Home Energy Retrofit Information

Start with a pre-retrofit home energy evaluation. A Registered Energy Advisor will visit your home, ask about your energy usage and home details and then provide you with detailed reports containing house data and specific retrofit recommendations. This evaluation is the initial step in improving your home's energy efficiency, comfort and health.

You can also apply for the Better Homes Kingston program to get access to an Energy Coach.

Your Registered Energy Advisor will provide a report with home improvement recommendations. If you're in the Better Homes Kingston program, our Energy Coach will help you interpret the results and plan your energy retrofit. Use our portal to gather retrofit quotes, then submit a funding request and sign a property owner agreement to start the work.

Consider: 

• Incentives
• Costs
• Future planning
• Ensuring proper work

We offer tools like: 

• Energy coaching
• Natural Resources Canada 'Plan Your Retrofit'

When your home energy retrofit is finished, the final step is the post-retrofit home energy evaluation, which will assess the actual energy improvement your home has achieved compared to the original evaluation. This post-retrofit evaluation is necessary for most incentive programs including the Better Homes Kingston program. The same Registered Energy Advisor who conducted your pre-retrofit home energy evaluation will perform this post-retrofit evaluation.

Once you receive the results, you are one step closer to accessing financing and rebate programs.

You have successfully upgraded your home – congratulations! Now, it is time to maximize the benefits of your improvements and keep planning for future enhancements that align with your net-zero goals.

To assist you in this journey, we have compiled some energy savings tips.

 A registered energy advisor will inspect your home and provide: 

• An EnerGuide Rating Label, comparing your energy use to a typical new home
• A Homeowner Information Sheet explaining your EnerGuide Rating
• A Renovation Upgrade Report with customized energy efficiency recommendations and savings potential

Costs:

• Initial energy audit: $400 to $600
• Follow-up (post-upgrade) audit: $250 to $350

You may be eligible for a program that refunds some or all these evaluation costs.

Before scheduling your Home Energy Evaluation, ensure your home qualifies by:

• Being habitable
• Not undergoing renovation during the audit
• Sealing all openings, like windows, doors, attic knee-walls, and recessed lighting
• Avoiding fireplace use 24 hours before the evaluation and closing dampers
• Ensuring all areas are accessible to the advisor
• Having your property tax bill and roll number handy (bonus points!)
• Plan for a 2.5 to three-hour evaluation, with the homeowner present throughout

During the visit, a Registered Energy Advisor assesses insulation, heating, cooling, and conducts a blower door test to check air leakage.

Expect your Energy Audit Reports in about two weeks. They will outline personalized energy efficiency recommendations tailored to your home and lifestyle.

If you are still unsure about which contractor you should choose, you can ask some questions such as:

• May I contact your references?
• Have you completed an energy retrofit before?
• Have you installed [insert equipment type here] before?
• Are you familiar with the ‘whole house’ or ‘house as a system approach?’
• Can you provide proof of your license to install equipment issued by the province or territory where the installation is being completed?
• Will this project comply with local building codes, bylaws and other legislation?
• Will it require building or utility permits?
• Do the products you recommend meet all applicable legislation and can you provide any available Safety Data Sheets?
• What experience do you and your team have with these products and procedures and what challenges have you experienced?

Who should attend?

This course is for contractors, tradespeople, renovators and those in management or sales roles in related fields. If you plan to take a specialized course, you must attend this foundations course first to access the Better Homes Kingston Portal.

What will I learn?

As a contractor, you know your work well, but things change in the industry. After this course, you'll understand:

• Important aspects of high-performance homes
• The EnerGuide Rating System program
• How air, heat and moisture move into a house and how to control it
• Why it is essential to see a home as a complete system for safety, comfort, and durability

This course also covers Better Homes Kingston details like quoting and connecting with program participants.

Who should attend?

This course is tailored for HVAC and Mechanical trades, Electricians, Plumbers, and those in general management, sales, and lead technician roles. Renovators are also welcome. To access the Better Homes Kingston Portal, it is mandatory for representatives from your business to attend both Course one: Building science foundations and this specialized course.

What will I learn?

In recent years, residential mechanical systems have become more complex due to energy codes requiring better insulation, improved windows, and tighter construction. This course covers:

• Key building science concepts that have changed home construction.
• Relevance of these changes to mechanical systems.
• Proper sizing and selection of mechanical equipment for highly efficient, low-load homes.
• Heating technology, including heat pumps, high-efficiency furnaces, water heaters, ventilation, ERV, HRV and appliances.
• Opportunities to optimize comfort, durability, safety and health while maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Additionally, this course delves into Better Homes Kingston specifics, such as quoting requirements, how to register on the Better Homes Kingston Portal, and generating sales leads from prospective applicants.

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for contractors involved in the Building Envelope, including Insulation Companies, Window Companies, and General Renovators. It's open to window installers, contractors, managers, project managers, and sales representatives. Representatives from your business must attend both Course one: Building science foundations and this specialized course to access the Better Homes Kingston Portal.

What Will I Learn?

This course covers the entire building envelope, from the ground up, including:

• Key aspects of basement insulation projects
• Air sealing techniques and blower-door-guided air sealing
• Window specifications and installation details to meet program standards
• Insulation options for re-cladding buildings, major renovation projects and heritage buildings

Also, in this course, you will learn about Better Homes Kingston details, like how to give quotes, sign up on the Better Homes Kingston Portal, and find potential clients.