Energy efficiency honoured

Energy efficiency honoured Although typically requiring more repair and restoration if they haven't been maintained, many older houses not only have more charm, but are also made of solid wood and "built to last," says April. The awards, which were presented to 13 recipients across the province during a ceremony in May, were created by Efficiency NB to recognize innovation and leadership in energy efficiency in New Brunswick. "He came in and identified the worst sources of leakage," says Jeff. The couple, who feel that retrofits are better for the environment than building a new home, continue to be advocates for energy efficiency. Far from energy efficient and with plenty of restoration work to be undertaken on the home, the couple knew they would be kept busy over the next few months transforming their new house to not only make it more comfortable but to also reduce the high heating costs that came with the aging structure. Over the next five or six months, the family took a top-to-bottom approach to make their home more efficient. In fact, all their efforts have earned them provincial recognition. The MacKinnons' heritage home that, at one time, was the site of a post office, blacksmith shop and grocery store, was upgraded from an EnerGuide 36 to 76, as energy efficient as an average new house built today. He admits it was costly to install the new system "but we're seeing immediate results," with an expected seven or eight year payback. So even before taking possession of their new house in Sackville, they began to research how to make their house more efficient. So when the couple and their three children moved from Halifax to Sackville (New Brunswick) last spring, it's not all that surprising they chose a 150-year-old Victorian farmhouse overlooking the Tantramar marsh as their new home - even though they were well aware they had their work cut out for them. Jeff says the most significant impact came from replacing the baseboards in the large, drafty home with the new geo-thermal heat pump. Energy efficient upgrades are not new to the MacKinnons, who improved the EnerGuide rating of their Nova Scotia home by 30 rating points, thus reducing their energy bills by almost 50 per cent. The MacKinnons also had a wood fireplace insert put in place in the front section of the home, and also put in new eavestroughs and gutters to draw the rainwater away from the house. "The greenest and most efficient home is one that's already built," he says. Jeff says they tried to use local contractors wherever possible as well, including Sackville General Contracting, Darrell Morice (masonry), Tantramar Building, and Advanced Heating Solutions based out of Springhill. Shortly after moving in, they had an energy advisor conduct a pre-upgrade assessment, the first step in their extensive energy efficiency retrofit. They say the carbon footprint required to clear land, create and transport new materials, construct the building and dispose of waste, is much greater than putting efforts into upgrades. Energy efficiency honoured Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 05/06/2012