Residential Energy Efficiency Project

[UrbanWaterloo]

ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes Important Notice
March 31, 2010 - http://ecoaction.gc.ca/ecoenergy-eco...aisons-eng.cfm

Effective today, the ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program is no longer accepting bookings for pre-retrofit evaluations. The program will continue to be administered until March 31, 2011. If you have already booked an appointment for a pre-retrofit evaluation, have completed an evaluation or applied for re-entry to the program, you remain eligible to apply for a grant.

Deadline for Post-Retrofit Evaluation
It is suggested that you complete your energy upgrades well in advance to allow enough time for your post-retrofit evaluation, as all post-retrofit evaluations must be completed by March 31, 2011. Contact the energy advisor that is listed on your pre-retrofit evaluation report or contact a licensed service organization and provide them with your file number.
While the pre-retrofit assessment phase is now complete, homeowners will continue to undertake energy efficiency improvement work on their homes, which will increase the energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions already achieved by the program.
The Government of Canada will continue to process applications for the complementary programs already developed by most provinces and territories.
The Government of Canada continues to encourage homeowners to have home energy evaluations so that they can identify best opportunities for energy efficiency improvements, improve their home’s energy performance and receive an EnerGuide rating label.
The Government of Canada will also continue to support other programs to help Canadians become more energy efficient.


Ontario Home Energy Savings IMPORTANT NOTICE
April 19, 2010 - http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/energy/conservation/ohesp/

On March 31, 2010, the federal government announced funding cuts to the ecoEnergy Retrofit Homes Program. The Government of Ontario is committed to encouraging conservation, and will continue efforts to help residents achieve their home energy efficiency goals. The following information is provided to help answer some of your questions about how this announcement might affect you. Please visit this website again in the future for updates.

1. What effect does this announcement have on the Ontario Home Energy Savings Program (HESP)?
Due to the sudden nature of the federal announcement to cancel a partnership program, Ontario is reviewing its options to create and deliver effective conservation programs to Ontarians. Until such time a decision is made and notice given, Ontario will continue to fund new pre-retrofit audits. This means we will continue to pay 50% of your home’s audit, up to $150. Audits will qualify you for up to $5,000 in provincial retrofit grants. Please continue to check back here for further information and updates.

2. Can I still enter the federal ecoENERGY-Retrofit program?
No. Effective March 31, 2010, the federal program is not accepting new bookings for pre-retrofit evaluations.
Only the homeowners who have already booked or completed a pre-retrofit evaluation remain eligible to apply for a federal retrofit grant.

3. I have already booked a pre-retrofit. Will I still be able to go ahead?
Yes. Homeowners who scheduled pre-retrofit evaluations by March 31, 2010 remain eligible to apply to the program (both HESP and ecoENERGY). However, homeowners are reminded that they are required to complete their renovations and follow-up with a post-retrofit evaluation and submit their application by March 31, 2011.

4. I have already had a pre-retrofit energy evaluation. What is the deadline for applying for a grant?
The deadline for applying for a grant is 18 months from the time of the pre-retrofit evaluation or March 31, 2011, whichever comes first. Homeowners who have completed the eligible work under the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program within their 18-month period or before March 31, 2011, (whichever comes first) are eligible for a grant. However, it is suggested that you complete your energy upgrades well in advance of the deadline in order to allow enough time for your post-retrofit evaluation.

5. I have more questions about the recent changes to the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program. Who should I contact?
Please call Natural Resources Canada at 1-800-O-CANADA (1-800-622-6232). The call agents from the federal program will be able to provide you with more information.

For homeowners who did not schedule a pre-retrofit audit before April 1, 2010: please return to our website soon for updates and new information.
For homeowners who scheduled their pre-audit by March 31, 2010, please click on the green button below.

[UrbanWaterloo]

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECT (REEP) - CANCELLATION OF THE ECOENERGY RETROFIT - HOMES SERVICE
Councillor C. Weylie, Chair and Members of the Development and Technical Services Committee
Date of Report: April 15, 2010 | Date of Meeting: April 26, 2010
Submitted By: Environmental Committee
Prepared By: Colin Goodeve, Committee Administrator (741 - 2278)
Report No.: CRPS-10-048

RECOMMENDATION:
WHEREAS Canadians are increasingly concerned about the impacts of global climate change, and calling on their governments at all levels to take leadership on this issue by implementing comprehensive and lasting strategies to mitigate climate change and reduce emissions; and,
WHEREAS the Federal government unexpectedly announced that it was cancelling new participation in the “ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes service”, with local estimates indicating that participants in Waterloo Region have: retrofitted over 4,000 homes for energy efficiency; reduced 10,000 tonnes of CO2 annually; saved over $2M on their energy bills; received combined Federal and Provincial incentives of over $6M; and, stimulated the local economy by over $20M by retrofitting their homes;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Kitchener urge the Federal government to immediately restore funding for this highly successful program so that additional gains can be made in the CO2 reductions already achieved; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this motion be circulated to the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Finance, Natural Resources, and the Environment, local Members of Parliament, as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for consideration as a resolution of its own; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Premier of Ontario, the Ontario Ministers of Energy and Infrastructure, and the Environment, as well as local Members of Provincial Parliament, be urged to maintain Provincial funding and incentives to assist in the continuation of this valuable initiative.

