2005/15a

BACKGROUNDER

ENERGY STAR® in Canada

In 2001, Canada agreed with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to monitor and promote the ENERGY STAR symbol in Canada. This arrangement allows for the promotion of certain classes of products in seven categories:

• major appliances,
• consumer electronics,
• office equipment,
• heating, ventilation and cooling equipment,
• lighting and signage,
• windows, skylights and doors, and
• commercial products.

Similar arrangements have been concluded with the European Union and Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan. Canada's program is by far the most comprehensive.

In Canada, awareness levels of the ENERGY STAR symbol and its meaning are continually climbing. In a recent survey, 44 percent of Canadians, when prompted, recognized and understood the meaning of the ENERGY STAR symbol. Utilities and organizations across Canada are now using the ENERGY STAR technical specifications as the qualifying criteria for incentives and rebates on a range of products.

ENERGY STAR is part of Canada's market transformation strategy to influence the availability and acceptability of energy-efficient products, and to accelerate their introduction into Canadian homes and businesses in an effort to influence stock efficiencies, and the introduction of more stringent standards.

ENERGY STAR for New Homes

To make an energy efficiency tool available to the new housing market, the province of Ontario decided, after consulting with industry and other organizations, to build on the strength of the ENERGY STAR brand. On January 12, 2005, the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada, announced that Ontario will be the site of a pilot program to expand the ENERGY STAR program in Canada to include new houses. The addition of new houses was a logical next step, building on the strong brand recognition and mirroring the evolution of highly successful ENERGY STAR programs in the United States.

In Canada, ENERGY STAR-qualified new houses will be approximately 30 to 40 percent more energy-efficient than those built to minimum Ontario Building Code standards. The increased efficiency of these homes will translate into reduced utility costs for homeowners. Typical energy efficiency measures for these homes include insulation upgrades, higher performance windows, better draft-proofing and more efficient heating and air conditioning systems. These features contribute to improved quality and comfort in the home, lower energy demands and reduced pollution. ENERGY STAR also encourages the use of energy-efficient lighting and appliances, as well as features designed to improve indoor air quality.

This pilot project was undertaken after various stakeholders requested a way to address the needs of tract builders who plan to build homes that meet the EnerGuide for New Houses (EGNH) rating of 80 or the R-2000 Standard's energy-efficiency target. The Government of Canada's goal is to ensure that all new houses are built to the R-2000 or EGNH 80 rating by the year 2010. Key stakeholders in this initiative include the Ontario Ministry of Energy, the Ontario Home Builders' Association, EnerQuality Corporation, Union Gas, Enbridge Gas and Owens Corning Canada.

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