Energy Wise
Investing
in the Future
Hilton Homes — 180 Park West Drive
New Homes Program provides rebates for energy efficiency
By Wendy King
>> From kilowatts to gigajoules — this spring sees Mani toba Hydro’s New Homes Program moving to a new mea surement scale for eligibility. Formerly known as Power Smart for New Homes, the pro gram provides rebates for homes that are at least 20% more energy efficient than the standard required under the Manitoba Building Code. The gigajoule-based (GJ) scale means use of gas and/or electricity in a house is now converted to a common unit of measurement — more of an ‘apples to apples’ comparison. “Rebates now align better with the new rating system, with the minimum at $1,200 and the maximum at $12,000, in cluding the costs of energy modelling,” says Allison Lund, Manitoba Hydro marketing specialist.
The minimum level of performance for program entry is 20% better than the conventional home. The maximum rating is 100% for a net-zero home, which produces as much energy as it consumes in an annual period. The New Homes Program offers three options. “The prescriptive path is essentially a checklist where you incorporate all of the energy-saving features listed into the home and we pay a $1,200 fixed rebate,” says Lund.
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40 Parade of Homes Spring 2017
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