When building a new home or commercial building, you want to know that the building is going to be airtight and energy efficient. Reduced energy use also shrinks our carbon footprint, helping us care for the environment, while also providing lower utility bills, freeing up more of your budget.
EnerGuide is the official standard in Canada when it comes to the efficiency evaluation of your home. An EnerGuide rating is an official record of your building’s energy performance. By acquiring an EnerGuide home evaluation, you can see how your building uses energy, and identify areas in which to improve efficiency. The lower the number on the EnerGuide scale, the better the energy performance. The rating is calculated based on standard operation assumptions so that you can compare the energy performance of one house against others on the market. You will receive a rating of the building’s energy consumption in gigajoules, which measures energy from an assortment of powers like natural gas, electricity, and oil. The EnerGuide label also shows how your home compares to a comparable benchmark building. It provides you with an easy-to-read report containing your EnerGuide rating that can be compared to other buildings to understand the levels of energy efficiency.
There are a number of things you can do to make sure your new build achieves a low EnerGuide rating. Working with an energy efficient building product like ICE Panels from the very beginning will help to ensure optimal energy performance. By investing in a premium, composite product for your building envelope, the heavy lifting in achieving your best EnerGuide rating has been taken care of. Pairing high efficiency mechanical systems, windows and doors, and appliances with your ICE Panel enclosure will ensure peak performance.
An ICE Panel build located in Souris, Manitoba provided the Penner family with amazing results. They received an 87 gigajoule rating compared to an average 146 GJ for a comparable wood-framed home. From an energy standpoint, the Penner home is going to use 50 – 60% less energy than a similar home constructed using traditional wood-framing, reducing the home’s carbon footprint, and saving money for the family every month.
To get started, connect with a certified EnerGuide energy advisor who will prepare you for the testing process. When you work with an energy advisor, they help to ensure the airtightness of your home by testing the efficiency quality of the walls, ceilings, windows, and doors. To do so, they must perform what is called a blower door test that will measure for air loss escaping from the home and determine any problem areas.
There are a number of things you can do to make sure your new build achieves a low EnerGuide rating. Working with an energy efficient building product like ICE Panels from the very beginning will help to ensure optimal energy performance.
You can prepare for your evaluation by having corresponding documents and receipts for your energy efficient build and your municipal property tax roll number to confirm ownership of the home.
By having an EnerGuide energy advisor evaluate your home, you are open to receiving an assortment of rebates just for having an energy efficient build! Check out our previous blogs on how to build with Greenstone ICE Panels and save money with Canada-wide programs like the CMHC Green Home Program, or provincial rebates like Efficiency Manitoba and FortisBC New Home programs!
Interested in building with ICE Panels or learning more about the benefits of building with ICE Panels? Give us a call at 204-726-1426 or send an email to sales@gsbp.ca.
