The market now offers lighting fixtures that are more efficient than those that use incandescent bulbs and a single switch. These new fixtures save energy, reduce resource use and decrease the amount of waste going into landfills. Rooms need functional lighting in certain places and ambient lighting for the entire room. You can make choices to meet these different needs in the most eco-responsible way possible.

Our recommendations :

• ENERGY STAR® rated light fixtures consume 66% less energy on average and minimize heat release, which cuts down on air-conditioning needs in summer.

• Compact fluorescent bulbs last about 10 times longer than ordinary incandescents and consume 4 or 5 times less energy. Some compact fluorescents can be installed with a dimmer, for greater control over ambient lighting. Because these bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, they cannot be simply thrown away but must be taken to dedicated recovery sites. In the event of breakage, use a piece of cardboard to collect the pieces, place them in a sealed container and dispose of at a recovery centre.

• LEDs (light emitting diodes) are becoming more and more affordable, they’re well suited to residential lighting needs (better colour rendering), and they have the potential to consume less energy than compact fluorescent bulbs. Interestingly, LEDs have a very long lifespan – 5 to 10 times longer than compact fluorescents, which means 50 to 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs. They can also be adapted to different configurations – bulbs, strips and panels – to provide ambient or functional lighting. LEDs are not very heat resistant, however, which reduces their efficiency. Unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs contain no mercury or noxious gases.

• Dimmer switches adjust the intensity of the light, which increases eye comfort and decreases energy consumption: depending on the decrease in intensity, a zero-resistance dimmer can save from 5% to 50% in energy costs. 

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The most effective way to reduce energy consumption in the home is not to heat when you don’t need to. Replacing your mechanical thermostats with electronic thermostats allows you to manage your heat demands by programming in a lower temperature at times when you don’t need the heat.

Our recommendations :

• Electronic thermostats produce a steadier temperature: a variation of 2°C is needed to activate an ordinary thermostat, but just 0.5°C is enough for an electronic model. This rapid reaction to temperature fluctuations can generate up to 9% in energy savings.

• Programming options allow you to adjust the temperature to the family’s needs and avoid raising and lowering the temperature too often. For example, reducing the temperature by 3°C at night or when the family is not home can generate energy savings of 6%.

• Models equipped with occupant presence detectors don’t require any programming. The heating is activated and deactivated based on the presence of people in the rooms, leading to significant savings. 

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The water heater is one of the biggest energy consumers in the home. Its overall output is a product of the insulation of the tank and the efficiency of the heating elements and the ignition device. A good eco-responsible choice will save water and energy, as long as your use behaviour is suited to the selected appliance.

Our recommendations :

• 1 Tankless electric water heaters are one option to consider: their lifespan is twice as long, and effective models can generate energy savings of up to 30% compared to the old tank-style water heaters. You’ll need to check your electrical system before installing an electric instant water heater, however, because you may need to change the panel for greater amperage and safety.

• 2 Gas-fired tankless water heaters with an electronic ignition are the most effective models, but a well-insulated gas-fired tank-style model may be just as effective if it is located in a heated space in the home near the kitchen and bathroom.

• 3 Solar water heaters can reduce energy consumption by up to 50% or more. The water is pre-heated by a solar panel system before being sent to a traditional water heater, reducing the amount of energy required to bring the water up to temperature. The anti-freeze models can be used year-round. 

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Did you Know ?

Recovering the heat from the drain water (showers, bathtubs and sinks) in the entire home can reduce the total energy bill by up to 10% a year. Drain water heat comes primarily from the shower, but it may also come from sinks, the dishwasher and the washing machine.

Our recommendations :

• The system consists of replacing part of the drain (as close as possible to the drain and the hot water tank) with a heat-conducting copper pipe that the potable (suitable for drinking) water intake pipe is wrapped around, to allow for heat transfer. Then, when the hot water from the shower runs out through the drain, it heats the water coming in from the aqueduct, which is then sent to the water heater. This kind of system takes advantages of a basic principle of physics to save energy. 

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Opportunities to change your plumbing don’t come along very often, so seize the opportunity if you get it. Copper plumbing pipes conduct heat and, as hot water passes through them, they absorb part of the energy provided by the water heater. You can save a lot of energy, reduce your GHG emissions and protect your health by optimizing the plumbing in the home.

