I've recently signed a listing agreement for a 20 year old, 2800 sq ft, executive bungalow that scored an 84 on their EcoEnergy Audit and with the improvements they made as a result of that audit have achieved a final Energuide Rating of just over 88. Designed by the owner and incorporating a high efficiency water source geothermal heatpump furnace system, superior insulation along with high thermal efficiency windows and doors, their focus was on energy efficiency, functionality and personal comfort.
The EcoEnergy Audit also indicated that the average Energuide rating for a home their age in Ontario was 66.
So given this home had a rating of 88 and a typical 20 year old home in Ontario will have a rating of 66, I wondered how homes of this vintage, and this home in particular, compared to new homes being built today.
I (like most consumer's I suspect) had come to believe that today's new homes must be more energy efficient than their 20 year old counterparts, and therefore should have signioficantly higher Energuide ratings, however that's not the answer I found!
In a June 2007 Report by the Net Zero Energy Home (NZEH) construction Forum in Ontario (a consortium of manufacturers, builders, designers along with representatives from the Federal and Provincial governments) entitled "Getting to Zero” states that the average newly constructed home in Ontario achieved an Energuide Rating of 68 (see graph below). Further even the vaunted R2000 designation homes only achieve a rating of 80.
The small difference between the average 20 year old home and current homes being built starts to make sense however, when you consider that the majority of new construction is built to the minimum requirements set in the Ontario Building Code which, from an energy efficiency perspective, has not changed significantly since the late 1980's.
Still older homes need periodic renewal of major energy efficiency components including windows, furnace, and fresh air ventilation systems, so the actual score of a 20 year old home will depand in large part on whether these systems have been updated or are original.
That said, its still a little disconcerting to find out that despite the industry hype on improved energy efficiency, the reality is that we're not that much further ahead than we were 20 years ago.
Ref: http://www.netzeroenergyhome.ca/Files/files/events/Ontario%20Forums%20-%20Getting%20to%20Zero/NZEH%20Getting%20to%20Zero%20Forums%20-%20Final%20Strategy%20Paper.pdf
Had the Building Code changed so that all new housing met the R2000 guide, the graph shows that the resulting increase in the Energuide rating from 68 to 80 would translate into an average 1/3 reduction in energy consumption for a new home. Mattamy Home's is one builder who offers this upgrade as an option which, depending on the model, can add from about $8500 to more than $15000 to the cost of the new home.
The Graph above also indicates however, that the approximate maximum performance through energy efficiencies alone (i.e. Insulation, windows, caulking, furnaces, etc.) will only yield an Energuide Rating of 90. To achieve a higher energuide rating requires that renewable energy technologies such as Wind turbines or Solar panels be incorporated at the household level to generate renewable power to achieve a Net Zero energy performance Energuide 100.
A general rule of thumb for Energuide Ratings is as follows:
0-50: Old house not upgraded.
51-65: Upgraded old house.
66-74: Typical new house or more energy efficient upgraded old house.
75-79: Energy efficient new house.
80-90: Highly efficient new house.
91-100: Approaching zero purchased energy new house.
So contrary to the standard view that older construction means energy inefficiency, at an Energuide rating of 88, this home competes with the best of the best of new highly energy efficient constructed homes. Further, the report also suggests that most housing built since the late 1980's can achieve an Energuide rating comparable to today's typical new home.
It makes one wonder why more home buyers aren't including an EcoEnergy Audit clause in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale, or why more home seller's aren't having an EcoEnergy Audit done to show buyer's their home Energuide ratings and what specific upgrades are needed to maximize their Energuide rating.
The buying public also needs to educate themselves on just what energy efficiency advantages they are getting when they buy a new home, and should be asking builders for a formal Energuide rating for their new home.
Come mid 2011, the Ontario Governement plans to make the EcoEnergy audit mandatory for everyone planning on selling their home, so why not mandatory for new home builders as well?
That's my 12 cents for today.
Visit our web site at 'http://www.ottawahomematch.com/'
Brian Hobbs
Sales Representative
Keller Williams VIP Realty
Tel: 613-829-1818
Cell: 613-794-0846