Energy has an important role in our lives at home. We consume energy everyday to produce both heat and power for a wide range of uses.

• Heat for home heating, cooking and producing warm water.  
• Power for lights, computers, electronics and appliances.

In fact, energy used Canadian homes accounts for 15% of all energy used in the entire country!

Our energy use has a cost on our communities and our environment.  To be sustainable in our energy use, we need to understand how our sources of energy and rate of energy use affects us and our environment.

Energy Costs
Energy costs have risen and are a big expense when owning a home.  Canada¡¦s cold climate means we need to keep the heat on, but inefficient energy use combined with high energy costs can have a substantial cost on our pocket books and quality of life.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) naturally occur in our atmosphere and help create a livable climate through the greenhouse effect. However, the GHGs we release when we burn fossil fuels for energy may affect the earth¡¦s climate in complex ways we do not fully understand. Risks associated with climate change have prompted industry, government and individuals to undertake efforts to reduce their GHG emissions.

The good news is that using energy wisely can cost less and protect our environment at the same time. The biggest opportunity for home energy use improvement is in home heating - space heating alone accounts for 66% of the energy used!

We identified energy efficiency as a priority for the Ecohome.  To improve energy use, we used strategies such as better insulation, optimized design and high quality materials to reduce the total energy required for the home.

As a result, the Ecohome will:

• reduce GHG emissions by 5 tonnes per year (9 tonnes if the home uses wind power)
• decrease natural gas consumption by 60%
• save 25% on home energy costs