If you are shopping for a new home, it pays to look for a highly energy efficient house. New technologies and building systems can dramatically decrease your new home's energy consumption and make it more comfortable. Better lighting, fewer drafts, better air quality, more consistent temperature control, fewer moisture problems and lower utlity bills are just some of the advantages. A good place to start is by looking for an R2000 home.

R2000

EnerQuality is an independent company that was formed to manage and expand the R-2000 HOME Program in Ontario. It was created by the Ontario Home Builders' Association and the Canadian Energy Efficiency Alliance.

What is an R-2000 Home?

R-2000 Homes exceed the highest technical standard for new housing in the world. Every R-2000 Home is designed, built, tested and certified to meet exacting technical standards that surpass current Canadian building codes. A unique blend of technology and craftsmanship, R-2000 Homes offer significant energy savings, health and comfort advantages and are friendlier to the environment. R-2000 Homes feature:

• a whole-house, continuous ventilation system
  
• environmentally friendly materials and equipment
  
• advanced heating and cooling systems
  
• energy efficient windows and doors
  
• a tight building envelope to reduce drafts and heat loss
  
• high levels of insulation.
  
  

Benefits to owning an R-2000 Home:

• better air quality
  
• less noise and dust
  
• fewer drafts and cold spots
  
• improved comfort
  
• lower energy bills.
  

R2000 is an initiative of the Government of Canada and is part of the Environmental Choice Program. For a complete listing of products and services certified to have lower impacts on the environment, visit the Environmental Choice Program web site at www.environmentalchoice.com.

Resources:
R2000 www.r2000.org
Environmental Choice Program www.environmentalchoice.com

EnerGuide for Houses

Canada’s home energy rating system, called EnerGuide for Houses, tells you, your mortgage lender, your builder, and your realtor whether a house is energy efficient. The label displays a score on a 0-100 scale. The higher the score, the more efficient the house. It also provides an estimate of the energy consumption to operate the house.

EnerGuide for Houses has been created by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for analyzing the energy performance of houses. It’s a national standard. NRCan maintains the standard, ensures its proper use, and carries out quality control. The ratings are carried out by certified professional advisors all over Canada who have been licensed by NRCan to provide the service. The Home Performance Experts and its affiliates deliver EGH as part of our consultative service throughout Ontario.

More information:
EnerGuide for Houses www.egh.gca.ca/index.php?en_ratings

Other resources:

> Suppliers of solar, wind and other renewable products and services

> Links to utilities, governments, organizations and green communities with energy conservation information

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