With Earth Hour approaching on March 27th, be prepared to see plenty of reminders to turn off your lights to show your concern for the environment. According to the Canadian Earth Hour website, participation has grown from just one city three years ago to a global movement today, making it the largest environmental event in history. But Earth Hour is more than just shutting off lights for one hour on one day once a year. The growing participation for this event reflects increased awareness about the sustainability of our North American lifestyle.
It is becoming more accepted that our homes can be an important part of the solution. A widely reported statistic indicates that 30 per cent of the greenhouse gases in Canada are emitted by buildings. In response to this statistic, the Canada Green Building Council has set a goal of increasing the environmental performance of one million homes by 2015 as measured by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) criteria.
The question is, what can we do as individuals to help meet this highly ambitious goal? For existing housing, the most basic improvement is also the least costly. It is sealing all the cracks in the house. An energy audit (partly covered by a government grant) can show you where the heat loss is occurring. A Toronto Star article showed just how beneficial these energy audits can be. The average 100-year-old home has an energy rating of 55 out of 100, but the subject of the article was a farmhouse with a score of minus 24. All of the sources of heat loss were equivalent to a 1.5-foot by 1.5-foot hole in the house.
The next step in the energy-efficiency hierarchy is adding new insulation. Once you have had an energy audit, the EcoEnergy grant program will pay a portion of the insulation cost. Upgrading your home with new windows and doors is also covered by the EcoEnergy grant program and this will not only save you money on your utility bills, but increase your home’s “street appeal.” In addition, as the exterior seals on old windows break down, they are the leading cause of mould growth inside your walls. It is important not to let water get into walls from old windows because eventually it could undermine the integrity of the house structure.
Finally, big ticket items like replacing your old heating and cooling (HVAC) systems, your hot water tank, and kitchen and laundry appliances with Energy Star models can save significant amounts of electricity. The EcoEnergy grant will also cover part of the HVAC upgrade. I have a growing interest in green homes and recently became associated with an ultra-progressive local builder – Greenbilt Homes. The firm is currently building the first GreenHouse Certified custom home in Bronte Village and I will have more about this exciting project when Greenbilt holds the open house in the very near future. Loaded with incredible energy saving technology, this home is definitely one you will want to tour. Until then, get your candles ready for Earth Hour.
Dan Cooper is an award winning Broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call the Dan Cooper Team. For more on Greenbilt Homes, please visit their website at www.greenbilthomes.ca.