Creating a high-performance home that is more energy efficient, better for the environment and provides greater comfort begins paying off as soon as you move in.
“The value we add is in shaping the savings, the comfort, and the financial security of having a house that can hold its value for 100 years,” Nigel Protter, principal energy advisor for Shape Energy Inc., says.
“When you build an efficient house, the energy savings not only cover the extra upfront cost, but every penny you invest in efficiency likewise increases your homeowner equity.”
While high-performance homes cost more to build, those costs are offset in just a few years by the savings in energy consumption, increased comfort and utility, and a lower likelihood of technical problems.
“Think of LED lights. They cost more upfront but you save money because they last so much longer, use so much less energy, and you spend less effort replacing them,” Protter says.
Shape Energy’s energy advisors are broadly experienced construction and efficiency industry experts certified by Natural Resources Canada to deliver the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS), which rates the energy consumption of new and renovated homes under standard conditions. BC’s Energy Step Code relies on the ERS system, and an ERS rating is now one of the requirements for a building permit.
An EnerGuide rating label on the electrical panel, like the energy label on a new fridge, clarifies the resale value of a home by exposing its cost to operate, and by demonstrating a new or renovated home has met or exceeded energy efficiency code requirements.
Shape Energy’s advisors work with owners, designers and builders to ensure a house performs as a system while retaining the home’s character.
The process involves a detailed assessment of the plans, the owner’s wishes, the designer’s intent and the builder’s experience to develop a comprehensive computer model of energy flows into and out of the home indicating areas for improvement. The result shapes a package of building assemblies, windows and mechanical equipment to ensure the home performs optimally as a system with safety and longevity, and for the least capital and operating cost.
Building or renovating a house on the Sunshine Coast? For more information on energy efficiency, cost-savings, rebates and incentives, visit www.shape.energy.