The first evaluation (D) is $150 plus GST.  The follow up evaluation (E) is $100 plus GST.  We have evaluators throughout the province, but depending on location, there may also be travel charges.

2. What is included in the evaluation?

Detailed energy evaluation and consultation with a licensed energy advisor, including:

- A “blower door” test to determine air leaks in the structure

- A custom printed report which shows where your energy dollars are spent and what can be done to improve energy efficiency

- An Energuide for Houses rating label which shows how energy efficient the home is compared to others in Saskatchewan.

- After the follow up evaluation, Sun Ridge will submit all necessary paperwork to Natural Resources Canada and you will receive your cheque(s) in the mail.

3.  Can homeowners do any upgrades before the first evaluation?

No, an Energuide evaluation must be done before any upgrades in order to be eligible for federal/provincial grants.

4. What improvements are eligible for grants?

There are a large variety of grants related to the overall energy efficiency of the home.  These include heating, cooling, domestic hot water, ventilation, windows, doors, and insulation.  A full list of eligible upgrades can be found here

5. How long does it take to receive the grants?

Within approximately 90 days from your post-retrofit evaluation, you will receive one cheque from NRCan (Federal ecoENERGY grant) and one cheque from SaskEnergy (EnerGuide for Houses grant). SaskEnergy administers the program on behalf of the Provincial Government of Saskatchewan.

Minimum requirements in order to be evaluated are as follows:

• Must have a heating system in place at the time the evaluation and it must be capable of keeping the interior living space at 21^o C (or have been in the case of heating system failure).
• Must have all windows and doors in place.  A maximum of one window or door can be missing as long as it is air sealed for the duration of the blower door test.  Broken window panes must also be air sealed
• The building envelope (upper level ceilings, exterior walls, exposed floors, windows and doors must be intact (including interior finish and exterior siding).  Any renovations underway in rooms or sections of the house can only affect interior partitions and not perforate the building envelope.
• The house must be resting on its permanent foundation
• The house must have a supply of standard AC electrical power available.  If power is not available from a utility, the homeowner must come to an agreement with the service organization about arranging for a suitable power supply.
• The house must have a functional supply of domestic water supplied by the municipality or from a private source such as a well or cistern system
• Sewer service must be provided by the municipality, a private septic system, or a holding tank.
• The kitchen space must include: an operable sink (or appropriate rough ins); an operating stove (no portable devices) or hook-ups (i.e., rough-in for electrical connection with dedicated breaker, gas appliance rough in, or solid-fuel fired cook stove chimney); and a minimum of six square feet (0.5 meters) of counter space or evident future intent to install a permanent counter.

If you have any concerns, call Sun Ridge at 665-2525 to discuss your specific house issues.

Effective October 15, 2011- Mar 30, 2012

During the heating season, emergency furnace replacements will be eligible for provincial and federal grants through SaskEnergy and Natural Resources Canada.  This is specifically to assist property owners who are faced with replacing their heating equipment for health and safety reasons.

In order to qualify, homeowners must book their EnerGuide for Houses pre-retrofit evaluation within five (5) days of the emergency furnace replacement.

How It Works

1) Heating system must have been ‘red tagged’ or deemed unsafe by the utility, service technician or building inspector; or, the heating system cannot be repaired and must be replaced.

2) Replace heating system with grant eligible equipment.  For example, to receive the full grant amount, gas-fired furnaces MUST be ENERGY STAR qualified and have an AFUE rating of at least 95.0% with a brushless DC motor.

3) Call Sun Ridge Group within five calendar days after the heating equipment has been replaced to book a pre-retrofit evaluation.

4) At the time of the pre-retrofit evaluation, homeowners must provide the energy advisor with required documentation.

Required Documentation for Emergency Furnace Replacement Grant Eligibility

New Heating System Documentation

- New heating system invoice

- Supplier’s business name, address and phone number

- Date of installation

- Manufacturer’s name and model number of heating equipment

- The AFUE of the product or a note indicating that it is ENERGY STAR qualified

Old Heating System Documentation

- Fuel type (natural gas, propane or oil)

- Type of system (forced air, hydronic/radiant or combo)

- Type of venting (e.g. chimney, side vent, barometric damper)

- Manufacturer’s name and model number of heating equipment

- Rated efficiency, output, input from the nameplate

- Last upgrade, if any (e.g. oil burner gun/assembly)

Please Note:

In order to be eligible for the federal portion of the grant, homeowners must register with Natural Resources Canada and receive a customer identification (CID) number prior to scheduling their energy evaluation.

Homeowners who complete a pre-retrofit “D” evaluation after April 30, 2010 are eligible for the provincial grant program.

Please click here for the new chart of Saskatchewan EnerGuide for Houses Grants.

For Pre-Retrofit “D” evaluations completed prior to March 31, 2010:

Homeowners who completed their pre-retrofit evaluation (D audit) prior to March 31, 2010 are eligible for the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit grants as stated in their original report. The chart of combined federal-provincial grants is available here.

As of March 31, 2010, service organizations were instructed by NRCan to cease accepting any new applicants into the program. Any homeowner who had contacted a service organization and booked a pre-retrofit evaluation (D audit) prior to 3 p.m. March 31st, are still eligible to participate in the program.

Homeowners that have already completed their pre-retrofit evaluation (D audit) will be able to finish their retrofits and must complete their post-retrofit evaluation (E audit) within 18 months or by March 31, 2011, whichever comes first.

Saskatchewan just recently learned of this change. We are reviewing the change to determine the implications for our program and Saskatchewan homeowners.

Customers can contact the Government of Canada at 1-800-O Canada

(1-800-622-6232) for additional information or visit their website at www.ecoaction.gc.ca.

1. The effective date for the new specification is June 1, 2010.
2. All qualification levels for each product become more stringent.
3. Window models must meet a minimum ER requirement on the U-factor compliance path.
4. There is a new separate qualification table for doors.
5. Full structural testing is a requirement for windows, sliding glass doors and skylights.
Certification for structural testing is not a requirement.
6. Insulating Glass Units are certified for durability effective September 1, 2010.
7. Mandatory labelling is effective June 1, 2010. This is a change from the previous date of September 1, 2009.
8. A transitional labelling strategy is being developed to help manufacturers adjust their labelling to the new specification.
9. All existing participants will be asked to sign a new Administrative Arrangement with NRCan before June 1, 2010.

For more information, please click here to download the explanatory pdf from Natural Resources Canada.

Energy advisors are also available for information and training sessions. They can provide grant program materials and answer questions from both homeowners and energy efficiency professionals.

Provincial Evaluator Locations:
Estevan
Gull Lake
Humboldt
Kindersley
Melfort
Moose Jaw
Nipawin
North Battleford
Prince Albert
Regina
Rosetown
Saskatoon
Swift Current
Tisdale
Weyburn
Yorkton

Sun Ridge is pleased to announce the new “Toolbox” area of our website.  It’s filled with valuable resources and documents, with tips on things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home.

The EnerGuide for Houses and ecoENERGY Retrofit programs were designed with the DIY homeowner in mind.  You’ll find all sorts of great tips about insulation, furnaces, air-sealing, moisture control, environmental awareness, and general renovations.

Click here for the EnerGuide for Houses Toolbox.

Couldn’t find what you were looking for?  Our energy advisors are updating the site all the time, so just let us know what you need and we’ll get the information for you.