Deadline for ecoEnergy Retrofit program coming soon!

Canadians could receive up to $5,000 in federal grants to make energy- and water-efficient home improvements through ecoEnergy Retrofit. The program has been popular for good reason: Homeowners who took advantage of the grants before Budget 2011 saved an average of 20 per cent on their energy bills.

The post-retrofit home energy audit must be completed by March 31, 2012. Book your post-retrofit evaluation as early as possible; it could prove difficult to find an available auditor as the deadline approaches. Evaluations performed after March 31, 2012, will not be eligible for a federal grant.

The rebates under the ecoEnergy program include:

• air conditioners
• boilers
• doors
• drainwater heat recovery (DWHR) systems
• furnaces
• heat pumps
• heat recovery ventilators
• insulation
• thermostats
• toilets
• water heaters
• windows/skylights

  
The LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program is set to continue until March 31, 2013.

LiveSmart BC: Small Business Program

Go Green and Save!
Join other businesses across B.C. who are saving money and reducing energy use by participating in the LiveSmart BC Small Business Program, developed in partnership with BC utilities (FortisBC, BC Hydro and Fortis Gas), industry associations, the Small Business Roundtable and other BC-based small business operators.


Determine which of the following Program Components you would like to access.

1. Business Energy Advisors (BEAs): deliver free energy assessments, help owners tap into available product incentives and cash rebates, and help coordinate product installation.
   
   
2. Direct Installation: funds 100 per cent of the cost of replacing and installing select energy efficient equipment such as lighting and pre-rinse spray valves for commercial kitchens.
    
3. Enhanced Product Incentives: offers enhanced cash rebates for more than 10,000 energy efficient products.
    
4. LiveSmart Champion: an open call for businesses to access funding for new, innovative ways to conserve energy.
   

ecoENERGY Grants Available Now!

Save NOW with a home retrofit grant – Save later on your energy bills.

The Government of Canada has renewed the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program from June 6, 2011, to March 31, 2012, to help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient and reduce the burden of high energy costs.

 

Please note that the ecoENERGY grants are separate from the LiveSmart BC grants offered by the provincial government, and you need to register to access these grants.

 

When selecting a new ENERGY STAR qualified air-source heat pump (ASHP) or central A/C, the complete system must meet the requirements listed below. The system is composed of a matched outdoor unit (condenser coil), indoor unit (evaporator coil or head in the case of ductless mini-splits) and sometimes a specific furnace. The installer must supply an invoice with all makes and model numbers including the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) reference number. When the AHRI reference number includes a furnace model, that furnace must be present at the time of the post-retrofit evaluation or otherwise the ASHP or A/C will not qualify for a grant. For ductless mini-split AHSP, at least one outdoor unit combined with one or more heads must meet the 12,000 BTU/hr requirements.

 

Minimum requirements for air-source heat pumps and air conditioners
Air-Source Heat Pumps:

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) 14.5
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) 12.0
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) for Region V (Canada) 7.1
Heating capacity (BTU/hr) 12,000

Air Conditioners:

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) 14.5
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) 12.0

 

Install one of the following ENERGY STAR qualified air-source heat pumps (ASHP) that provide space heating and optional cooling. The ASHP must have an AHRI number meeting the minimum requirements.

• central split-system ASHP that is a complete new system or replacement including the matched indoor coil and outdoor unit, as well as a furnace if required to meet ENERGY STAR

• single package ASHP

• ductless mini-split ASHP with at least one indoor head per floor (excluding the basement) that is a complete new system or replacement including indoor head and outdoor unit.

• $500

Replace your central air-conditioning system with one of the following ENERGY STAR qualified A/C systems:

• central split-system A/C that has an AHRI number meeting the minimum requirements

• ductless mini-split that has an AHRI number meeting the minimum requirements with at least one indoor head per floor excluding the basement

• an ASHP that meets the minimum requirements that also provides cooling (such a system would be eligible for both a space heating and cooling grant).

• $250 

 Install an HRV or ERV that is certified by the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) and listed in Section 3 of their product directory. Go to hvi.org, click “Consumers” and “Certified Products Directory.” Systems listed in other sections of the HVI directory are not eligible. $375

Heat Pumps Incentives

Here are the new grants available from LiveSmart BC for heat pump installations and other residential HVAC improvements. Check out the LiveSmart BC website for information on how to access these grants.

Air Source Heat Pump

• ENERGY STAR central heat pump system verified with an AHRI number, with either a new DC variable speed air handler or a new ENERGY STAR furnace with DC variable speed motor ~ $1500
• Ductless mini-split heat pump: one head in main occupied area plus one additional head on a different floor, ENERGY STAR or non-ENERGY STAR inverter-based system ~ $1500
• ENERGY STAR central heat pump system added to an existing furnace or added to an existing indoor air handling unit ~ $1000
• Ductless mini-split heat pump: Single head in main occupied area, ENERGY STAR or non-ENERGY STAR inverter-based ~ $1000

Ground or Water Source Heat Pump

•  CAN /CSA C448 compliant, new ground source heat pump installation that is certified by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition ~ $2500
• CAN /CSA C448 compliant, ground source heat pump replacement that is certified by the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition ~ $1000
• CAN /CSA C448 compliant, new shared ground source heat pump serving three or more homes that is certified by the Canadian Geo Exchange Coalition: One incentive per shared loop ~ $1500, One for each distribution system in the shared loop ~ $1000

Water Heating

•  Electric heat pump water heater with an Energy Factor of 2.0 or greater. Must be installed in an unconditioned space or have ducting of the exhaust and supply air to the outdoors. Integrated system ~ $400, Add-on system ~ $200
•  Drain water heat recovery installation with efficiency greater than 42% ~ $150

 Other Home Heat Incentives

• ENERGY STAR gas furnace 95% AFUE or better with DC variable speed motor ~ $500
• Install an HVI certified ENERGY STAR Heat Recovery Ventilator and a house air tightness of 4.5 ach @50Pa in South Coastal ~ $800
• Replace a minimum of five thermostats for electric baseboards with electronic thermostats ~ $50