First 3 energy audits identify a potential 12.6 tonnes in GHG reductions

Three of the 2010 Challenge homes have recently completed their energy audits, identifying a combined total in potential GHG reductions of 12.6 tonnes per year.

Energy audits, also known as energy assessments, are one of the first and key steps to any green home renovation. These home checkups analyse the workings of a house and give an indication of how energy efficient the home is. At the end of the audit, a home is given an EnerGuide rating that shows where the house stands today and what its potential energy efficiency is.

Seen above in the EnerGuide rating, the Hayter House, a two storey detached home located in Surrey, BC, has the potential to reduce its energy consumption by up to 56% per year, raising its EnerGuide rating from 64 to 82. The reports issued also give suggestions for what changes can be made to the home to improve the EnerGuide rating.

Some suggestions for improvements in the Hayter House energy audit include:

• replacing the home's heating equipment with an ENERGY STAR qualified gas furnace
• increasing the insulation value of the attice to achieve a value of R-50
• improve the air tightness of the house by 11 percent

The two other houses to complete energy audits, the Norman House and the 21st Ave House, are also two-storey single family detached homes. The three homes' individual potential GHG reductions are:

Hayter House: 2.8 tonnes GHG reducation per year
Norman House: 5.6 tonnes GHG reduction per year
21st Ave House: 4.2 tonnes GHG reduction per year