The Sun Ridge home energy assessment service includes:
1. Detailed home energy evaluation
The licensed energy advisor will complete a full energy audit of the mechanical and thermal envelope of your home. These measurements are used to accurately model the total home energy load using NRCAN (Natural Resources Canada) software. This detailed data collection includes:
- measurement of home (volume, wall area, ceiling area, foundation depth, etc)
- construction information
- insulation levels (ceiling, foundation, exterior walls)
- mechanical efficiency (furnace/heating systems, fuel type, domestic hot water, air conditioning systems, fireplace/stoves, etc.)
- ventilation systems
- water usage – toilets
- windows & doors
2. “Blower Door” de-pressurization test
A large de-pressurization fan mounted on your front entrance will force air from the inside to the outside. This simulates a 60 km/hr wind on all four sides of the home simultaneously. The blower door test not only measures the overall air tightness of the home, but also indicates areas of greatest leakage. The energy advisor will demonstrate these areas as part of the assessment.
The combustion safety test conducted at the same time indicates the risk of backdraft with your existing heating & domestic hot water systems. It is very important that dangerous combustion gasses produced by mechanical systems are properly vented outside the home.
3. Phantom power demonstration
Electricity is consumed by many appliances and devices even when they are turned “off”. This is called phantom power, and the energy advisor will demonstrate the electricity savings associated with the use of power bars and unplugging some common devices when not in use.
4. “Keeping the Heat In” & Eligible Retrofits Table
Energy advisors will review the Eligible Retrofits Table and NRCAN publication “Keeping the Heat In” with the homeowner. These publications include explanations of the grant program, and valuable tips and instructions for increasing the overall energy efficiency of the home.
A pdf copy of “Keeping the Heat In” is available by clicking here.
5. EnerGuide for Houses Rating & Report (mailed following evaluation)
The individualized home report package includes a house rating and recommendations for increasing energy efficiency.
Also included is Sun Ridge’s exclusive Energy Savings Summary. This document shows the projected energy savings for each upgrade and the associated grant. Homeowners can use this information to make decisions about potential upgrades in terms of both energy-efficiency and financial savings.
