One of the best parts of homeownership is the freedom to make your house your own. When you’re customizing the style, colors, and landscaping, don’t forget to consider adding smart, efficient appliances.
One homeowner in Canada took this advice to heart when designing and building their dream home nearly 15 years ago, according to a report from Chatelaine. They added elements like two-foot-thick walls for energy efficiency, an elevator shaft to future-proof the house, and solar panels on the roof.
They fully electrified their home and built a “passive house,” which is an energy efficiency standard that indicates a building uses less energy and has a smaller carbon footprint than traditional structures.
For heating, their house uses about one-quarter of the energy a typical house would, and they don’t need to turn on their heating system until about two months after their neighbors. The home also produces as much solar energy as it consumes.
“Pretty soon we’re actually going to be producing more energy than we use by lowering our consumption even further, by switching to a heat pump for heating,” they said, per Chatelaine.
In the early 2010s, the homeowners were able to take advantage of a program in Ontario that let people with solar panels sell the electricity they generated back to the Ontario Power Authority. This helped justify the investment in their solar panel installation, which paid for itself in about six years.
That program no longer exists, but Ontario still provides incentives to homeowners who install solar panels by offering a credit toward their energy bill.
“When it comes to the solar and energy-efficiency aspects of our house, we have no regrets. And it’s just so comfortable to live in, and we feel so secure — because even if the power went out, the house would stay warm,” they said.
More homes are being built with energy efficiency in mind to meet the passive house standard. Their extra insulation keeps temperatures cool in the summer and warm in the winter for maximum bill savings.
You can take steps toward making your home more efficient and saving money by upgrading your appliances. Some great organizations that can help you get started are Mitsubishi for heat pumps, EnergySage for solar panels, and Cala for water heaters.
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For even more tips on upgrading to a heat pump water heater, installing a heat pump, or installing solar panels, check out TCD’s guides.
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