When it comes to a good retrofit, strategy matters. It is important to take the right approach and do things in the right order as this will save money, energy, and time.

Step 1: the Building Envelope

Energy efficiency starts with your home’s “envelope”. The envelope is everything on the outside of your home that keeps your home protected from heat or cold. 

The building envelope separates the interior and exterior of your home. It includes your windows, doors, roof, floor, foundations, and insulation. When it comes to energy efficiency, an airtight building envelope the first step.

All envelope work is about sealing. This includes filling holes and cracks, tightening seals, improving walls and attics (with insulation) and upgrading entries (windows, doors).  

Here’s what you can do:

• Upgrade your insultation
• Stop the leaks
• Upgrade your windows and/or doors

For more information, see our Upgrade Directory.

Step 2: Heating and Cooling

Your home is sealed and insulated. Now it’s time to look at your heating and cooling system to save energy, reduce GHG emissions and make your home more comfortable. Not to mention the potential cost savings you could experience as a result of reduced energy use.

Heating and cooling systems include heat-pumps, furnace, boiler, baseboard heaters, water heaters and air conditioners – all the things that heat and cool your home.

Space and water heating are the biggest users of energy in Canadian homes, accounting for approximately 80 per cent of residential energy consumption and nearly 100 per cent of GHG emissions in Ontario residences.

Here’s what you can do:

• Replace your equipment with energy efficiency devices
• Switch from fuel systems to electrical heating and cooling systems

Tips:

• Complete envelope upgrades first.
• Once you have an effective building envelope, consider your heating or cooling systems, so you can ‘right size’ your equipment. 
• The best time to replace equipment is at end of life. Do you know when your furnace will run out of steam? Plan to retrofit then.

Looking for more information? Go to our Upgrade Directory to dive deeper into the kinds of building envelop upgrades that will help you save on energy!

Step 3: Renewables

When we increase electrification, emissions go down, and demand for clean, green electricity goes up. That’s where renewables come in.

1. Solar PV – generally speaking, solar panels are the best source of renewable energy for Kingston homes.  You will need a sunny roof or land space, and advice from a qualified technician. 
2. Geothermal – A geothermal HVAC system can provide a house with heating, cooling and even hot water, and thanks to its high heating efficiency potential, a geothermal HVAC system can help you reduce your energy consumption and save money.  
3. Battery Back-up – if you are looking to store some of the renewable energy you generate for future use, or for energy back-up in the event of an emergency or outage, you can install a home battery backup.  There are several options on the market that can help your household get through those dark and stormy nights.

Tip: Having a home powered by renewable energy with battery storage makes you resilient in the face of extreme weather events and power outages.

Step 4: Supplemental measures

You’ve covered the big three (building envelope, heating and cooling, and renewable energy), so now you can consider doubling down on your investments with energy-saving smart tech and reducing your day-to-day usage even more by switching out devices.  

If you’re a renter, live in someone else’s home or you just aren’t ready for the big moves quite yet, you can always start with these supplemental measures.  

Smart tech and energy efficient devices help you to save energy, money, and emissions without having to change your habits. That’s why households that install these devices save more energy than those don’t.  

Here’s what you can do:

• Install a Smart Thermostat in your home. Learn more about them here. Rebates are often available – ask our energy Coach here
• Plug your appliances into power bars to eliminate phantom loads. Even if you switch an electronic device off it will still use energy, unless it is unplugged, or the power bar is switched off.
• Switch out your incandescent lightbulbs to LED light bulbs. LED lighting converts 95 per cent of energy consumed into light, unlike incandescent bulbs, which convert only 10 per cent of energy for light. The 90 per cent of energy remaining is wasted as heat.
• Look for the Energy Star. When buying new appliances, look for Energy Star certified ones. You’ll find a searchable database of all Energy Star appliances available in Canada here.
• Install low-flow devices. These devices installed on your faucets and showers can help you save water without giving up on comfort. If you really want to go all-out consider a high efficiency toilet too.
• Automating your lighting. This is another foolproof way of saving energy at home. You can set timers or put smart lightbulbs with motion sensors so that lights are only on when the room is in use.

Tip

A Smart Thermostat creates 12 per cent energy savings in an average home, by taking the thinking out of good energy habits. Technological solutions, such as this, and energy efficient devices save energy, money, and emissions, wherever you are, and whatever your living situation, and there are rebates and free programs to help you get these devices into your home at low cost.

Step 5: Next-Level Resilience

An energy efficient home reduces energy use and emissions, and that takes us a good part of the way toward a healthy, secure future home.  But as our climate changes, we will want our homes to be resilient to the changing weather to keep us safe and healthy.  Here are some ways you can prepare your home for next-level resilience.  The good news: many of these measures are included in the Better Homes Kingston Program through financing options and other incentives. 

Manage water 

You can protect your home from a range of water-related issues with devices like a backwater valve, a sump pump, or flood alarms. You can also minimize the risk to your property by implementing stormwater management measures, including window well covers, permeable pavement, rain gardens, and rain barrels. Residents of Kingston who receive a utility bill from Utilities Kingston can access their rain barrel program. Learn more here.

Cool roof

Climate projections for Kingston suggest that by 2050 the number of days per year when the temperature is greater than 30 degree Celsius will increase from 4 days to 30 days. And even today, we know that the city heat island effect can significantly increase temperatures within the city and our homes.  One way to reduce the heat impact on your home is to install a light-coloured roof that reflect the sun back away from your home.  This can reduce energy use and local temperatures! 

Green roof

A green roof (a roof developed so that plants can grow on it) can tick multiple boxes for resilience.  It keeps heat in during the winter, cools the roof (and therefore, the building) in summer, absorbs water during storms, and provides an extended green area to support air quality and reduce the heat island effect.  A green roof can be a great option when considering next-level resilience measures.