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These days there is a lot of talk about ductless heat pumps. They are common in European homes and more and more homeowners in Canada decide to install this very efficient heating source too. The question is: how much do they actually save? An electrically heated home saves on average 50-60%.
“The ‘greenest’ thing to do, in terms of construction, is not to build at all and to use no resources whatsoever,” Jennifer Corson, cofounder of Halifax-based Solterre Design.
The impacts of construction and renovation choices continue after the building reaches its full life. The best way forward can be difficult to determine. And what are the costs of those choices for our environment and our finances?
A study in The Appraisal Journal found that some sustainable features can increase the sales price by 7.7%. The majority of buyers want houses with sustainable features, according to GenWorth, 72% of First Time Buyers in Canada seek houses with sustainable attributes.
“The home evaluation is a great investment. It’s as simple as that.” “Since we were going to basically gut the house and start over anyway, it seemed like a good idea to see how we could make it more energy- efficient at the same time”
When the energy advisor submitted the results of the energy evaluation of the house, the Pelkeys were convinced that energy efficiency had to be one of their renovation priorities. “The evaluation gave the house an EnerGuide rating of 37,” says Pauline. “That’s really not very good, even for a 60-year old house.”
“. . . our total heating bill for the year was $960 – a long way from the $3,000 we paid the year before.”
The concept behind passive housing is quite simple. It’s basically a house (or building) that is able to maintain a comfortable temperature year round with little to no interference from an active source such as a heater or an air conditioner. In other words, a passive house maintains it’s internal temperature with the use of proper insulation, air tight seals and sunlight.