Solar energy systems are garnering more interest in Manitoba, but homeowners shouldn’t put the cart before the horse. Allison Lund, program coordinator of Power Smart for New Homes at Manitoba Hydro, says the first step is to reduce energy consumption by building a better-performing home. It helps homeowners understand the concept if they think about building an “efficiency foundation” first, by investing in the building envelope and then laying down high-tech options on top of that. That means making sure you’ve got insulation wrapping the whole house — walls, attic and foundation — ENERGY STAR ® windows and doors and a continuous, sealed air barrier system. SMART paths to energy efficiency
SUNNY SIDE UP – Cont’d from page 29 Rich Juchnowski, a realtor for Sterling Homes, says the company thought it was about to time to test the waters with solar-powered homes. Thus far, many people have expressed interest in the show home at 10 Southdown Lane, but nobody has made an offer. (The list price is $649,900.) “People are curious to see how it works and what it powers. They ask, ‘Where are the batteries?’ but there aren’t any,” he says. Interest isn’t coming from a specific demographic. Juchnowski has walked twentysomethings through the home as well as retired couples. PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW IT WORKS AND WHAT IT POWERS. THEY ASK, ‘WHERE ARE THE BATTERIES?’ BUT THERE AREN’T ANY. “They all like the idea of saving money,” he says. Switching over to solar power can be a little tricky in existing houses and the indoor connections may not be pretty, but it’s doable. Just like most other things with your house, the solar panels lose some of their efficiency over time, but not much. In 25 years, they should still be working at 82 per cent of what they do now.
247 Bonaventure Dr. - Bona Vista
22 Willow Brook Rd.-Bridgwater Lakes
2 East Plains Dr. - Sage Creek
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30 Parade of Homes Spring 2018
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