Dear Editor,
The ongoing debate surrounding the Pumped Storage Project is truly engaging and educational. I am particularly interested in the energy efficiency side of the picture. As we navigate the transition away from fossil fuels and embrace technologies like electric vehicles there’s a prevailing belief that Ontario’s electricity demand will inevitably skyrocket. But is this assumption really valid?
A recent episode of the Energy Transition Show with Chris Nelder offered an intriguing perspective. It highlighted the significant energy consumption associated with heating and cooling buildings, amounting to nearly half of global energy usage. Here in Canada, buildings consume a quarter of our nation’s energy, while in Ontario more than half of the household energy consumption is allocated to heating, with smaller allocations for water heating, cooling, and appliances.
This information has prompted me to question whether we should be focusing more on enhancing the energy efficiency of our buildings. By reducing energy consumption in buildings, we could potentially alleviate the need for increased electricity production and storage, and if that increased electricity is coming from natural gas fired plants, consequently reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The majority of us live in inefficient homes. Much of our existing housing inventory suffers from leaky thermal envelopes, inadequate insulation, and inefficient heating and cooling systems. While new constructions offer improvements, the pinnacle solution lies in constructing net-zero homes or passive house (Passivhaus) dwellings. Net-zero homes, capable of producing as much energy as they consume, are anticipated to be 80% more energy efficient than standard new builds constructed to recent building code standards. Passive house homes harness solar energy, internal heat sources, and heat recovery, rendering conventional heating systems unnecessary even in the coldest winters. Remarkably, due to their minimal need for heating and cooling, passive house homes utilize 90% less energy than traditional builds. Both net-zero and passive house homes boast tightly sealed thermal envelopes, high-efficiency HVAC systems, and triple-pane windows to reduce thermal losses.
Highly efficient new builds are on the horizon. In 2016, Ontario, in conjunction with the other provinces and territories, committed to implementing a net-zero energy-ready building code by 2030. However, we need to ensure that Ontario keeps its promise and aligns our Building Code with the National model code according to the timelines. Also, equal emphasis must be placed on retrofitting existing buildings to enhance their energy efficiency. Retrofitting older homes can involve measures like sealing leaks, enhancing insulation, and upgrading heating systems to air or ground-sourced heat pumps.
According to the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, outfitting all electrically heated homes in Ontario with heat pumps could yield substantial benefits, including reduced electricity costs for most homeowners, diminished electricity generation and greenhouse gas pollution from gas-fired power plants, increased GDP, and job creation. Many Canadians have already made the switch to heat pumps, and enough took advantage of the Canada Greener Homes Grant that the program recently ran out of funding. Ontario is providing funding for heat pumps in select communities under its Clean Home Heating Initiative but more assistance is required to encourage all homeowners and renters to seal up drafty homes and make the switch to heat pumps.
We should all be concerned about the amount of energy that our homes consume to reduce our need for energy as we transition towards a net zero future. It is imperative to align Ontario’s building regulations with national standards to ensure all new buildings meet stringent energy efficiency criteria. Additionally, government support for homeowners to adopt energy-efficient technologies and retrofit existing buildings is crucial. Each of us should advocate for policies and programs at all levels of government that promote energy efficiency. Any taxpayer money that TCE wants to spend on the Pumped Storage Facility could go a long way toward funding the creation of retrofitted homes and reducing the amount of energy that Ontario needs to produce to heat and cool them.
Best,
Melissa Tervit, Meaford
