Ottawa Home Sets National Energy Record
A home in Canada's capital city has achieved the country's highest rating for energy efficiency in a residential renovation, scoring 90 on the federal EnerGuide for Houses rating.
Ottawa, Canada, February 01, 2013 --(PR.com)-- A home in Ottawa has achieved Canada’s highest rating for energy efficiency in a residential renovation.
The quarter-century home scored 90 on the federal government’s EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) rating, well above the 80 required for a new R-2000 house. Of all homes built in the 1980s that have upgraded their efficiency levels, the average EGH rating is 72.
The green home is owned by Bill Eggertson, head of the Canadian Association for Renewable Energies, who spent five years lowering the demand for electricity and space conditioning, while installing a range of technologies to supply low-carbon energy. Notable additions include a geothermal heat pump, heat recovery ventilator, Energy Star metal roof and, most recently, tripled-glazed windows with Krypton gas to handle the expansive south-facing vista.
“All our energy technologies are commercially available,” says Eggertson, who managed the design and installation of most components. “We just went beyond the normal, to show that older homes can easily meet and surpass the efficiency levels for new construction.”
Eggertson’s home was the first in eastern Ontario to install a 10 kilowatt solar rooftop array under the microFIT program. He is working with his solar installer to develop a "black box" that will allow the on-site generation to be used during a grid failure, something which the province currently does not allow.
“The toughest part of the renovation was making concessions to my wife to install granite countertops,” he jokes. “We complied with LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) guidelines, and part of our goal was to show that the most energy-efficient renovation in Canada can also be a beautiful home.”
“Our energy efficiency score of 90 lays down the gauntlet, not only for new homes but for older ones too,” he says. “We’re saving a lot of money, reducing our carbon footprint to zero, increasing our home’s equity, and boosting the comfort level significantly for our family.”
Eggertson has been involved with renewable energies since 1985, and worked for the national solar, wind and geothermal associations before launching the broad-based Canadian Association for Renewable Energies (we c.a.r.e.). He recently worked for the UK government on climate change diplomacy in Canada, was trained by Al Gore under The Climate Project initiative, and was appointed to the City of Ottawa’s former Environmental Advisory Committee in 2009.
The quarter-century home scored 90 on the federal government’s EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) rating, well above the 80 required for a new R-2000 house. Of all homes built in the 1980s that have upgraded their efficiency levels, the average EGH rating is 72.
The green home is owned by Bill Eggertson, head of the Canadian Association for Renewable Energies, who spent five years lowering the demand for electricity and space conditioning, while installing a range of technologies to supply low-carbon energy. Notable additions include a geothermal heat pump, heat recovery ventilator, Energy Star metal roof and, most recently, tripled-glazed windows with Krypton gas to handle the expansive south-facing vista.
“All our energy technologies are commercially available,” says Eggertson, who managed the design and installation of most components. “We just went beyond the normal, to show that older homes can easily meet and surpass the efficiency levels for new construction.”
Eggertson’s home was the first in eastern Ontario to install a 10 kilowatt solar rooftop array under the microFIT program. He is working with his solar installer to develop a "black box" that will allow the on-site generation to be used during a grid failure, something which the province currently does not allow.
“The toughest part of the renovation was making concessions to my wife to install granite countertops,” he jokes. “We complied with LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) guidelines, and part of our goal was to show that the most energy-efficient renovation in Canada can also be a beautiful home.”
“Our energy efficiency score of 90 lays down the gauntlet, not only for new homes but for older ones too,” he says. “We’re saving a lot of money, reducing our carbon footprint to zero, increasing our home’s equity, and boosting the comfort level significantly for our family.”
Eggertson has been involved with renewable energies since 1985, and worked for the national solar, wind and geothermal associations before launching the broad-based Canadian Association for Renewable Energies (we c.a.r.e.). He recently worked for the UK government on climate change diplomacy in Canada, was trained by Al Gore under The Climate Project initiative, and was appointed to the City of Ottawa’s former Environmental Advisory Committee in 2009.
Contact
canadian association for renewable energies
Bill Eggertson
613-222-6920
http://renewables.ca
Bill Eggertson
613-222-6920
http://renewables.ca
Contact
Categories