Thanks to those who came out for our first Energy Audit Party on October 2nd! Our group witnessed an energy advisor take the homeowners/hosts on Roslin Ave through an air tightness test (also called a door blower test), review the results of the full energy audit and then conduct a Q&A. The energy advisor was Sarah Grant from Goldfinch energy.

Key Takeaways from the Energy Audit:

- The home has ductwork and central air. The appliances in the home are a natural gas furnace, a gas fireplace, a central air conditioner and a natural gas tankless water heater. The furnace is 4 years old, all other appliances are 12 years old (when the home was built)

- The home has an EnerGuide rating of 118 gigajoules of energy use per year. An average new home uses 117 gigajoules per year so the energy use is average

- 61% of the energy is being used for space heating, so a heat pump would be the #1 way to cut down on energy use

- Air leakage is average for a home of its age, was given a ‘B+’ rating by the auditor. The home is ready to be upgraded with high efficiency equipment with no changes to insulation or ductwork needed

- The energy advisor confirmed the ductwork and electrical are well suited for a heat pump and recommended heat pump sizing and brand options. She also provided recommended contractors and confirmed that the home would qualify for the current provincial rebate

- She supplied a cost and emissions comparison of different heat pump sizes being used with the current furnace in a hybrid system or a cold climate heat pump being used alone. If the homeowners go with a hybrid system she recommends switching the Nest thermostat to an Ecobee thermostat as it handles switching between heat pumps and furnaces the best. There is also an available rebate for the thermostat.

Q&A with the group

To receive a copy of the full Q&A notes please click here

If you’re interested in booking an Energy Audit with Goldfinch Energy you can do so on their website