Parade of Homes

PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY Home Efficiency cont. In order to meet the environ- mental and political commitments of creating and retrofitting build- ings to be more energy efficient, not only do new homes need to be designed intentionally but existing building stock should also be evaluated. Lund suggests that home energy audits and home energy labelling will likely become more common in the coming years. "It's a label, but it's more than that because you actually get a report that tells you everything about how your house uses energy, where it loses energy, through what assemblies and walls and locations," Lund explains. "It can also give you a recommendation on what should be done first, if you're interested in making upgrades. So it helps answer that question of 'Where should I start?'" Lund says that in places where energy labelling is mandatory, community energy literacy has dramatically improved and folks are able to easily find and compare the scores and ratings of homes. That knowledge, in turn, tends to rapidly improve the energy performance of building stock, thanks to a social norming effect whereby people have a clearer idea of what they should be doing and where they stack up against other houses. She notes that the adoption of air source heat pumps has recently taken off in Manitoba — and they can help increase your New Homes Program rebate. "Now that cold-climate heat pumps are available everywhere, consumer acceptance of this technology is growing rapidly," Lund says. "In Manitoba, you will still require a back-up heating source for the very coldest days, but most of the year, you can use the heat pump to take care of your heating and cooling, commonly operating up to three times more efficiently than a standard electric furnace." At the same time, Lund reminds anyone interested in taking advantage of available rebates and programs to check with Efficiency Manitoba before starting work on a project or purchasing equipment. "Many of our programs require you to apply before you've made all the decisions about your project, so check Efficiency Manitoba first," she says. "We've got over 20 programs for your home to help you save energy, money and the environment." An energy advisor performs a blower door test to measure the air tightness of this new home. 34 PARADE of HOMES SPRING 2024

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