Solar power, shown here on an Alberta demonstration house, will be encouraged in B.C. under a

What is clear is that the federal aid, that came into effect April 1 under its ecoEnergy initiative, are modelled closely after the former EnerGuide program, with one important twist: homeowners have to pay for the energy audits to determine what improvements must be made, and how much grant money they are eligible for.

Under the EnerGuide program, which ended in March, homeowners could apply for a government rebate on the audits, which cost from $150 to $250.

Federal grants

The audits require a recognized energy inspector to check the home to show what should be done, from increasing insulation to improving windows or perhaps replacing the furnace.

Some of the companies providing audits will rebate the cost of the inspection, provided their company completes the recommended work.

That is the case with Housesmart Home Improvements of Surrey, according to company president Brian Strom.

Strom notes that the federal ecoEnergy for houses, worth $60 million, provides up to $5,000 in government grants for those who do the maximum amount of upgrades. Most homeowners, Strom estimated, will receive from $700 to $2,000.

Strom said recommendations for upgrades often include Energy Star-rated windows, which translates into double-pane windows with low-E coatings and inert gas, like argon, between the panes. Such high-performance windows can double the “R-value” of a window, when compared to a conventional double-pane window.

A high-efficiency furnace, at least 90 per cent efficient, is also recommended. If your old furnace is just 55 per cent efficient that means “55 cents goes towards heat and 45 cent goes up the flue for every dollar that you spend on your heating bill,” Strom explained.

Other common upgrades are a programmable thermostat, attic and crawl space insulation, replacing front and back doors with high-performance, insulated units, and draft proofing the home.

Provincial help

The direct incentives from the provincial government, despite the recent throne speech, which focused on British Columbia’s new energy plan, are less clear.

The province will:

• offer a break on the provincial sales tax on Energy Star-rated windows and some other home energy saving products;
• offer a $30 cash and no-charge-pickup on old refrigerators that are replaced with modern, efficient units;
• provide rebate coupons for the retail purchase of Energy Star-rated light fixtures and compact fluorescent lights;
• offer a window rebate for the installation of high-performance windows.

 

According to a B.C. government spokesperson, other incentives for homeowners will be an extension of the federal ecoEnergy program and will be announced sometime this summer. It is estimated that the provincial incentives will total a maximum of $1,500 per house that can be added to any federal grants.

The B.C. energy plan also includes some tantalizing ideas that could affect home energy renovations in the future.

One of these is the “100,000 solar roofs” program, a rather vague initiative. According to the government “the goal is to see the installation of solar roofs and walls for hot water heating and photovoltaic electricity generation on 100,000 buildings around B.C.” There are no details yet on how this will be achieved.

Architect Richard Kadulski, a noted Vancouver expert on home energy savings, notes that homeowners should upgrade their home’s energy performance even without any government incentives, because of the long-term energy saving and greater home comfort. For information on the ecoEnergy homeowner grants, visit www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/retrofit-summary.cfm.

Reprinted from: Home Makeover March/April 2007