When it's 30 degrees outside in Calgary we are thinking about air conditioning and not home heating but its really two sides of the same coin. Home heating costs can be a big part of your monthly bills especially with the winters we've been experiencing in Calgary lately. If you are lucky enough to have air conditioning in your house when it hits 30 degrees, if your home isn't energy efficient, home energy costs skyrocket then too. So, really when you are looking at buying a new or new-to-you home, the energy efficiency of the house or condominium is an important consideration. The question is how can you tell if a house or condominium is actually energy efficient. Well, the energy efficiency of your home can actually be measured.
Just like appliances have an energy usage rating, your home can also be rated according to its energy efficiency. In Canada, the Energuide system has been developed by Natural Resources Canada as a standard measure of your home's performance. The rating system tells you how energy efficient a new condominium or house is. Each homes is tested by a government accredited independent company that performs something called a "blower door" test to measure the home's energy efficiency. The higher the number, the better the energy efficiency.
For instance, a home that requires no purchased energy on an annual basis, referred to as a net-zero house, has a rating of 100. At the other end of the scale, a zero rating, would be a home with no insulation and an extremely high energy usage. A standard home built to the Alberta Building code is rated somewhere between 65-72. A new energy efficient home would have a rating of between 80-90.
How this translates into actual dollars and cents savings depends on your family's lifestyle and consumption habits but no matter what your consumption levels are, you will save money by buying a more energy efficient home. I don't know about you, but it makes a lot of sense to me to buy a more energy efficient home, all things considered.
Just so you know, all ZEN in McKenzie Towne condominiums built by Avalon Master Builder are Energuide rated. ZEN in Mckenzie Towne is going for gold which will make ZEN condos the most energy efficient Calgary new townhome condos you can buy.
We think we are doing the right thing but we'd like to hear what you think. I'd like to know if energy efficiency is an important consideration to you when purchasing a new condominium.
Ryan Scott
President and CEO
Avalon Master Builder