Passive house helps resident cut energy bills By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Though it came at a cost, Oakville's Ed Marion is proud of the retrofit of his home, which has slashed his energy consumption by more than two thirds. Marion, a general contractor and trained Passive House specialist, did the retrofit that was completed last summer using a Passive House Design Package energy modeling software. Despite enlarging the house from a bungalow to a two-storey home, Marion said he has slashed his energy consumption. According to Marion's gas and hydro bills, his Sheldon Avenue house used 105 kilowatthours/day in November and December of 2009 before the retrofit. This year, the home's energy consumption fell to 30 kWh/day during the same time period. Marion achieved these savings while the home became approximately 35 per cent larger. "I saw in this approach a very sensible way of making a really deep reduction in the amount of energy used by buildings," Marion said. "That's one of the big culprits in society. The amount of heating and cooling that goes into buildings represents something like half of the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions that are created." 7 · Thursday, February 23, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER Making a difference: Resident Ed Marion explains to Oakville Ward 2 Councillor Pam Damoff and Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn how a retrofit of his Sheldon Avenue home has cut his energy bill by more than two-thirds. "Windows on the north side are net losers of energy," Marion said. At the rear of the house (south side), there are broad roof overhangs over both floors. This minimizes the amount of sunlight entering the home in the summer. K a r a s t a n Peerless Carpeting · Buyers Edge Guarantee · 200 Store Buying Power NOW OPEN * He's achieved all of this with some simple solutions, which he showed off Feb. 3 when he gave a tour to MPP Kevin Flynn, Councillor Pam Damoff and local media. At the front of the house (north side), people will notice fewer windows. However, in the winter, the many south windows permit more sunlight to enter the home to provide warmth. Marion has improved insulation and made the home airtight. Rather than tearing down the existing walls, he added insulation inside and out. He lost about four inches of interior space against each wall, which explains the deep recesses in the doors and windows. There is also more insulation in the roof and under the basement floor slab than in conventional homes. The windows are among the most efficient in North America. Thanks to the heavy insulation, the home now has a 12,000 BTU (British thermal unit) per hour electric heater/air-conditioning unit. A small furnace generally delivers 40,000 BTU/h. Since the heating load is so low, Marion said he went all electric. There are several electric baseboard heaters that he has only had to use on the coldest of winter days. There is a mechanical ventilation system, to move air in and out of the house, and a wastewater heat recovery unit. Marion purchased a European-brand washer and drier. The dryer is a condensing unit, that separates the water from the air, which sends hot air into the room it's in, while the water it collects gets drained in a sink. There is also more insulation on the top and bottom of the house than in conventional homes. See Rising page 11 · M i r a g e H a r d w o o d P e r s i a n A r e a R u g s 50% OFF INTRODUCTORY OFFER 1 FREE Introductory Class! MASTER RYU'S TAE KWON DO NOW ON SALE R u g s Why You Should Join Our Club. Benefit from Master Ryu's International Expertise Berber · Twist · Plush · Textured Berber $2.99/sq.ft. (1500 sq.ft. limit) INSTALLED WITH MEMORY FOAM 1/2 PRICE - Any Carpet Style · P e e r l e s s 1. International Instructor in over 10 countries USA, CHINA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bhutan, Vietnam, Korea... 2. 1988-1990 Korean National Team 3. Selected by the South Korean Government to be the: Vietnam National Team Coach from 1995-1997. National Team Coach of Bhutan from 1998-1999 4. 2000 World Tae Kwon Do Federation Instructor Dispatch Canada PEERLESS COMFORT CARPETING C a r p e t i n g Come Learn From the Best! · Tae Kwon Do 6th degree black belt Space available · Kung Fu 5th degree black belt to lease. · Wu Shu 6th degree black belt Please call for details · Hapkido 4th degree black belt CARPET & AREA RUGS FLOORSFIRST 200 STORE BUYERS EDGE GUARANTEE · 2 0 0 S t o r e We teach Weaponry: Nunchuck, Fan & Bow B u y i n g 35 Years Experience All Age Groups NO #1 RATED HARDWOOD HARDWOOD FOLLOWING LOCATIONS ONLY: 125 Cross Ave. TRAFALGAR VILLAGE OAKVILLE · 905-849-4472 Mirage Hardwood · Karastan Carpeting · SUPERSTORE HARDWOOD P o w e r Confidence · Patience · Respect · Self Control 905.469.0506 · 2195 Wyecroft Road | Oakville *Applies to new memberships only. Some conditions apply, call for details. 228 KING ST. E. Hamilton · 905-546-1921 Persian Rugs www.masterryu.com