Our recommendations :

• If you’re planning to redo your plumbing, reduce the length of hot water pipes and avoid putting them in outside walls. This will cut both heat loss and the risk of mould related to condensation on pipe surfaces.

• Without changing your plumbing as such, you can insulate accessible hot water pipes to save energy. Insulating the pipes keeps the water hot longer, so the waiting time before you get hot water in the faucet is shorter, which also saves water.

• Installing an insulating cover on older hot water heaters also reduces energy loss and saves about 10% of energy.

• Adjust the temperature of the water heater. The temperature is usually set at 60°C. Lowering it to 55°C generates energy savings of 3% to 5%. To avoid bacterial contamination, the water temperature should never be set below 52°C. 

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Wood is the best material to choose, especially since of all interior fittings, cupboards benefit the most from wood’s advantages. Choosing wood products from certified forests encourages sustainable forestry. The doors, cabinets, stains, paints and adhesives should all meet low emissions standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxins.

Our recommendations :

• Consider the possibility of replacing only the decorative panels and doors, and keeping the existing cabinets. This is an effective choice regularly offered by professionals: it saves time and money, and reduces resource use.

• Many manufacturers offer cupboards made of wood from certified forests, which guarantees that the wood is from forests that are responsibly managed for the environment and for local communities.

• For cabinets made of bonded panels, make sure the panels contain recycled materials, and use low-VOC products (for your health). 

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Counters made of long-lasting materials will withstand the test of time, since counters are subject to so many stresses (use, heat, humidity, etc.). The best eco-responsible choices should come from renewable resources, consume little water and energy in their production, and generate few greenhouse gases in their production and transportation.

Volatile organic compounds are greenhouse gases that have a direct negative effect on your health. Their volatility allows them to spread relatively far from the site of emission, so they can have both direct and indirect effects on health. It’s best to choose counters that meet the low emissions standards for volatile organic compounds and other toxins.

Our recommendations :

• Natural stone counters, such as marble, granite, quartz, slate and steatite are healthy choices that respect the environment, especially if they’re produced in the region where they are installed, cutting down on the energy and GHGs involved in their transportation.

• Wood from certified forests, which encourages sustainable forestry, and FSC-certified bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, are two of the more interesting options, but they need to be regularly maintained with solvent-free linseed or tung tree oil.

• If you go with a stratified counter, choose a model with the core made of 100% urea-formaldehyde-free recycled fibres. Urea formaldehyde is used as a binder in many kinds of materials and is one of the most common air pollutants inside homes.

• Ceramics with recycled content, mosaics with recycled glass and recycled glass counters (with a concrete or resin base) are healthy, long-lasting choices. The concrete must be covered with a sealant every year to maintain its water resistance, and the joints in ceramics and mosaics can be complicated to maintain. 

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Some floor coverings are more wear and moisture resistant than others. Installing a durable product will help you steer clear of premature replacement, reducing resource use and waste production. Flooring should meet the low emissions standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxic substances, in order to reduce the impact on human health. They should also be mildew resistant, since mould and mildew are among the highest risks to indoor air quality.

Our recommendations :

• Installing ceramic tiles is your best option: they’re strong, easy to maintain and many models are now offered with recycled content, such as recycled glass.

• Avoid carpets, as they are hard to clean and dry. They can become a source of mould.

• Use adhesives with no volatile organic compounds for tiles and other floor coverings. Lots of very effective ecological products are now available.  

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Did you know ?

The toilet is generally the fixture that consumes the most water in the home. The vast majority of toilets are filled with potable (suitable for drinking) water, but their sanitary function is to evacuate blackwater. New toilets that are not much more expensive generate major water savings, reducing the impact on this valuable resource.

Our recommendations :

• Installing a toilet with a 6-litre tank or less (Watersense certification recommends 4.8 litres) saves 50% or more of the water used by a standard 13-litre model. RONA has made a commitment to stop selling toilets with tanks larger than 6 litres.

• Installing a dual flush toilet (3 litres and 6 litres or less) is even better, because these models save over 66% of the water of a standard toilet if the dual flush function is used optimally.

• Installing a composting toilet recovers materials that can be used as organic fertilizer and uses no water at all. A space to store the compost is required, along with regular maintenance to avoid possible problems. These toilets are expensive, but they’re a great idea for homes that are not served by municipal sewers and houses connected to wells. 

