HOME INSULATION

'Pink bucks' not the only benefit of energy audit

ELIZABETH RAND-WATKINSON

From Friday's Globe and Mail, July 4, 2008

Our national currency is multihued, of course, but I predict that it's only a matter of time before the hot pink of batt insulation becomes synonymous with government grant money.

On Jan. 1, the government, through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), began handing out grants to homeowners who, as well as implementing other retrofits, bump up their homes' insulation. When I learned of this initiative, I envisioned an orgy of pink insulation getting stuffed into homes across the land. The leap to "pink backs" - or maybe that should be "pink bucks" - wasn't far behind.

By arranging for an accredited energy adviser to do an audit of your home, you could be well on your way toward earning a rebate of up to $5,000, pink or otherwise.

With improvements involving insulation, the cost you incur can be offset to a great extent by the grant money you'd be eligible for. I spoke with David Flood, Owens Corning's area sales manager for Atlantic Canada, about his experience after an energy audit of his 1968-era home in New Brunswick.

In a fully insulated attic, hot and moist air will get trapped in the air pockets of the batt insulation, slowing heat loss in winter and doing the reverse in summer.

Following his auditor's recommendations, he increased his home's insulation level to the max and has since reduced his kilowatt-hour consumption by an impressive 19.8 per cent.

"It's made an unbelievable difference. The home is much more comfortable now," Mr. Flood says, "but the true payback is the ongoing monthly energy savings. The end goal should be energy conservation and getting grant money to help you pay for upgrades is just gravy."

An energy audit involves conducting a "blower door" test to measure the level of air leakage in your home and takes about two hours. The cost of the audit will vary across the country. Last December, we paid $325 for an evaluation of our Central Ontario home. It's a moderate up-front expense that can be quickly recouped through energy savings once you implement the recommended upgrades.

While there are several areas of the average home that benefit from added insulation - such as the basement, crawl spaces and exterior walls - we focused on the attic in our discussion for two reasons: It's one of the key areas where heat is lost, and adding insulation to an attic is likely the easiest job a do-it-yourselfer could ask for.

The benefits of a properly insulated attic are also huge and immediate. Because hot and moist air rises and then escapes through minuscule openings and crevices, in a fully insulated attic it will get trapped in the air pockets of the batt insulation, slowing heat loss in winter and doing the reverse in summer.

Laying additional batt insulation in an attic will probably take a homeowner a couple of hours at the most. Owens Corning suggests the optimal insulation value is R-50 while, if we can generalize for a moment, most attics top out at about R-30. Using a 1,200-square-foot attic as an example, a homeowner can bring the space up to the optimal level with about 25 bags of batt insulation.

In Toronto, a bag of Owens Corning PINK R-20 insulation costs $30 (prices will vary from province to province). For 25 bags, your investment would be $750 while, assuming all conditions are met, the rebate for this improvement is $600.

The process to qualify for this and other "pink bucks" related to energy conservation is straightforward and painless. First, have an energy audit of your home conducted by an accredited energy adviser. The adviser will prepare an "ecoENERGY" homeowner report detailing where your dwelling needs improvement. Once you receive the report, check NRCan's website to review the various grant amounts associated with each type of improvement.

A letter we received from our energy adviser following our audit stated that the government allows "up to 18 months from the date of the initial assessment to complete as many of the recommendations as you wish before applying for grants."

When you've implemented whichever recommendations you choose to address, have a second energy audit performed to measure the change in air leakage in your home. Remember to keep your receipts for materials and labour associated with these retrofits as the energy adviser will need copies.

After the second audit, the adviser will submit a "post-retrofit assessment" to NRCan verifying your home's reduced air-leakage readings and indicating what work has been completed. He or she will also help you complete the grant application form, which they will submit to NRCan on your behalf. Then sit back and wait for your rebate while enjoying both reduced monthly energy bills and the increased comfort of your home.

Mr. Flood listed the four top improvements homeowners can make easily and inexpensively to reduce their energy consumption:

• Place enough PINK batt insulation in your attic to achieve an R-50 value.
• Install full-height basement wall insulation to a minimum R-value of 12.
• For new construction, clad the exterior walls with enough insulation to reach an R-24 value.
• For renovations, up the R-value of perimeter walls by installing Owens Corning CodeBord rigid foam insulation on the exterior. Then add your cladding of choice. With a value of R-5 an inch, this product acts like an insulating blanket around the home.

How to get started

To find an accredited energy adviser in your area, call 1-800-O-CANADA (1-800-622-6232) or visit this Web link: http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/new-home-improvement/contact-advisors.cfm?attr=4.

For a Natural Resources Canada rebate guide that spells out the grants allocated for each improvement, call 1-800-O-CANADA (1-800-622-6232) or visit this Web link: oee.nrcan.gc.ca.

For more information on Owens Corning PINK insulation products, visit www.pinksavesenergy.ca/.