JMD Custom Homes - Energy Efficiency


Programmable Thermostats Environmental Benefits Keeping your home at a constant temperature is a real waste of energy. Programmable thermostats allow you to control the amount of energy you use to heat and cool you home throughout the day and night, which means you can use less energy without compromising your comfort. Household Benefits Energy efficient programmable thermostats can save a homeowner up to $100 a year on utility bills. They’re also more convenient and accurate than manual thermostats, which means you’ll save time and energy.
Energy Efficient Light Bulbs Environmental Benefits Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) bulbs use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs while providing the same amount of light output. They say that if every Canadian household replaced one standard light bulb with a 20-watt CFL, we could prevent 400,000 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the earth’s atmosphere – the equivalent of taking 66,000 cars off the road. Household Benefits Not only do CFLs save you money and last 6-10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs, but they are also safer to have in you home since they’re cool to the touch, unlike standard bulbs which can reach temperatures over 100C.
Weather-Stripped Windows and Doors Environmental Benefits Older, inefficient windows and doors can account for up to 30% of the total heat loss from your home. In the winter, weather-stripping helps reduce the heat from escaping from the house, while in the summer it reduces the flow of outdoor heat to the inside. By sealing the air leaks, we help reduce the amount of energy used to operate you home heating and cooling systems. Household Benefits Houses that leak air cost more to heat and cool because heating and cooling systems must work longer to achieve the desired temperature. By sealing air leaks from windows and doors can help to save 10% or more on your energy bill.
Low –Flow Toilets Environmental Benefits Your toilet accounts for up to 30% of your total water usage. By using 6L low-flow toilets over the 18L per flush models we can insure that you use two-thirds less water, reducing your indoor water usage by up to 20%. The helps the environment by decreasing the amount of water that goes through our municipal water treatment and pumping stations.
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Low-E Glass Windows Environmental Benefits Not only do our plans account for a lot of natural daylight, which helps reduce the cost of electrical energy, but we also ensure that our windows use Low-E Glass. Special low-emissivity coatings on Energy Star certified windows and skylights reflect infrared light, keeping heat inside in winter and outside in summer. Household Benefits By reflecting infrared light, Low-E windows also help protect interior furnishings from fading.
Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) Environmental Benefits A heat recovery ventilator (HRV) consists of two air-handling units; one that collects and exhausts stale indoor air, and a second that draws in outdoor air and distributes it throughout your house. An HRV can typically recover 70%-80& of the heat from the exhaust air and transfer it to the incoming air. This dramatically reduces the energy needed to heat the outdoor air to a comfortable indoor temperature. Household Benefits Although sealing your home with today’s doors, windows, and weather-stripping increase its energy efficiency, a well-insulated home can also lack the ability to “breathe freely.” This often can result in trapped, stale air and excess humidity that can lead to indoor air contaminants. Using an HRV will lower the concentration of indoor air pollutants. To find out how Heat Recovery works, please follow this link: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/residential/personal/new-homes/r-2000/standard/how-hrv-works.cfm?attr=4
Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart New Home Program Power Smart is Manitoba Hydro’s energy conservation strategy designed to assist customers in using energy more efficiently. The objective of Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart program is to meet energy needs through efficiency improvements rather than through new sources of generation. Power Smart initiatives promote a wide variety of energy efficient products, services and programs, which deliver energy savings to Manitobans. Power Smart products last longer, reduce maintenance and labour costs, and improve living and working environments. By building under the the Power Smart New Home Program, you’ll save energy, reduce your energy bills, enjoy more comfort, and your home will produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. A Power Smart New Home is built with required standards of specific energy efficient features. By requesting to build to the Power Smart Gold Standard you become eligible for: 1. A Manitoba Hydro customer incentive A voucher for up to $1 000 towards the purchase of a front-loading washing machine OR $600 rebate on a Manitoba Hydro energy bill. Participating appliance retailers. (open new window) 2. A CMHC incentive A 10 per cent rebate on CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) mortgage loan insurance premium and eligibility to extend the amortization period of the mortgage from 25 years to a maximum of 40 years with no additional mortgage insurance premium surcharge. 3. An EnerGuide for New Homes label This rating provides information on the energy efficiency of the new home. It enables comparison with other homes that have EnerGuide ratings. For more information on the benefits of the program, please follow this link: http://www.hydro.mb.ca/your_home/new_home_program.shtml
Geothermal/Heat Pumps Environmental Benefits Geothermal heat pumps draw on soil temperatures to heat or cool your home. This reduces your home’s energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and harmful effects on the environment. Geothermal system installations in Manitoba since 1990 have saved 33.5 GW.h of electricity and 3.9 million cubic metres of natural gas, annually. These energy savings have reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions by over 35 000 tonnes annually. This is equivalent to taking over 10 000 cars off the road each year. Watch a video from Manitoba Hydro to see how Geothermal works: http://www.hydro.mb.ca/earthpower/video/howGeo.html Household Benefits While a geothermal system is more expensive to install than a conventional heating and air conditioning system, your annual heating costs will be 50 to 70 per cent lower. Financing is available to help with the cost of installation through the Manitoba Hydro Residential Earth Power Loan.

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