Parade of Homes

ON THE RIGHT PATHS Power Smart for New Homes offers two routes to energy savings Manitoba Hydro's Power Smart for New Homes program offers homeowners financial incentives to build smart from the start — saving energy, reducing costs, increasing the comfort of their home and helping the environment at the same time. With two participation options — the Prescriptive Path and the Performance Path — Power Smart for New Homes is designed to be flexible to meet the needs, budget and values of home buyers. The Prescriptive Path offers $1,200 in rebates for homes built with a specific set of 10 energy-efficiency upgrades. It acts like a checklist to ensure the home is at least 20 per cent more energy efficient than homes constructed to building code requirements. Homes built in accordance with the Prescriptive Path receive official Power Smart certification. The Performance Path is for homes designed with energy modeling to be at least 20 per cent more efficient than building code requirements. It allows the homeowner and builder to select their own approaches to design, construction and energy- saving technology and pays incentives of $1,200 to $12,000, plus a rebate on the cost of professional energy modeling. Performance Path homes receive certification under both Power Smart and Natural Resources Canada's EnerGuide program. Energy modeling creates a computerized model of a building's design and its location and climate in order to estimate annual energy consumption. ALLISON LUND, MANITOBA HYDRO PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR FOR POWER SMART FOR NEW HOMES, SAYS THE PERFORMANCE PATH — WITH ITS EMPHASIS ON MODELING THE ACTUAL ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF A HOME — IS THE DIRECTION BUILDING CODES ARE HEADED IN THE FUTURE. Energy modeling is particularly useful in making a home energy efficient, she says. It allows builders and homeowners to virtually test out different designs and materials in order to make the best possible choices within their budget. "They (homeowners) always come back to me and tell me how valuable it's been," she says. The program was launched in October 2015 and as of July, 80 applications had been made, representing 329 new homes across Manitoba. Builders involved in the program include custom builders, tract builders working on entire neighbourhoods, and First Nations that are expanding or upgrading housing stock. In addition to the initial incentives, meeting Power Smart standards will save homeowners money on their power bills. The average Power Smart home saves $500 per year, and Lund says customers who have gone the extra distance and installed solar energy have nearly eliminated their bills altogether. Manitoba Hydro Power Smart P R O F I L E By Bob Armstrong Other green and sustainable building programs also fit within Power Smart for New Homes, including Passive House, Net Zero and Net Zero Ready designs, ENERGY STAR® for New Homes, and more. And homeowners who build a certified Power Smart home are eligible for a mortgage premium refund of up to 25 per cent from CMHC. Power Smart homes may contain a number of energy-efficient features, including: • Super-insulated walls, basements and attics • Reduced thermal bridging and air sealing • High efficiency heat recovery ventilation with advanced controls • High efficiency heating and cooling systems • Passive solar design and/or solar panels • High efficiency windows, doors and LED lighting MORE INFORMATION For more information on Power Smart for New Homes, including a Preferred Builder listing and application forms, visit the Manitoba Hydro website at hydro.mb.ca/newhomes. Sterling Homes' Power Smart certified Parade of Homes solar show home at 10 Southdown Lane. Parade of Homes FALL 2017 55

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