If you’re thinking about hiring an NRCan Registered Energy Advisor to help with your home renovation project or your new build, you should know what to expect. Energy Modelling can get extremely costly if not executed in an organized manner. Knowing what to expect will ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
What are Registered Energy Advisors?
The designation of Energy Advisor (EA) registered with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) means that a person has met and maintained all of the required qualifications to deliver EnerGuide rating services in Canada.
Energy Advisors are trained in the use of the EnerGuide Rating System to assess the energy performance, and potential energy savings, for homes during the design, construction, renovation, and upgrade (retrofit) stage.
Energy Advisors are experts in home energy efficiency and building science. They use their expertise in combination with energy modelling software to work closely with homeowners, builders, renovators, architects, developers, and building professionals to help them make informed decisions when choosing energy upgrades before building a new house or starting extensive renovations on an existing house.
The expertise of Energy Advisors in energy modelling and in the delivery of necessary inspections and tests to verify compliance related to labeling programs is recognized as a compliance pathway in the application of energy codes like the Vancouver Building By-law and the BC Energy Step Code.
Difference between a Home Inspector and an Energy Advisor
A home inspector observes and reports on the condition of a real estate property, usually when it is on the market to be sold. They assess the property’s overall condition, including its heating and cooling systems, plumbing, electrical work, water, and sewage, as well as some fire and safety issues. In addition, the home inspector will look for evidence of insect, water, fire damage, or any other issue that may affect the property’s value. A home inspection will ultimately examine a property’s safety and functionality.
An Energy Advisor inspects a number of the same items (and a number of other important factors, as well) as they relate to the energy efficiency of the home. They will help pinpoint any comfort, building envelope, or moisture concerns. Some Energy Advisors also include thermal imaging in their testing to help gain further perspective into a client’s home. Energy Advisors run a blower door test on each home they evaluate, and this gives an overall picture of the amount of air leakage your home has to the outdoors (aka how much energy you’re losing through the cracks of the building envelope).
What does an experienced Energy Advisor bring to a project?
It is important to remember, if something can go wrong on the building site, it will. Inevitably, that’s when the budget will spiral out of control. If hired early in the design process and with collaboration from the construction/designing team, the Energy Advisor can be the one to keep a handle on costs.
Their comprehensive understanding of building science produces solutions to energy deficiencies that will make the least impact on all aspects of the building, minimizing costs.
As building codes become more stringent, an experienced Energy Advisor brings not only their technical skills to the project but also their project management skills. When the main consultants are involved early on, it encourages focus on project outcomes versus individual goals. Sustainability and energy efficiency targets affect the design team, contractor, structural engineer, mechanical contractor, insulator, and other trades.
The way we have been building in the past is not the way we need to build for a low-carbon resilient future. Decarbonizing buildings and reaching net-zero is complex and requires thinking outside the box. Experienced Energy Advisors will explore new ideas and opportunities in order to respond to the climate crisis and meet your sustainability targets.
Communication is key
Above all, good communication is the key to making sure your project comes to fruition the way you’ve been hoping. Sometimes, newer clients are hesitant to make their true opinions known but at the end of the day, they’re the ones who need to be happy with the end result and comfortable in their home.
Good Energy Advisors actually prefer decisive clients. Definitive opinions make their job easier in the moment. So, if you want to request changes from your Energy Advisor, go right ahead. Change requests that alter the foundation of the project plan can be very costly and add significant delays, so the earlier you give feedback, the easier it will be to make changes. And don’t hesitate to ask questions along the way!
We hope that this article helped demystify what Energy Advisors do and make an informed decision as to whether hiring professional help is the right choice for you. With everything they know and are trained in, remember that this is your home, and ideally, your Energy Advisor needs to be hearing you and what you want. Find an Energy Advisor who asks you questions to discover your sustainability goals and what you like or don’t like about high-performance features. A good Energy Advisor will guide you in the process.
Carbon Wise’s mighty team has 15 years of accumulated experience in the construction industry, 10 years specifically in the energy efficiency sector, and has helped hundreds of people make their homes more energy-efficient.
Contact us or call 778-658-5508 for your next energy renovation or new high-performance build.
