How
do you determine which approaches and technologies will meet your needs
and give you the best return on your investment? The information here is intended to
assist you in identifying the best solutions for your building or application.
The best way to cut energy consumption significantly is with systems that meet YOUR building's energy loads. Although every building, lifestyle, or process is unique, building science and economics emphasize ordinarily following these guidelines. For commercial buildings or a unique house plan, use HOT-2000 and RETScreen or contact us to determine the systems that deliver the optimum return to your investment.
Are you...
Renovating an Existing Building
In Canada, the first step to improving energy performance of buildings is to upgrade the envelope. A leaky, energy guzzling building must be upgraded before Renewable Energy Systems can have any impact. Exceptions include process manufacturing and larger buildings. See Energy Efficiency and Projects.
The Next Step
After upgrading your building envelope, what are your energy needs?
| For ICI, agricultural applications, larger facilities, and specialized applications, consider: | 1 or 2 showers/day, or bather After high quality building envelope and heat recovery, consider a Solar Water Heater. Most 4-person households in Canada can achieve near 50% of their hot water and can be tied to wood heating, pool heating and space heating systems. | 3 or more showers/day If drain stack is beneath the shower, vertical and accessible, Drainwater Heat Recovery can extend the lifetime of your water heater, increasing the number of hot showers from the same tank. Pay back periods typically 2 to 5 years. |
Taking it Further
Solar Power (PV) is usually the last consideration for most buildings from an economic point of view, except for remote locations and for blackout protection where it can be a #1 consideration. Examples include:
- Portable Power system
- Water Pumping
- Processing Plant
- Cabin
Building New or a Major Addition
Passive Solar Design is the most effective and efficient way to cut energy load. Explore free lighting, cooling and ventilation techniques whenever possible, i.e., Whenever Building!
The Next Step
After incorporating passive solar into your building design, what are your other options?
Combine Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) including:
|
Drainwater Heat Recovery.
Recover 34% of your hot water heat. |
Solar Water Heating.
Supply 50% of domestic hot water. |
Power Systems.
Include solar, wind and micro-hydro. |
More Information
For industrial, commercial, and agricultural, see Projects. For more on integrated design opportunities for your building, contact us for an estimate.
Nexus Solar Corp.
(306) 373-5960
www.nexussolar.com
forinfo@nexussolar.com