UPDATE 2021: The Federal government has a few grants available which can be used to offset some of the cost of lowering or de-carbonizing the home. They can be found here: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/20546 Enbridge also has some funds available for upgrades … Continue reading →
Recently I was asked to project manage a PassivHaus build. This house, called SmartHome by the owner, was already framed and had the roof on. Most of the windows and doors were in, as well as most of the interior … Continue reading →
Well, I knew the day would come. History repeats itself. The progression of solar in Canada is a tough one. It has usually been a Liberal government that sets in place some progressive rebates or support for solar thermal and … Continue reading →
PVThermal panels are not new. There has been a lot of research done on them in Europe and the US since the 1970s, but they have been a niche market. Now is the time for the system to gain some prominence. … Continue reading →
UPDATE 2018: Unfortunately, there are no Ontario government incentives of any form currently. From Ottawa, the Liberals offered some encouragement before they were elected, but we haven’t seen anything to date. ————- Solar support in Canada has always been an … Continue reading →
I am constantly finding companies (contractors, not manufacturers) who advertise that the tankless water heater they install will give you 7-8 gpm of hot water when heating from 10C to 50C (122F). Sorry, but this should taken with a grain … Continue reading →
No solar system can run without an expansion tank. But many water boiler installers and engineers have no idea how to size an expansion tank for solar. It is often believed by many engineers and contractors new to solar that an … Continue reading →
There are a lot of vacuum tube collectors (i.e. solar panels) available on the market these days, and there is definitely a lot of misinformation out there. I shall try to rectify this to some extent. “Vacuum collectors are more … Continue reading →
I have about 20 years in the solar business as well as installing high efficiency boilers and floor heating. In the 90s when there was cheap gas and oil, most people who were in the solar business were true believers, … Continue reading →
