myself applauding those who renovate older homes, or buy into loft conversions and new condo developments within existing cities or towns.

But, grudgingly, I recognize that new construction has to happen as our population increases. I think sites should be chosen that are not prime habitat for native wildlife, nor a popular corridor for their travels between prime areas. And new housing should be mixed together with parks, municipal service buildings and small retail stores. And they should be connected to public transit and sprinkled with bike lanes. I’d like to see them become new communities of their own, really, not some bump on the outer reaches of a municipal planning map!

Yes, it’s a long wish list! Given all that, and the smart use of highly efficient and renewable energy sources, perhaps I can live with some new housing development. Can you?

Now that the nights are cooling down here in Toronto, home heating is back on the radar. My 1940s home has radiators powered by gas, which makes for a nice warm feel, but I’d like to move to a greener option.

If we had forced air ductwork, I’d look at a high-efficiency heat pump. There is an air-source option now available from Mitsubishi. The Zuba-Central both heats and cools, and unlike most air-source heat pumps sold in Canada, it’s able to run efficiently when it’s as cold as -30 degrees C outside. (It will work in lower temperatures, just not at the same efficiency level.) The Zuba-Central connects to your existing forced air infrastructure using an internal unit that replaces your furnace and an external unit that collects or sheds heat energy (depending on the season) via a coolant loop. I think it’s a great option – but for my home, I have to wait for a ductless version, since we only have radiators.

Of course, for those of you with suitable property, there are geothermal options. While these are typically $30,000 plus to install, they are very efficient.

To make geothermal or air-source heat pumps even greener, you could change your household electricity provider to Bullfrog Power (or another renewable energy provider). Then you’d be running a super-efficient furnace without burning any fossil fuels at all, effectively heating your home without a carbon impact. Wow!

To address our situation, my partner and I are evaluating on-demand hot-water systems that will power my household hot water and the radiators as well, perhaps fed by a solar hot water heater mounted on the roof. Or perhaps we could have ductwork installed in our attic. It’s not easy to retrofit an older home!

Are you trying to move to a greener home heating option?