It's becoming cheaper for Edmonton builders to go green.

New incentives from the City of Edmonton are geared to defraying permit costs and spurring builders to become a part of the environmentally friendly Built Green program.

The rebates, part of a three-year program, will vary depending on the Built Green level achieved. Though the amounts are small - $100 for a bronze-certified single-family home, $200 for the silver level and $450 for gold - officials believe it will make a difference.

"We believe it will help to remove any objections from a builder as to why they should become a part of this (program)," says David Bengert, president of the Calgary-based Built Green Society of Canada, which offers its program in Alberta and British Columbia.

And it's not just the dollar value that's important.

"It also sends a message that the city is in support of improving the energy efficiency of new houses in Edmonton," says Brenda Osborne, program manager of CO2RE, a community initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Edmonton.

Built Green encourages homebuilders to use technologies, products and practices that provide greater energy efficiency, reduce pollution, improve indoor air quality, reduce water usage, preserve natural resources and reduce maintenance.

Edmonton now joins neighbouring Strathcona County and Calgary as regions that offer Built Green incentives.

"We were very, very pleased to see municipalities recognizing the value of the program. We always like the carrot approach rather than the stick approach," says Bengert.

However, even with the rebates, the number of Built Green homes in Alberta is still small. But interest is growing.

"It took 15 months to get the first 1,000 homes registered but in less than 24 months we registered another 2,500 homes that have been certified," says Bengert. "The pace has been picking up."

In Edmonton, it's hoped the entire $55,000 that is budgeted for rebates in the first year will be used.

Less than two per cent of the homes in Edmonton are currently being built as Built Green, notes Osborne.

"Part of the reason for our incentive is to try to accelerate the number of Built Green builders and the number of Built Green homes," she says.

Future plans call for the Edmonton rebates to include multi-family dwellings.

Vince Laberge, president of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, Edmonton region, is a strong supporter of the Built Green program even though the general public isn't demanding it yet.

Having Built Green builders will also mean waste-management savings, he notes.

He adds Built Green takes into account a large number of components in the building envelope, ranging from the size of the house and lot to design elements.

It also relates to the builder's business practices, such as whether renewable energy resources like windpower are used and if there is an in-house recycling program.

Based on his experience as a Built Green-certified homebuilder, Laberge says going green could add anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 to the cost of a home, depending on the certification level.

Builders have varying reactions to the program, says Bengert, but there has been growing interest since the rebate announcements.

Doug Anderson, who handles contract sales for the McLeod Building Centre in Spruce Grove, says a lot of the lumber used in a Built Green house is already manufactured to specifications that would fit the program's criteria.

"For the most part, 95 per cent of the lumber in our yards comes from mills that belong to one of four certification groups," says Anderson.

"Most of the lumber in any yard in Edmonton could be used in a Built Green home."

The industry has been proactive and has implemented environmentally friendly practices to harvest lumber in a sustainable manner, he adds.

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)