Green Homes Are the Future Let’s face it. One of the hot topics on peoples' minds today is the environment. When searching for a home the question becomes whether green homes are being constructed in your desired area or whether existing homes can be made greener. Obviously, PEI green real estate will be in greater demand. So, if you are interested in helping clean up the environment, there are things that can be done to turn existing homes into greener homes. To support energy conservation, the Canadian goverment created the ecoEnergy Efficiency Initiative. Give your home a Residential Energy Assessment, and you can take advantage of grant money that is available to help pay for energy-wise home improvements. You will find an overview of how these grants work below! Go Green with Government Grants to Help Offset Costs! Eligibility: You'd need to pay close attention to the eligibility requirements before moving forward, but here's a summary: - Grants can be obtained for property that is your primary residence or those you rent. Keep in mind that you can apply for a grant only once for a specific property.
- A pre- and post-retrofit Residential Energy Assessment must be completed in order to be eligible.
- Grants apply only to work completed within 18 months of the initial Residential Energy Assessment.
- You must make specific improvements. The person who does your initial Assessment will have the knowledge to tell you which improvements would have the highest impact on your home's energy efficiency. And, of course, the greater the improvement, the more grant money will be available.
The Residential Energy Assessment - The first step is to consult with energy experts to see what the options are. The Office of Energy Efficiency of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has developed an assessment to identify how an existing home uses and/or wastes energy. The NRCan-approved advisors are licensed and independent advisors who will conduct an evaluation, then give advice on how to improve the efficiency of the home which will result in lower heating and cooling costs while ensuring adequate ventilation to maintain a healthy indoor environment. It is estimated at 17 percent of all energy used in Canada is consumed in housing. And as we all know, using energy from fossil fuels contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions which in turn contributes to climate changes which are harmful to the environment. Homes that are more than 25 years old use even more energy, approximately 35%, and even older homes use much more. So, how does the NRCan energy assessment service work? - You schedule the service with the NRCan office and get a detailed energy assessment. Only homes that are evaluated by NRCan’s residential energy assessment service can qualify for a grant. The service includes a “blower door” test to find air leaks.
- A printed report is generated showing where the energy dollars are being spent and will include recommendations on improving the home’s energy efficiency. The service provides an energy efficiency rating label to show how energy efficient your home is compared to others in the region.
- You make specific retrofits to your home based on the advisor's recommendations.
- The energy advisor will conduct a second, or post-retrofit, assessment.
- The energy advisor will apply for the grant on your behalf. At your post-retrofit assessment, your advisor will tell you exactly how much grant money you can expect to receive, and complete the grant application for your signature. You can expect to receive a cheque within 90 days of that follow-up evaluation.
Keep in mind that this assessment does not preclude a pre-purchase inspection of your home. This assessment deals specifically with energy efficiency. You will need to hire a home inspector to assess the general condition of the home. If you own, or are thinking of purchasing a home that could benefit from updated energy efficiency, use this grant program to your advantage . . . and, help the environment at the same time! The rules surrounding these energy grants and the process to complete the assessments can look complicated when you're not familiar with them. We'd be glad to help you get started with an Energey Assessment. Just call us at 902-393-3868, or use the form below to send an email. Carol and Steve |