Home Energy 101
Resources to help make your home more energy efficient.
This page contains educational resources to help you make your home more energy efficient. Through small changes, you can reduce your home’s energy footprint. Whether you live in an apartment, condominium or house, there are things you can do to help lower your carbon footprint.
The resources below are designed to help you make informed decisions. If you are looking for a contractor to help with your home energy efficiency journey, check out our Contractors List as a starting point.
Building Envelope
Air Sealing and Insulation
Videos
Blog Posts
Listening to the Stories of Trees: Tree Trust Oak Conservation in the New Hamburg Arboretum
Da Vinci says that “to see is to know.” Most of us don’t see trees, we drive past them. Baum Tree Care Pruning of Pin Oak Tree On a
Carbon Offsets: Why Local Action Matters
By Nicole Wang Carbon offsets have become more common as a way for people to address carbon intensive activities that they have a difficult time
Can Having a Tree in Your Yard Save You Money? YES! Here’s How.
By Ashlynn Fleming and Sara Robertson Trees provide us with a lot of benefits. Some of them, like providing shade, habitat for wildlife, or aesthetic
Waterloo Region Tree Trust at St. Jerome’s University
“How old do you think the tree is?” Jim Robson, the Director of Facilities at St. Jerome’s University, asked while we stared upwards into the
Supporting Biodiversity to Take on Climate Change
Learn how small actions at home can protect ecosystems, fight climate change, and sustain life for generations.
A Guide to Going Plant-Based
Exploring plant-based proteins? From budget-friendly beans to convenient mock meats, find what works for you and make the transition at your own pace!
Resources
Windows and Doors
Blog Posts
Summer Heat Heroes: An Ode to the Awning
Blog post by Brianna O’Brien On hot summer days, air conditioning can account for roughly one-third of electricity use in Ontario. But did you know
How to make good window choices
This is Lesson 6 of our informal online course: Home Energy 101. All lessons by Philip Drader. In this lesson, we’ll take a look at windows. If you
Resources
Mechanical Equipment
Heat Pumps
Videos
Blog Posts
Getting My Home to Net Zero: Part 2
Even greater comfort plus amazing energy and greenhouse gas emissions savings with a cold climate heat pump Our household is on a mission to cut
Getting My Home to Net Zero: Part 1
The goal is a net zero energy home: a home in which annual renewable energy from rooftop solar panels can offset our total annual energy use for all operations in the home.
Could my home go net zero?
Written by Heather McDiarmid The Bottom Line: The climate crisis threatens the future well-being of my kids Waterloo Region has committed to reducing greenhouse gas
Resources
Renewables
Solar Panels
Videos
Blog Posts
Are Heat Pumps and Solar Panels Worth the Investment?
As a homeowner, you can positively impact the environment by making your home more energy efficient. Deep retrofits, such as heat pumps for heating or
Homeowner Sustainable Journey Spotlight: Anne and Andy
“We chose Reep because it is an ethically driven organization which cares about our environment and was not out to “sell us” anything but a
Why Choose Solar? The Reasons to Solar Power Your Home
When considering energy solutions for your home, solar power is a popular option that is practical and requires very little space to operate in comparison
Generate your home’s electricity with solar energy
This is Lesson 11 of our informal online course: Home Energy 101. All lessons by Philip Drader. In all our previous lessons, we looked at how to reduce
Resources
Energy Star Appliances
Blog Posts
10 Energy Efficiency Ideas for Tenants
Saving energy can be tough when you don’t have the ability to make big changes to your home. Tenants may be stuck with a rickety
5 Reasons Why I Love My Induction Cook top | Home Energy Story
It all started when my husband borrowed a portable induction cooker to try out in our kitchen. I admit, the explanation of how it works
How your day to day actions can save energy
This is Lesson 12 of our informal online course: Home Energy 101. All lessons by Philip Drader. There are three main resources we use whose consumption is fairly regular:
How to conserve electricity use by lights, appliances and air conditioners
This is Lesson 10 of our informal online course: Home Energy 101. All lessons by Philip Drader. Our focus in this post is on how we use electricity
Resources
Water Efficiency
Videos
Blog Posts
Heating and using hot water more efficiently
This is Lesson 8 of our informal online course: Home Energy 101. All lessons by Philip Drader. There are lots of uses for hot water in the home.
Resources
Other Resources
Incentives for Your Home
Find out which programs you may qualify for to help make your upgrades more affordable.
Your Carbon Footprint
Use Project Neutral to measure your carbon footprint and discover ways to live more sustainably.
Reep House
Sustainable technology is on display at our renovated century home. Explore online or request a tour!
Contractors List
Looking for contractors for your renovation project? Our list of local businesses is a great starting point!
Home Energy Evaluation
Get advice on sustainable upgrades that will lower utility bills, increase home comfort and fight climate change.
Research and Reports
Do you want to take a deeper dive on sustainability issues? Check out our research and reports.