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Energy Stars

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Photo: iStockphoto.com/gutchka
No-risk household energy-saving technologies
Hannah Hoag
May 24 2009 at 10:43 PM EST

Energy efficiency is a top concern for many homeowners because of rising energy costs and increased environmental awareness. Here is a selection of tips and resources to transform your home—or cottage—into an energy-efficient abode.

Sun-warmed water

You don’t have to live in Arizona to reap the benefits of sun-warmed water. Perching a passive solar water heater on your roof can slash your energy bills.


Conventional storage hot water heaters are reservoirs. From an energy perspective, however, they aren’t particularly efficient. The tank must continue to draw energy even when hot water isn’t been used—as it has to work to replace any heat that is given off to the surrounding airspace. A passive solar water heater pre-heats water and feeds it into an existing tank, cutting energy use. There are a variety of units on the market, as well as trained contractors who can perform the installation.


GreenSaver, an Ontario non-profit organization that promotes environmental solutions to energy efficiency, has developed a solar hot water program for the City of Toronto. The insulated water tank and mat of glass tubes can be mounted onto most roofs and cut hot water bills by as much as 60% for a two- to three-person family, says Ken Traynor, a member of the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative. The solar hot water heater promoted by GreenSaver (starting at $4999 before rebates) is a simpler system than most others—it doesn’t contain glycol or rely on a pump—so it requires very little maintenance. “It will pay for itself over the next 10 years and hedge against rising energy costs,” says Traynor. And with the combination of federal, provincial and municipal rebates and tax credits, the cost of the system (including installation) may not be much more than a flat screen TV.

Mobile monitoring

Ever set out from home for the weekend and realized that you forgot to adjust the thermostat? Or, maybe you invested in a programmable thermostat, but never actually managed to program it. Either way, you might find your solution in the ecobee smart thermostat (US$385, available online or through a contractor).


Ecobee’s intuitive on-screen programming wizard that helps you set your heating and cooling systems to your schedule. Most of the savings—energy and otherwise—are linked to the easy programming features. According to ecobee’s Stacey Cartmell, the system will cut your heating and cooling energy bill—and energy use—by 15 to 20 percent compared to a conventional thermostat.


The whole system is WiFi networked, meaning you can access your system via the web from any computer or smartphone to adjust programs when you’re on vacation or if you plan a last-minute trip to the cottage. It can also send alerts and reminders by e-mail, notifying you of seasonal maintenance needs or whether your heating and ventilation system is malfunctioning.

Ultimate efficiency

Take energy efficiency to a new level by hiring a consultant who can help transform your home into a high-performance abode. Sure, there are a lot of contractors out there who can weather-strip your windows and doors or install a solar water heater, but unlike a green building consultant, they may not be in a position to truly optimize your home’s energy demands.


Village Technologies is Toronto-based full-service shop offers design, planning and construction services for those interested in reducing their energy costs, while sticking to a budget. Whether you’re considering geothermal heating or just looking to better insulate your exterior walls, their consultants will do an energy audit and produce a possibilities report that includes financing suggestions.


Today, many homeowners are looking to prolong the life of their residence by 15 to 20 years, rather than move, says Greg Bonser, the company’s co-founder and chief technology officer. Spray foam insulation is popular among homeowners who have access to bulkheads, ceiling spaces and are willing to remove drywall. Others are forgoing cooling systems altogether, opting instead for passive ventilation and overhangs that offer shade on south-facing windows.


If you’re not in the Toronto area, the Green Living Guides can point you to an energy or green-building specialist in Calgary, Vancouver or Ottawa.


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Comments

ECOPOWER4 Helps the environment and helps save money,electronics from ending up in the land fills sooner than needed to be. www.ecotrustenergy.com/savecash
Submitted by Richard (guest) on Mon, 06/22/2009 - 14:38.
If you want energy efficiency, look into geothermal air heating/cooling systems. They're wonderful. check out http://www.geothermalsales.net
Submitted by luke (guest) on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 13:48.
"Sure, there are a lot of contractors out there who can weather-strip your windows and doors ..." There are? I can't find one in Hamilton. Or better yet, is there someone who will simply charge me for the time to come to my house and tell me WHAT to buy? I have bought the wrong 'style' weatherstripping for my front door 3 times.
Submitted by Really? (guest) on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 22:07.
It is interesting that solar energy panels on rooftops have just been approved for sale in the City of Toronto. I immigrated to Canada 25 years ago from Kenya. When I left, a new subdivision of homes was being built behind our home in Nairobi and ALL of them had solar panels installed on roofs. Sunshine is free in Kenya and the technology has existed and been in use for decades. Recycling of newspapers, glass and plastic bottles was a standard way of life for us. The "Waandebe" guy came around residential neighbourhoods every week and BOUGHT newspapers by weight, and glass/plastic bottles and jars by size; they resold them in bulk for various uses - vegetable sellers in the bazaar would use newspapers to wrap up the vegetables you bought which you carried home in your own reusable straw bag, the "Kikapu; plastic bags were unheard of. Window cleaners bought newspapers as a work implement, as did painters to wrap up their brushes. Many in the poor neighbourhoods used them to start up fires for cooking. Glass jars were sold to hardware stores who displayed their wares (nails, nuts, bolts etc), because these did not come in retail-ready packaging. Plastic jars were used by many to transport water to their homes from the local pump. These may not be sexy recycling uses, but it worked and the system has been in place for decades. The larger grocery stores always kept their empty bulk boxes for customers to use, just like we do at the No Frills here. I remember being completely struck by the wastefulness of Canadian society when I first arrived and I could not help musing when the blue box first came into vogue here. I had inquired into solar panels when I bought my first home in Toronto in 1995 and remember being quite shocked at the indignant responses from City Hall. Here we are now, over a decade later with solar panels finally being approved and I cannot help asking why it has taken so long. We only recently lifted the ban on clothes lines - I truly did not know, until I came here, how else laundry was dried - and to-date, I have no idea why such a (stupid) ban was in place! I am truly happy that a change in paradigm has finally occurred. Perhaps our government officials, starting from Mr. Harper all the way down to our elected City Hall Councillors, should make a trip to the so-called third world countries to see how much more "advanced" their simple lifestyles are.
Submitted by sp (guest) on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 23:34.

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