Alberta Home Energy Plan
As of October 16, 2018 Energy Efficiency Alberta is offering financial rebates to eligible homeowners for energy efficient renovations. Here is how the program works:
- The first step is to book an appointment with a registered Energy Advisor to get a pre-upgrade energy assessment of your home e. EnerGuide Home Energy Evaluation. Note the assessment must be done before any upgrades begins, including any demolition. A $300 rebate will be directly applied to the EnerGuide Evaluation so the homeowner will see the rebate instantly.
- Step two an Energy Advisor will visit your home to perform comprehensive energy assessment of your home which includes:
The Building Envelope: windows, doors, ceilings, walls, foundation. A visual inspection and measurement is done to determine surface area, insulation levels, dimensions/volume and the orientation (to accommodate for solar gain) of your home.
The Mechanical Systems: heating system, air conditioning, ventilation system and water heater.
Blower door test: assess air tightness of your home and identify air leakage location.
Depressurization test: when required (combustion spillage) This is air quality and safety check.
Energy modelling: of all components to determine the energy efficiency of your home.
- Step three the energy advisor will provide you with a custom certified ERS report, a recommended upgrade report with potential energy savings and an EnerGuide label for your home. The report will be available on a secure portal 2-3 weeks after your Evaluation. It will detail energy efficiency upgrades and applicable rebates. This help plan and track your renovations.
- Step four, completing the recommended energy efficiency renovations. Here there are two ways of going about it. There is a prescriptive path “Common upgrades” and a performance path “Custom upgrades”
- Common upgrades: This is done by hiring a participating contractor to complete the common upgrades. Disadvantage: You are limited to six (6) upgrades and the selection of items must meet a specific criteria. Advantage: No E-file required i.e. no post energy evaluation follow up by an energy advisor.
- Custom upgrades: This recognizes some homes may benefit from a more custom upgrades and goes beyond just the common upgrades. Wide range of upgrades available such as window glazing inserts, DIY. Advantage: It offers greater flexibility and chance to do your own energy efficiency upgrades “do it yourself project” . Disadvantage: a post-upgrade Energy Evaluation is required to determine the energy savings you have achieved.
- Step five, receiving the rebates. With the Home Energy Plan, you receive rebates on both common upgrades, as well as custom upgrades as follows * (Eligibility requirements apply. Please refer to this guide for list of eligible upgrades.)
-
Energy Evaluation = $300 Instant Rebate applied
-
All upgrades = $62.50 for every Gigajoule saved
-
Heat Recovery Ventilator = $350 rebate for homes with less than 3.57 air changes per hour (ACH@50pa)
-
Complete 3 upgrades that result in a minimum of 3GJ of energy savings each in 18 months = Bonus $1000
For more detailed information, visit efficiencyalberta.ca/homeenergyplan/
By Marco Carello