Energy-efficiency: Retrofits
Measures you can take to help improve home comfort and lower energy costs
Air sealing
Air sealing is one of the most affordable and easy ways to improve the energy-efficiency of a home. It's the single most important thing you can do to improve the energy-efficiency and should be the first step of any retrofit project. You can save up to 30% of your energy costs by air sealing areas where energy loss occurs.
Insulation
Insulation helps keep outdoor air from getting inside your home. It also prevents indoor air from escaping. It works by trapping pockets of air and slowing down the in/out process. For optimal energy-efficiency, your home should be properly insulated from the roof down to its foundation.
Windows and doors
Upgraded windows can make a significant difference to both the energy-efficiency and comfort of your home. Replacing single-pane windows with thermal-pane can eliminate cold drafts and lower your energy use substantially.
Shutters and blinds
Shutters and blinds can enhance a home's resiliency by offering both improved energy-efficiency and physical protection during heat waves and wind storms.
Smart thermostats
A simple and inexpensive switch to a smart thermostat can provide both a more comfortable home and reduce your energy use by 8% or more.
Heat pumps
Heating and cooling, most likely, accounts for the majority of the energy used in your home. Heat pumps will both heat and cool your home and can reduce your home energy costs by up to 50%.
Air exchangers / heat recovery ventilators
A Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV), often referred to as an air exchanger, is a ventilation device that helps make the air in your home healthier, cleaner, and more comfortable — by continuously replacing stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air. During the heating season, an air exchanger captures heat from the stale air leaving your house, and uses it to preheat the fresh air coming into your house. This process is reversed during the cooling season.
Furnaces
Home heating accounts for up to 60% of the energy used in the average Canadian home. A furnace uses ductwork and vents to distribute warm air throughout your house. High-efficiency gas furnaces are quiet, reliable, and effective at maintaining a comfortable home, and they can reduce your energy bill by up to 45%.
Air conditioners
An ENERGY STAR® certified high-efficiency central air conditioner uses 8% less energy, on average, than a standard model.
Water heaters
Heating water in your home can account for about 20% of your home's energy bill. An ENERGY STAR® certified hot water heater uses an average of 14% less energy. An ENERGY STAR® certified tankless water heater will use up to 30% less energy as you only heat the water as you use it.
Drain-water heat recovery system
Drain-water heat recovery systems capture heat from water going down a drain, typically the shower, and use it to heat the cold water entering your water heater, resulting in lower energy costs.
Lighting and appliances
Effective lighting and energy-efficient appliances play a vital role in optimizing energy-efficiency within homes. Simple changes like implementing LED lighting and ENERGY STAR® rated appliances can significantly reduce electricity usage, leading to improved cost savings and environmental sustainability.
Solar systems
Harness the sun's energy for state of the art energy savings with solar panels, solar hot water heaters, and battery energy storage systems.
Energy storage
Energy storage, also known as home battery storage or home batteries, are rechargeable batteries that can store energy to power your home when needed. These can be combined with solar panels or used as backup power during a power failure.
EV chargers
Electric Vehicle Chargers, more commonly known as EV Chargers or Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations, deliver energy to both all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
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