“The results can lead you to make changes that will save as much as 30 per cent on your utility bills.”

More Albertans are “getting energy smart” by seeking energy advisors like Edmonton’s Jennifer Lucas of AmeriSpec Home Inspection Service. “There has been a dramatic increase in the number of requests for energy audits since the ecoENERGY program began,” she says.

Under the ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes program, the Government of Canada gives grants to property owners who complete energy efficiency retrofits based on energy advisors’ recommendations.

Developed by the Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada(NRCan), the residential energy assessment initiative helps property owners make retrofit choices that improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Across Canada, NRCan has contracted with organizations to make licensed, independent energy advisors and residential energy assessment service widely available.

In Calgary, Stephen Farrell of VerdaTech Energy Management & Consulting Services agrees. “We have seen a very positive response and take up by Albertans who want to know how to improve their energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and take advantage of available government grants.”

“The ecoENERGY program is a very popular program, and helps thousands of Canadians to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, save money and do their bit for the environment.”

Since 2004, Lucas, a trainer with the ecoENERGY Program, has been conducting energy audits first under the EnerGuide for Houses Program and now under the ecoENERGY Program. AmeriSpec Home Inspection Service has local evaluators in Calgary, Edmonton and across the province.

“The bulk of our clients are in the process of renovat­ing their homes anyway and are selecting ecofriendly options for their homes,” explains Lucas. “(ecoENERGY) is a user-friendly program that rewards homeowners for making their homes more energy efficient.”

Some of her clients reduce their heating costs with a high-efficiency furnace—which has a grant return of $500. In the City of Edmonton, residents can qualify for another $500 with the city’s CO2RE program.

Finding the leaks
An ecoENERGY audit involves two evaluations, outlines Lucas. Before homeowners begin renovations, the initial, one-hour energy audit must be completed. The energy advisor comes to the house, measures it, does a window count and determines levels of insulation in the walls, the attic and the basement.

They take a look at the current heating system and domestic water heater and depressurize the house with the blower door test. This test assists the evaluator in identifying leakage areas.

In their report, the energy advisor can tell the homeowner what their air changes are in an hour and “how big of a hole they have in their house if we put all their leaks together.” Then they recommend all of the areas where the homeowner can take advantage of the ecoENERGY grant.

“We have to think of the house as a system, and we want to ensure that the homeowner won’t have any indoor air quality issues once their renovations are complete,” explains Lucas. The homeowner has 18 months from the date of the initial audit to complete any or all of the renovations.

The second evaluation follows the homeowner’s renovations. The energy advisor verifies the changes, fills out the grant application form and depressurizes the house again. They complete all the paperwork, submitting the electronic files and application form to Natural Resources Canada.

Farrell adds that homeowners will be issued an ENERGUIDE rating. They can use the rating when selling their home to demonstrate its improvements and energy efficiency.

dollars and sense
Newer to the market, another tool is the home energy monitor like the PowerCost Monitor by Newfoundland’s Blue Line Innovations.

The real-time, direct feedback display device for domestic energy consumers, will tell you how much electricity your home is using in dollars and cents and in kilowatts. Also, it will indicate where you can save money by saving energy and which appliances cost the most.

The PowerCost Monitor consists of a detection unit and a separate display unit. Known as the sensor unit, the detection unit is affixed to an existing household utility meter with a simple ring clamp.

While the display unit receives a wireless signal from the transmitter and displays the consumption information in real time and in dollars and cents to the end user. Available in Canada, the PowerCost Monitor can be purchased online through the website http://www.save-electricity.ca.

“The response to the Monitor has been extremely positive,” says Shaun Markey, director of public relations, Blue Line Innovations. “The product is quite new to the market … Since the Monitor is one of only very few innovations on the market that helps homeowners to conserve energy, electrical utilities are interested in it and several have entered into agreements with us.”

The company has agreements with several electrical utilities in North America, such as Hydro One in Ontario. Typically, the utility provides the monitor to their customers on a discounted basis. In western Canada, Blue Line Innovations has only had preliminary discussions with electrical utilities.

Elementary, dear Wattson
Design wise, the most form-meets-function monitor is cool, contemporary Wattson 01 by Britain’s DIY Kyoto. The portable wireless unit allows instant reading of electricity use anywhere in the home within approximately 30 metres of the transmitter.

A mood light will breathe and pulse, changing colour when you alter how much electricity you use. For example, it will turn cool blue for small amounts of electricity being used and warning red for high energy consumption.

While the Wattson 01 has had an incredible response in North America, it’s not yet available in Canada. The company expects it to be released here in the third quarter of this year.
“The Canadian market has already had several test runs with energy monitors in Ontario domestic households,” says Greta Corke, co-founder of DIY Kyoto. “Within Canada, the culture seems to have eco awareness much more integrated.”

ON THE WEB
For more information:
www.finishrich.com
www.randomhouse.ca
www.amerispec.net
www.nrcan.gc.ca
www.energyexperts.ca
www.save-electricity.ca
www.bluelineinnovations.com
www.diykyoto.com