Tägliche Haupterneuerung-Spitzen

 Editor’s Note: Over the holidays we are re-publishing selected articles related to our ecoENERGY energy conservation experiences. Some of the grant amounts may have changed. To access the more than 20 articles we have written on our energy conservation experiences through the ecoENERGY Residential Retrofit program, simply use this link to access our ecoENERGY Energy Conservation page.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The next recommendation on our ecoENERGY Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report concerns our windows:

This came as no surprise at all. Our house is 20 years old. From the front living room we can hear a person walking on across the street, the cars driving by, and it is very cold in that room from the cold air coming in through the bay window in the front.  

Here is the reports more detailed explanation of ENERGY STAR rated windows which we found interesting and enlightening and think you will as well:

I like how they also provide additional resources for more information.

We have a lot of windows, 36 per the recommendation above. Our plan was to, and we did, replace all the main floor windows, including two sets of bay windows, as well as two windows in the basement. This won’t be all of them, but our investment for this will run into the …… gulp…..5 figures. Remember, these have to be ENERGY STAR rated windows. This are not cheap.

The remainder of the recommendations do not provide, per the report, as large a potential for savings nor for the available grant money. However, this does not mean we will ignore them. However, our financial investment will be focused on the ‘biggest bang for the buck’, i.e. new windows.

The third recommendation (per above) is the instantaneous or tank-less gas water heater.  Yes, the total incentive (Federal and Provincial) is $400 ($200 X 2). However, from what we can tell the cost of this device is in the neighborhood of between $1,000 and $2,000 for the unit and related materials materials plus the cost of installation from what we can tell. If these numbers are accurate it could be a worthwhile investment, net the $400 combined incentive. We will investigate it this spring when things have slowed down a little in our home renovations.

Here is a more detailed explanation from the report on this device, also knows as an tankless water heater:

Tomorrow, we will continue our examination of the ecoENERGY Grant’s Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report, looking at the last three recommendations for our home and other information and charts contained in the report. This includes learning about the new ‘drain water heat recovery (DWHR) system that we had never heard of previously but are very excited about.

Hopeufully by reviewing our home’s energy audit report, you can add some of it’s contents to your own collection of home renovation tips and home maintenance tips to take out and use when appropriate for your household or for your clients (for those visitors to DailyHomeRenoTips.com who are ‘in the business’).

Editor’s Note: Over the holidays we are re-publishing selected articles related to our ecoENERGY energy conservation experiences. Some of the grant amounts may have changed. To access the more than 20 articles we have written on our energy conservation experiences through the ecoENERGY Residential Retrofit program, simply use this link to access our ecoENERGY Energy Conservation page.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yesterday, we left off confused about the first recommendation from the ecoENERGY Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report, namely insulating the basement walls.

If you recall, we have stated that the vast majority of our basement is already finished and insulated. Only the work room is not, and it is a very small room. We were concerned that we were looking at major re-insulating the finished basement walls.

So, we called the company we used for the ecoENERGY Grant program. They were very nice. They indicated that we needed to contact directly the person who undertook the actual evaluation. So we did.

What we learned was that this recommendation should not have been on the report. Yes, he agreed in looking at his notes that this recommendation only related to the small unfinished area of the basement, i.e. our work room.

And, yes, he agreed that this area represented less than 12% of the entire basement wall surface. He also stated that in order for us to be eligible for this incentive under the ecoENERGY grant program’s guidelines, we would need to have at least 20% non or under-insulated basement walls.

What appeared to have happened is that when he submitted his evaluation report to the company’s head office, the person who actually did the data entry from his notes mis-interpreted what the inspector had indicated.

So, two key lessons here:

First, if you do not understand something in your Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report, ask. Call up the company you used and if need-be, call up the inspector. Our inspection company and inspector were very, very nice and patient with us asking our questions. We couldn’t be more pleased.

Second, before you undertake any renovations be sure you understand what the recommendation is and that it is accurate. To err is human and we all make mistakes. However, to spend money on an energy conservation investment which is recommended in your energy audit report in error is no one’s fault but your own.