The State of Energy Efficiency in Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency Report 2006

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 2003. Between 1990 and 2003, residential energy use increased by 13 percent. The increase in energy use was largely driven by an increase in activity and a colder winter and warmer summer in 2003 relative to 1990. Without energy efficiency improvements, energy use would have risen by 32 percent between 1990 and 2003, instead of the observed 13 percent. These energy use improvements saved Canadians almost $4.3 billion in 2003 alone.

GHG emissions from the residential sector increased by about 15 percent between 1990 and 2003. This was principally due to increased energy consumption and a rise in the average GHG intensity of fuels used to generate electricity.

Promoting Energy Efficiency

It is usually more economical to make energy efficiency improvements during home construction, rather than after a home is built. However, existing housing will remain a significant proportion (over half) of Canadian housing for many years to come; therefore, energy use in the existing stock of houses also needs to be improved.

Over 81 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);
  
  
• 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

• Energy-efficient practices and technologies are increasingly being adopted in mainstream construction. Signs of this trend can be seen in Figure 8, which shows that national trends in air leakage in houses are on the decline.

National Trends in Air Leakage in Houses, pre-1945 to 2000-2004 Construction.

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. 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.

For more information, visit the Web site at r2000.gc.ca.

EnerGuide for Houses

EnerGuide for Houses is an energy performance evaluation and rating initiative. It gives homeowners the facts they need to make informed decisions about energy efficiency when they are buying a house or improving their home. EnerGuide for Houses encourages Canadians to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, especially when undertaking home renovation and maintenance projects. Figure 9 depicts evaluation-identified energy savings after retrofits.

Residential Energy Use and Energy Savings per Household, pre-1945 to 2000-2004.

For more information, visit the Web site at energuideforhouses.gc.ca.

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 qualify for a nontaxable grant, which represents about 10 to 20 percent of expenditures for energy retrofits to a home. Figure 10 shows significant growth in 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 evaluations under EnerGuide for Houses, largely due to the retrofit incentive. Additional funding of $225 million was announced in Budget 2005 in February, and a further $170 million to enrich the incentive was announced in October 2005.

Evaluations Under EnerGuide for Houses, 1998-1999 to 2004-2005.

For more information, visit the Web site at energuideforhouses.gc.ca/grants.

EnerGuide for New Houses was developed to provide independent expert advice on energy-efficient home construction to homebuilders and new home buyers. An energy advisor works with the builder to assess their building plans and develop energy upgrades that have money-saving features that can be included in a new home. The builder can then offer different options to the home buyer, who makes the final choice about what to include in the new home.

For more information, visit the Web site at egnh.gc.ca.

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