The residential sector includes four major types of dwellings: single detached, single attached, apartments and mobile homes. Energy is used in dwellings for space heating and cooling, heating water, and operating appliances, electronic equipment and lights. This sector accounts for 16.6 percent (1421 petajoules) of secondary energy use and 15.2 percent (77 megatonnes) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Most dwellings in Canada are single detached houses, followed by apartments, single attached dwellings and mobile homes (see Figure 3-1). Because single detached and attached houses predominate, most Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) residential building programs focus on these types of dwellings.
Space and water heating make up 81.6 percent of residential energy use, followed by the shares devoted to operating appliances, lighting and space cooling (see Figure 3-2).
Between 1990 and 2004, residential energy use increased by 10.2 percent, or 131 petajoules (from 1289 to 1421 petajoules). From 1990 to 2004, GHG emissions from the residential sector increased by 10.3 percent. GHG intensity changed little because fuel switching towards less GHG-intensive fuels offset an increase in the GHG intensity of electricity production over the period.
Four main factors tended to influence residential energy use – activity, weather, structure and energy efficiency:
Growth in residential energy use was driven in large part by growth in activity. This increase was partially offset by significant improvements in energy efficiency. Structural changes had a minor impact on residential energy use.
The change in overall residential energy use from the years 1990 to 2004, as well as the estimated energy savings due to energy efficiency, is shown in Figure 3-3. Figures 3-4 and 3-5 show how energy consumption differs for houses built to different standards and in different periods, reflecting improvements in building construction. Figure 3-6 shows how average energy consumption of new appliances has improved by comparing 1990 and 2004 models.
NRCan delivers initiatives to increase energy efficiency in the following residential sub-sectors:
Objective: To increase market adoption of energy-efficient new houses by promoting changes in construction practices and by labelling houses for energy performance.
The R-2000 Standard is a voluntary technical performance standard that encourages Canadian builders to build, and Canadian consumers to purchase, houses that are more energy efficient and environmentally responsible than is required by current Canadian building codes. NRCan trains and licenses R-2000 homebuilders and other professionals in R-2000 Standard construction techniques and practices, and it provides third-party quality assurance by testing and certifying R-2000 homes.
EnerGuide for (New) Houses is an energy-performance rating and labelling scheme designed to encourage the industry to build, and consumers to purchase, more energy-efficient houses. The EnerGuide for Houses scheme is based on the R-2000 Standard and training, and it targets large-volume, mass-market builders.
Key 2005-2006 Achievements
For more information:
oee.nrcan.gc.ca/r-2000/english
R-2000 is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada.
Objective: To accelerate the development and market adoption of energy-efficient housing technologies.
Working in partnership with associations, government and industry, the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC) manages this program to develop and deploy highly specialized solutions to help achieve cost-effective reductions in the energy consumption and GHG emissions of Canadian houses. Progress to date includes the identification, accelerated development and broader deployment of a number of promising technologies, such as advanced integrated mechanical systems (now trademarked eKOCOMFORTTM) and electronically commutated motors.)
In whole-house design, development and technical support of the R-2000 Standard has led to extensive technology development and deployment throughout the housing sector. Through its associated Building Energy Simulation Program, CETC's software tools are widely used to assess energy use in a home. CETC also develops more energy-efficient frames for windows and is a lead managing agency for the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT), an advanced testing facility for assessing whole-house impacts of emerging technologies.
Key 2005–2006 Achievements
For more information:
sbc.nrcan.gc.ca/housing/housing_e.asp
eKOCOMFORT is a Trademark of Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources.
Objective: To build capacity for exporting energy-efficient, durable and environmentally friendly Canadian housing technology to foreign markets.
The Super E House Program is a technology transfer initiative that has successfully increased the demand for Canadian energy-efficient housing technologies and building practices in international markets. Canadian companies have adapted their products and services to meeting increasingly higher environmental standards of energy efficiency demanded by foreign markets. The program adapts world-leading Canadian energy efficiency standards to foreign markets and identifies appropriate technologies for them to create unique market opportunities for Canadian housing technology companies. Launched in 1998, the Super E House Program has facilitated partnerships between Canadian builders and their foreign counterparts to increase market penetration of Canadian energy-efficient technologies internationally.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the Canadian Forest Service and CETC financially support the Super E U.K. program. The Super E Japanese program is financially supported by CETC with in-kind support from CMHC. In both cases, there is strong support from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Industry members also contribute to the success of the program through in-kind and financial contributions (member fees).
CETC has facilitated and provided expert advice to Canadian housing exporters to redesign wall systems to incorporate high levels of insulation and airtightness for markets unfamiliar with energy-efficient wood frame construction; to redesign wall systems to reduce cooling loads in hot humid climates; to establish optimal specifications for high performance windows for both heating and cooling climates; and to develop strategies to incorporate innovative mechanical heat recovery ventilation systems into the design. In-house tools such as HOT2000TM have been used to optimize and position Super E packages as an attractive energy-efficient option for foreign markets.
The Super E House Program is attracting demand and generating real economic benefits for Canada – at least $35 million to date. There are 85 Canadian and international companies involved in the program and over 345 houses have been built or are under construction. Future orders are in the range of 1500 units over the next four years, amounting to well over $150 million in potential sales. Super E is active with projects in Japan, the United Kingdom, Ireland, China and Iceland. Interest has been expressed by French, Spanish, Korean and Taiwanese concerns.
Key 2005-2006 Achievements
For more information:
www.super-e.com/html/canada/English/about-e.html
Super E is an official mark of Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources.
Objective: To encourage Canadians to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) provided Canadian homeowners with personalized expert advice on how to best improve the energy performance of their houses, especially when undertaking renovation and maintenance projects. Under EGH, a retrofit incentive was officially launched in October 2003. Under this incentive, homeowners qualified for a non-taxable grant representing 10 to 20 percent of their retrofit expenditures. The grant was based on the differential improvement in the house's energy rating, as measured by a pre- and post-renovation EGH energy evaluation.
The EGH Retrofit Incentive program has been discontinued as of May 12, 2006. Property owners who had a pre-retrofit evaluation performed prior to this date can have a post-retrofit evaluation and still qualify for a grant until March 31, 2007.
Key 2005-2006 Achievements