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The State of Energy Efficiency in Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency Report 2005

Housing

Market Trends

The residential sector accounted for 17 percent of secondary energy use in Canada and 16 percent of related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2002.

Between 1990 and 2002, residential energy use increased by 9 percent.The increase in energy use was largely driven by an increase in activity and a colder winter and warmer summer in 2002 relative to 1990. Without improvements in energy efficiency, residential energy use would have been almost 20 percent higher in 2002.

GHG emissions from the residential sector increased by over 8 percent between 1990 and 2002. This was principally due to the increase in the carbon-intensive generation of electricity.

Promoting Energy Efficiency

It is usually more economical to make energy efficiency improvements during home construction than after a home is built. However, by 2010, energy-efficient houses built before 1995 will represent about 65 percent of Canadian housing; therefore, energy use in the existing stock of houses also needs to be improved.

Over 80 percent of residential energy is used for space and water heating, and significant potential exists for continued energy efficiency gains in this area. Residential energy-using equipment is an important area for program support because equipment has a shorter life span than residential buildings.

With these opportunities in mind, the Office of Energy Efficiency's (OEE's) approach to the residential sector is to

• use regulations and information programs to gradually exclude the least efficient equipment from the market and to influence consumers to select – and manufacturers to produce – energy-efficient products that outperform the minimum standards (discussed previously in the section on equipment in this report);
  
  
• improve the energy performance of new and existing housing by supporting energy codes and the construction of benchmark energy-efficient housing, showing home buyers and owners the economic and environmental benefits of energy-efficient housing and renovation, and increasing builders' knowledge of energy-efficient housing technologies and practices; and
  
  
• use financial incentives to encourage homeowners to retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient.

Selected Progress Indicators in Housing

• EnerGuide for Houses encourages Canadians to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, especially when undertaking home renovation and maintenance projects. In October 2003, the EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive was launched to encourage Canadian homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. Homeowners can now quality for a nontaxable grant, which represents approximately 10 to 20 percent of expenditures for retrofitting a home. Figure 10 depicts audit-identified energy savings after retrofits.
  
  
• The R-2000* Standard affects the new housing market by encouraging Canadians to build homes that require less energy to heat than conventional new houses. R-2000 practices and technologies are increasingly being adopted in mainstream construction (see Figure 11). Examples include greater use of heat recovery ventilators, high-performance windows and high-efficiency gas furnaces.

The OEE's Housing Program

The R-2000 Standard is an industry-endorsed, voluntary certification for new houses. It features a technical performance standard for energy efficiency, indoor air quality and environmental responsiveness and a quality assurance process for industry training and house evaluations and inspections.

For more information, visit the Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/r-2000.

EnerGuide for Houses

EnerGuide for Houses is an energy performance evaluation and rating initiative. It provides homeowners with the facts they need to make informed decisions about energy efficiency when they are buying a house or improving their home.

In January 2005, it was announced that Ontario will be the site of a pilot program to expand the ENERGY STAR program in Canada to include new houses. In March, it was announced that a new development in the western section of Ottawa will be Canada's first community of ENERGY STAR^®-qualified homes.

The EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive was launched in October 2003 to encourage homeowners to retrofit their houses to make them more energy efficient. Figure 12 shows significant growth in 2003-2004 evaluations under EnerGuide for Houses, largely due to the retrofit incentive.

For more information, visit the Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/houses.

* R-2000 is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada.