Incentives to go green!
There’s never been a better time to go green, and make your home more energy-efficient. As if the preservation of the environment alone wasn’t a good enough incentive, there’s also government money available to you. Through the province of Québec’s Rénoclimat program, and the Federal EcoEnergy Retrofit-Homes program, you are eligible for government grants and subsidies to make your home more energy-efficient.
You’d first need to set up an appointment to receive an energy evaluation report of your home by calling 1-877-286-0550. If you carry out the renovations that have been suggested to you to increase your home’s energy efficiency, you’ll be eligible for non-taxable subsidies offered through the government programs. The works eligible include heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, as well as upgrading doors and windows and insulating your roof, walls or foundations. You could receive up to 7700$ back for your energy-efficient home renovations.
Once you will have received the evaluation of your home as a starting point, you’ll have until March 31, 2012 to carry out those renovations and be eligible for your grants. To participate in the program however, you must carry out this first evaluation of your home before March 1, 2011, before you procede with the renovations. Climapur Systems offers many of the eligible products, such as ENERGY STAR certified furnaces, heat pumps and air conditioners, as well as ventilation systems, not to mention our new geothermal systems.
To set up the evaluation report for your home or to get more information on these available programs, call the number above or visit the websites below :
A few easy tips on how to save energy in your home :
- Install a programmable thermostat in your home. You will be able to set it two or three degrees lower when you’re not home or at night, saving costs on your energy bill.
- Before the winter, apply weather-stripping to your windows, exterior doors, garage doors and doors that lead to the attic.
- Apply a sealant or caulk around windows, doorframes, sills and joints or use plastic window covers to prevent heat loss.
- Make sure your return air grills and heating vents are free of furniture, rugs and drapes to avoid interference with the flow of heat through your home.
- To reduce hot water consumption, wash clothes in cold water and add an energy-efficient nozzle to your faucets and shower.
- On sunny days, open south facing drapes to let the sun in, a natural source of heat.
Geothermal energy is a sustainable and renewable form of energy, that takes its source from the ground beneath us. A geothermal system uses the energy of the sun, stored in the earth. At only six feet below the surface, the temperature is constant at 10 degrees C, even in winter when snow covers the ground.
A geothermal system uses a series of pipes buried in the ground and an ethanol solution to conduct the heat through those pipes and transfer it to a unit inside your house. In the winter, the ethanol in the pipes absorbs the heat from the ground, and is pumped back through the geothermal unit in your home. In the summer, the heat transfer process is reversed, and the ethanol leaves the house warm, and is cooled as the pipes exchange heat with the cooler earth.
The underground loops connect to the main geothermal unit in your house, which is connected to your home’s forced air (or water radiator) system. A geothermal unit is often compatible with your home’s existing heating and cooling distribution system, whether it’s gravity or forced air, water-based (typically with radiators) or water-to-water in-floor radiant. They also eliminate indoor temperature swings and humidity changes that often occur with traditional systems.
There are many advantages to using geothermal energy. It makes use of a renewable resource, the earth, which is efficient and non-polluting, not to mention cutting costs on your energy bill, whether your existing system is electricity, oil or gas powered. Replacing a fossil fuel system with geothermal immediately cuts your household energy emissions by 50%, the equivalent of taking four cars off the road. Federal and provincial governments recognize the important role that geothermal plays in reducing home energy use, and have created rebate programs to facilitate installation.
Climapur Systems, in partnership with Next Energy, is proud to offer you this new and efficient form of energy for your home.
Did you know?
That keeping your thermostat at a constant temperature helps you save energy? It takes much longer for a house to heat up when the temperature has been lowered by over ten degrees, and requires your system to use much more energy to heat up your home. When you are away, lowering your thermostat one or two degrees will help you save on power, much more than turning it off will, and will also help maintain your equipment.
Long live your home comfort!
It’s important to maintain your equipment, and to check it regularly, if you want to keep it running properly! You should check the filters on both your heating and cooling equipment on a regular basis, about once a month. When filters get dirty, they restrict air flow into your home, making it difficult for the air to heat or cool your home. If your filters are permanent, you should clean them regularly, and if they are disposable, you should replace them on a regular basis. This will ensure that your equipment is well-maintained and runs properly. What better time to do it than the present?
