Energy Efficiency
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What to Consider When Purchasing New (Green) Appliances
Buying new appliances can be a pretty overwhelming task, even if you're just buying a replacement for one that's finally konked out. And if you're buying a suite of new appliances as part of an overall kitchen/laundry room renovation, they will represent a significant...
Energy Efficiency — Creating and Implementing an Action Plan
I've written many articles on energy efficiency, and read a lot on it as well, where I've always gotten frustrated are the uncoordinated tips that are given about improving your home's energy efficiency. "Buy this super duper auto shut-off plug!" "Install CFLs!"...
Cutting your electricity Use: Observing your Family’s Behaviour
Think back to the '80s, before the existence of iPods, home computers, electric telephones, home theatres, gaming stations (all right, there was Nintendo). Although our appliances consumed a lot more electricity per unit than the ones we use now, we used a lot less...
A Do-It-Yourself Plug and Lighting Load (Electricity) Audit
In a previous post I discussed the importance of benchmarking your electricity use. Benchmarking helps you understand how much electricity you are currently consuming, as well as your usage history. Now we want to figure out where we consume it. A Do it Yourself Home...
Benchmarking Your Electricity Use: The First Step to Conserving
With Central Air Conditioning Season well underway, I thought it was a good time to produce a series of articles about how to reduce your electricity use. This article is the first in a series on "how to" reduce your electricity use. In this case I'm referring...
A Tour of the First “Passive House Certified” Residence in Canada
We went to Ottawa for Family Day weekend to visit my husband's family. A few weeks before this, I received a press notice that an Ottawa house had become the first Passive House certified in Canada. "Say," I thought, "wouldn't it be great if I could arrange for a tour...
EcoFitt: Water-Saving Fixtures and LED Lighting Options
EcoFitt is a Mississauga, Ontario-based company that has been in the background of water and energy conservation for several years. The company works primarily with utility companies such as Enbridge, Union Gas, BC Hydro and Manitoba Hydro and provides them with...
Passive House Design in a Canadian Climate
Passive House design may or may not be financially achievable in Canada…but it’s certainly worth the effort to try.
A Rosedale House Super Renovation — Targeting 90% Reduction in Energy Costs
Turning a leaky old Rosedale heritage home into a tightly sealed, comfortable historic home. Energy efficiency will be 50kwh/m2, three times better than current building code.
Sears and The Healthy Home at Downsview, Energy Efficient Products
Sears Canada has a wide variety of energy efficiency products from high efficiency furnaces to tankless hot water heaters and even drainwater heat recovery systems. These products are used in the Healthy Home in Downsview, ON.
Get the Guides for Energy Efficiency
This is a series on how to measure, evaluate and reduce your electricity consumption at home
Benchmarking your Electricity Use
The first step to decreasing your electricity use is calculating how much you use. This article is a step-by-step guide to help understand home electricity use. This is part one of four articles to help you reduce your electricity consumption.
A Do-It-Yourself-Electricity Audit
Evaluating which of your devices (including appliances) are using the most electricity will help you figure out where the most cost-effective changes can be made. This is the second in a four part series of electricity efficiency guides.
Observing Your Family's Behaviour
You can have all the efficient lighting in the world, a programmable thermostat for your heat, Energy Star rated auto shut-off power bars, but if you’re not using the equipment properly, they’re not giving you the benefits you bought them for in the first place.
Energy Efficiency at Home: Creating and Implementing an Action Plan
It’s time to synthesize that information from the first three guides and take concrete steps towards lowering your electricity consumption. You’ve done the research, now do the footwork
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