Mike Holmes’ High Performance Homes for Climate

This recently published article by Mike Holmes, Canadian housing and renovation guru, lays out many of the basic elements of a high-performance home. A well-sealed building envelope, creating better air quality, and incorporating new smart technologies into the home are some of the top considerations..

But with a multitude of options for improvement, where do you start, how far should you go, and what can you afford? Enter the Change Homes for Climate - EnerGuide program from the City of Edmonton.

EnerGuide evaluations help you understand your home’s energy performance in great detail, and the City of Edmonton offers a $400 rebate towards your evaluation.

During the evaluation, the energy advisor will take measurements and notes on your home’s mechanical equipment, windows, and insulation levels and do a blower door test to measure your home’s air tightness. The advisor will use this data and energy software to find your home’s current and potential energy ratings. Then the energy advisor can help you understand which options are best for improving the performance of your individual home.

You can learn which options are the most practical, most impactful, and most affordable and decide which to pursue! You’ll also receive an energy label for your home, and your EnerGuide score will be posted on the map of participants, inspiring others to take action. Once you have improved your home, you can order a revised energy label. You’ll see your score get closer to zero (aka net-zero), and drop dramatically if you make the move to prosumer status with a solar system on your home.

Mike Holmes’ recommendations make common sense, which is why our governments are also supporting them. Below is a quick list of how you can save on Mike’s key recommendations with rebates in Edmonton:

And Mike didn’t mention them, but how could you forget these programs from the City of Edmonton and Energy Efficiency Alberta:

• Save up to 33% on the cost of a solar system on your home
• Save $75 on an efficient refrigerator
• Save $75 on an efficient clothes washer
• Save $500 on a drain water heat recovery system
• Save $1,000 on a tankless water heater

While you’re making these improvements, join the Change for Climate movement, to easily track your actions, and get more ideas to make a healthy climate part of our future!

Amounts listed above are typically maximum rebates available; actual rebates vary.

Photo by Green Energy Futures / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 / cropped from original