BACKGROUND:
Founded in 1998, the Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP) provides residents with tools for sustainable resource use, energy conservation and efficiency, and renewable energy applications through the facilitation of environmental programs and services, public education, research and community partnerships. In late 2005, REEP became incorporated as a project of Waterloo Region Green Solutions (WRGS), a community-based non-profit environmental organization that is funded by a combination of local partners, provincial contracts, grants and client fees.
REEP was originally established to be a local delivery agent for the Federal “EnerGuide for Houses” home energy evaluations, now called ecoENERGY. The EnerGuide for Houses home assessment was created by Natural Resources Canada to provide third party unbiased advice to homeowners and homebuyers about how to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
REEP's Certified Energy Advisors use NRCan’s computer modeling system to determine a home’s energy performance and identify sources of heat and energy loss. Only homes evaluated by a Certified Energy Advisor under the ecoENERGY home assessment were eligible for grants from the Federal Government; with residents needing both an initial and follow-up home energy evaluation in order to quantify energy efficiency improvements and determine their grant amounts.
Since its inception, REEP has evaluated the energy efficiency of over 12,000 homes in the area, with a total of $6M in grants received by homeowners for their energy-saving renovations.
Those same homeowners have spent an estimated $20M on upgrades, boosting the local economy, supporting contractors and building material suppliers. In addition, these homeowners have reduced their collective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by an estimated 10,152 tonnes per year.

REPORT:
At the April 15, 2010 Environmental Committee meeting, Ms. Mary Jane Patterson, Executive Director of REEP advised that without any prior warning Natural Resources Canada announced that as of March 31, 2010 no new homeowners would be admitted into the Federal ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program. This is despite the fact that less than 10 percent of the homes in need of these upgrades in Canada have been assessed through this program. She noted that the matching grants offered by the Government of Ontario may still be available, but anyone who has not already booked an initial home energy evaluation is no longer eligible to participate in the Federal ecoENERGY grant program.
Ms. Patterson advised that this is not the first time the Federal government has cancelled their home energy evaluation program without any advanced warning. On May 13, 2006, REEP was notified that effective that date they were not to perform any further “EnerGuide for Houses” initial evaluations, as the Federal government had ceased funding for that program. However, through pressure applied by local municipalities, such as Kitchener, the Government of Canada reinstated the “EnerGuide for Houses” home energy evaluations, in the form of the ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program.
The Committee was further advised that REEP would continue to offer home energy evaluations along with other services including solar assessments. Homeowners who had already registered for the ecoENERGY program by booking or completing a home energy evaluation are not affected by this loss of service. These participants still have the opportunity to apply for and receive an ecoENERGY grant before March 31, 2011.
Since 2008, the Ontario Home Energy Savings program has matched Federal ecoENERGY grants, providing a maximum grant of $10,000. per household. The provincial portion of up to $5,000. per household may still be available to homeowners who book an energy evaluation after March 31, 2010; however, the province administered its grants through the Federal program. REEP is in the process of investigating whether the provincial grants would still be available and will provide updates on this once it has additional information.
The Federal ecoENERGY initiatives helped residents to use energy more efficiently, boost renewable energy supplies and develop cleaner-energy technologies. Accordingly, the Environmental Committee is requesting that the City of Kitchener urge the Federal government to immediately restore funding for this highly successful program, and the Provincial government to continue its incentives, so that additional gains can be made in the CO2 reductions already achieved.
Ms. Mary Jane Patterson has agreed to attend the April 26, 2010 meeting to respond to questions from the Committee.

[RangersFan]

Personally I am very sad to see the government grants disapearing in March, I really think they have been affected in helping home owners make their homes more energy efficient.

REED Waterloo Region has two houses that they have done extensive home renovations to use as examples for people who are interested in making their homes more energy efficient, both homes (20 and 24 Mill Street, Kitchener) are available for workshop tours.

20 Mill St, Kitchener Jan 19, 2011 (the photo is pretty blurry)

[IEFBR14]

Personally I am very sad to see the government grants disapearing in March

Don't give up hope yet. Smilin' Jack has mused that restoration of an ecoEnergy-like program would be one of his conditions to support the forthcoming budget. And we all know how successful Layton can be in getting what he wants in a minority government

(Those who think I'm full of sh*t may be interested to learn that I have a couple more toilets to install before our post-retrofit evaluation gets done next month.)