The region’s public libraries have a new resource to help people make their homes more energy efficient. Patrons of the Dorchester, Port Elgin, Sackville and Dieppe public libraries can now borrow one of five new energy efficiency kits put together by EOS Eco Energy.
The kits are designed to help households learn where they could be wasting energy, and include simple tools like a shower timer, thermometer, and lightweight New Brunswick flag ideal for checking for drafts at windows and doors. There are also some tools which are harder to come by, such as a kilowatt meter and a heat imaging camera to find cold spots in walls and ceilings.
EOS Eco-Energy director Brittany Cormier says the kits come with instructions for how to use all the tools, and are meant to be accessible. “Nothing like you have to take a course on,” says Cormier. “They’re all very easy, user friendly, and accessible items.”
CHMA stopped by the library to find out more about the project.
The kilowatt meter looks similar to a timer for electrical lights and appliances. The device plugs into an outlet and then an appliance can be plugged into it, and it displays the energy usage for that appliance.
“This is something that we use with our school energy efficiency lesson plans,” says Cormier, referring to another project that EOS is completing as their funding year draws to a close on March 31. “We’re going to be able to take this to schools and see if students know the difference between energy use of a fan and a microwave,” says Cormier. It’s also handy for identifying ‘vampire appliances’, which use electricity even when not in active use.
Things like TV monitors and desktop computers can still be “racking up kilowatts,” says Cormier. “You’re paying for it, and it’s wasted energy being used.”
The kit also comes equipped with flow bags, designed to measure the flow rate at a tap or showerhead, and calculate possible savings on water volume and heating. “Heating water is on average about 15% of residence’s power bill,” says Cormier. “So if that’s one of the changes that might suit, this is definitely the monitoring tool.”
Cormier’s favourite tool in the kit is the thermal imaging camera. It’s especially useful for those with older homes, says Cormier, where the insulation coverage might be spotty. Just point the camera at a wall or window, and you can see problem areas light up.
“We’ve heard for houses that are made in the 1920s and prior, some of these were insulated with weird things that we don’t use today,” says Cormier. “I’ve heard of horsehair… and that settles,” leaving cold spots in walls that bleed heat. The thermal imaging camera in the new library kits can help people target their insulation or draft proofing projects for maximum gain.
“We’re trying to encourage people to look at it like a pyramid,” says Cormier, with energy conservation and energy efficiency on the bottom, and then building up to things like renewable energy projects. “If you put solar panels on home with holes, that’s not really the right way to go about it,” says Cormier.
Cormier says there are funding and support programs available to help cover the costs of the renovations or improvements to energy efficiency. The Save Energy NB program offers free efficiency kits to renters, and retrofitting grants to households with incomes below $70,000. There are also programs to support energy efficiency in renovations and new construction.
Up until recently, there were also federal grant programs available, to help offset the upfront investment costs that go with many retrofits and energy efficiency measures. The Canada Greener Homes grant was supposed to run until 2027, says Cormier, but recently shut down after an excess of demand.
“So obviously, there’s a need for it, there’s an interest in doing these renovations and energy efficiency projects,” says Cormier. “So hopefully, something will come to replace that.”
Cormier says any residents with questions can reach out to EOS Eco Energy for help and information.
