Part 3: In Hot Water

Future Friendly Houses Are Worth More, Today and Tomorrow

A Five Part Series: Climate Change Begins at Home

Consumers are demanding more information about the environmental friendliness of houses and condos. The market is moving to understand that energy is the second price tag of any house. This series will show you how to improve your property value while saving the environment at home.

Within the home there are five categories of energy consumption and loss; The Building Envelope, Lighting, Home Heating Systems, Hot Water, and Electric Appliances. The trick with keeping your house up to date is, not missing opportunities.

In Hot Water:
Water is an excellent medium for storing heat and is also a great medium for releasing heat. The water in most hot water tanks is no exception. From showers to laundry, hot water is constantly flowing within most households, and it is a significant contributor to green house gas emissions and spent radioactive Nuclear fuel cells. But there is a clear and convenient path to reducing your Hot Water footprint.

Hot Water is Expensive
Hot water tanks can dissipate (lose) 40% of the heat used to keep the water hot. Insulating the tank and the first 9ft of copper piping can reduce heat loss. Lowering the thermostat on your hot water tank can also deliver significant savings to you and the environment. I personally lowered my tank to a comfortable shower temperature so there is never a scalding risk for my 2 year old, and I don’t waste energy by cooling water that I have already paid to heat.

On Demand Hot Water
There are some great opportunities for cost savings with On Demand and Solar hot water heaters. These technologies can be implemented exclusively or together. According to Carbon Busters Home Energy Handbook, on demand hot water systems with electric start can pay back in energy savings within 6 years. The user experience is the same as using a traditional tank, but you never run out of hot water. You gain +-9 square feet of living area by displacing the storage tank, and you reduce Hot Water related carbon consumption by 40%. 

Solar Hot Water
Solar Hot Water systems are widely used around the world in both affluent and impoverished areas. Currently, Solar Hot Water Installations are subject to a federal rebate of $500 and a matching Provincial rebate of an additional $500. The return on investment is longer than for on demand hot water heaters but the carbon savings are significant. The best thing is that when you’ve paid it off, energy is free. Learn more at http://www.cansia.ca.

Chris Chopik is a Toronto based Realtor, Marketing Consultant and founder of EvolutionGreen.Com. Chris can be reached at chris@evolutiongreen.com or at 416 481-6137. 

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