Water consumption diagram for the average Canadian household (Environment Canada)

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Unlike flushing fixtures such as toilets, the volume of water used in a shower depends on the length of use and the flow from the showerhead. Because showers can be controlled in terms of both length and flow, they save water and energy in comparison to baths, which use a huge amount of hot water.

Our recommendations :

• Effective showerheads vary from 7.5 to 9 litres of water per minute and are as pleasant for users as standard higher-consumption models. Very low flow showerheads use between 3.8 and 7.4 litres per minute. Compared with traditional showerheads, with a flow of 13 litres per minute or more, they save over 30% of the water and 15% of the energy used to heat the water.

• Install a showerhead valve: this allows the water to be turned off while you soap and shampoo and then turned back on to rinse without having to readjust the temperature. 

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Did you know ?

Canadians consume an average of 329 litres of water a day, more than twice as much as Europeans. (Environment Canada)

A residential system that recycles greywater (water from showers, baths and sinks) or harvests rainwater can lead to water savings of about 146,000 litres a year for a four-member family that uses appliances regularly. That’s the equivalent of three aboveground swimming pools. Installing these two systems will reduce annual water consumption by about 33%.

Our recommendations :

• A greywater recycling system redirects water from the shower, bathtub and sink drains to a tank that is independent from the sewers. This water is then reused in the toilets to save on potable water (ideally all of the toilet water will come from this source). The water has to be filtered and treated, however, to prevent the build-up of bacteria, which would have an impact on resources and water quality. While these systems can be very effective for families, they provide less water savings and therefore less benefit for a single person using a dual flush toilet.

• Rainwater harvesting systems direct the water from the roof gutters into tanks for storage. It can then be reused for activities that do not require potable water, such as watering the garden, washing the car or supplying toilets. Water that is reused for toilets must be filtered and treated to prevent the build-up of bacteria, which would have an impact on resources and water quality. Harvesting and using rainwater can still save water and reduce the pressure on public utilities. 

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You can save water and energy by using effective plumbing fixtures that limit your impact on the environment. The bathroom is the prime place to install a low flow faucet.

Our recommendations :

• Installing aerators reduces the flow at low cost without reducing water pressure. Installing an aerator on a standard faucet can reduce a flow of 13.5 litres per minute to just 6.5 litres per minute.

• Flow control disks are now available that can be installed on standard or low flow taps to reduce flow to 5.5 litres per minute, compared to 13.5 per minute for a standard tap. 

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Mould and mildew are one of the main risks to indoor air quality inside the home. Mould forms primarily in damp rooms such as the bathroom, where a few eco-responsible choices are in order. You can reduce health impacts by choosing mildew resistant VOC-free cladding.

Our recommendations :

• The most effective option is ceramic tiles installed on special water resistant drywall (wallboard) or cement board. Paper covered wallboard should not be used because it may become waterlogged and encourage the growth of mould. Several new specialized products made of cellulosic fibre or covered with fibreglass are now on the market. 

As homes become increasingly airtight for the sake of energy efficiency, they also accumulate pollutants and humidity indoors, which increases the need for mechanical ventilation systems to reduce major health impacts. But mechanical ventilation that brings in cool air and evacuates hot air will generate a net energy loss during heating season. The solution is to install a high efficiency system that can save that energy, reducing the emissions of GHGs.

Our recommendations :

• If there is no central ventilation system in the home and you are not planning to install one, at least install high efficiency fans in the bathrooms to evacuate excess moisture. The fans should have a discharge flow of at least 50 cubic feet per minute (25 L/s) and the used air outlets must be outside the home. Besides using 65% less energy than conventional models, ENERGY STAR® fans have other benefits: they’re quieter and they displace more air. 

did you know ?

Canadians spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, where up to 900 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be found. (Health Canada)

Unless you follow certain recommendations, the air quality inside your home may be worse than the air outside. Now that homes are becoming increasingly airtight, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other noxious substances can build up in the air and pose a health risk for the occupants. Some paints and finishing products contain different volatile chemicals that you should avoid for the sake of your health.

Our recommendations :

• Use paints and primers labelled “VOC-free” or “low emissions” to protect your health. Although alkyd paints (oil-based) last longer and create a shinier finish, they contain a solvent thinner and are not usually as good a choice as latex (water-based) paint in terms of health. Read labels carefully or select products with an EcoLogo™ or Green Seal™ label. 

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