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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?
LESSON CHALLENGECreate an interview with a home to describe actions and behaviours that can improve household energy efficiency.
Activity sheets
• HowEnergyEfficientistheHome?(ActivitysheetA)• ImprovingHomeEnergyEfficiency(ActivitysheetB)• PlanninganInterview(ActivitysheetC)
Briefing sheets• AdviceFromaHome(BriefingsheetA)• WhatisanEnergy-EfficientHome?(BriefingsheetB)
Online sources• https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/efficiency/homes/20548• https://www.efficiencyalberta.ca/seven-ways-to-save/• http://aref.ab.ca/top-10-energy-efficiency-tips-for-the-home/• https://energyrates.ca/15-tips-to-cut-energy-costs-this-winter/• https://www.greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/9-ways-to-
make-your-home-more-energy-efficient
Assessment materials• AssessingMyUnderstandingofEnergy-Efficient
Homes(AssessmentmaterialsA)
Background knowledge Ì home energy use
Critical thinking vocabulary Ì rating Ì criteria
Thinking strategies Ì rating scale
Habits of mind Ì attentive to detail Ì flexible
Inthislesson,studentsexploreactionsandbehavioursthatcanimprovetheenergyefficiencyofahome.Tobeginthelesson,studentsidentifyfactorsthatmightincreaseordecreasetheenergyefficiencyofahomefeaturedinanimage.Studentsthenusetheirobservationstoco-createthecriteriaforanenergy-efficienthome.Studentsusethiscriteriatoidentifyactionsthatmightimprovetheenergyefficiencyofahomedescribedinaninterview.Toconcludethelesson,studentscreateaninterviewwiththeirhomestodescribetheimportantadvicetheirhomesmightgiveaboutimprovingenergyefficiency.
SUMMARY
MATERIALS
Broad understandingStudents will understand that many actions and behaviours can improve the energy efficiency of a home.
THINKING TOOLS
LESSON INQUIRY QUESTION
Criteria for judgment
Ì criteria for an energy-efficient home
» cost-effective » kind to the environment » comfortable and healthy
Ì criteria for an effective interview question
» require more than a yes or no answer
» build on interesting background information
» draw out important ideas and information
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?LE
ARN
ING
ACT
IVIT
IES Introduce the criteria
1. Organizestudentsintosmallgroups(2-4students)andprovideeachgroupwithacopyofHow Energy Efficient is the Home?(ActivitysheetA).Considerdigitallyprojectingordisplayingtheimagefromtheactivitysheet.Ensurethateachgrouphaspensorpencilsoftwodifferentcolours.
2. Askgroupstocarefullyexaminetheimageandask“Isthisanenergy-efficienthome?”Directthemtouseoneoftheircolouredpensorpencilstocircleonthephotoanyfeaturesorconditionsofthehomethatwouldincreasetheamountofenergythatthishomewoulduse.Then,askgroupstousetheirothercolourtocircleonthephotoanyfeaturesorconditionsofthehomethatwoulddecreasetheamountofenergythatthishomewoulduse.
3. Onawhiteboardordigitaldisplay,notethestatement“Anenergy-efficienthomeis…”.Promptgroupstosuggestanyideasthatcouldbeusedtocompletethestatement.Encouragestudentstousetheirobservationsoftheimagetoguidetheirthinking.
4. Encouragegroupstosharetheirsuggestionswiththeclass.Usetheseideastoco-developorpresentthecriteriaforanenergy-efficienthome:• Cost-effective: Anenergy-efficienthomecostslesstoheat,cool,andoperate.Homes
thatareenergyefficientarewellinsulatedandairtight,withhigh-efficiencyheatingandcoolingequipment.Thehomehassimpledevicesdesignedtodecreaseconsumptionofenergyandwater.
• Kind to the environment:Anenergy-efficienthomehasefficientfeaturesandelementsthatworktogethertoreducetheamountofenergythatisconsumed.Thisreducesgreenhousegasemissionsandshrinksthehome’scarbonfootprint.
• Comfortable and healthy: Anenergy-efficienthomeiswarminwinterandcoolinsummer.Thehomehaseffectiveventilationandexcellentairquality.
Considernotinganddisplayingthecriteriaforuselaterinthislesson.5. Directstudents’attentiontotheratingscaleatthebottomoftheactivitysheet.Askgroups
torevisittheimageofthehomeandtousethecriteriatoratetheenergyefficiencyofthehome.Promptgroupstonotetheirratingonthescale.
6. Invitegroupstosharetheirratingswiththeclass.Asgroupsshare,invitethemtosuggestwhatadvicethehomemightgivetoitsownersabouthowitsenergyefficiencymightbeimproved.Encouragegroupstosharetheiradvicewiththeclass.
7. Sharethelessoninquiryquestion“Whatimportantadviceaboutenergyefficiencymightourhomesgiveus?”Explainthatstudentswillrespondtothelessoninquiryquestionbycreatingafirst-personinterviewwithahometodescribeactionsandbehavioursthatcanimprovehouseholdenergyefficiency.
Examine actions that improve energy efficiency
1. OrganizestudentsintopairsandprovideeachgroupwithacopyofAdvice From a Home(BriefingsheetA)andeachstudentwithacopyofImproving Home Energy Efficiency(ActivitysheetB).
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?LE
ARN
ING
ACT
IVIT
IES
2. Reviewthecolumnheadingsfromtheactivitysheetwithstudents.Informgroupsthattheirfirsttaskistoidentifyanyfeaturesorhabitsthatmaydecreasetheenergyefficiencyofahome.
3. Invitegroupstoreadtheinterview,orreaditasaclass.4. Directgroups’attentiontotheleft-handcolumnoftheactivitysheetandpromptthemto
notetheconditionsorhabitsthatmaybedecreasingtheenergyefficiencyofthehome.Studentresponsescouldincludedraftydoorsandwindows,pooratticinsulation,andlongshowers.
5. ProvideeachgroupwithacopyofWhat is an Energy-Efficient Home?(BriefingsheetB).Directgroupstouseinformationfromthebriefingsheettoidentifyotherfeaturesorhabitsthatmightdecreasetheenergyefficiencyofthehomefeaturedintheinterview.Encouragestudentstoaddanynewideastotheiractivitysheets.
6. Informstudentsthattheirnexttaskistoidentifyactionsthatcouldimproveorincreasetheenergyefficiencyofthehome.Encouragegroupstouseinformationfrombothbriefingsheetstoguidetheirthinking.Promptstudentstonotetheirideasinthe“Action”columnoftheactivitysheet.Ifstudentsrequireadditionalinformationaboutactionsthatcanimprovetheenergyefficiencyofahome,consideraskingthemtoexploretheonlinesourceslistedatthebeginningofthislesson.
7. Encouragestudentstorevisitthebriefingsheetstofindmoredetailsaboutthepossibleeffectsofeachaction.Directstudentstonotethesedetailsinthe“Effects”columnoftheactivitysheet.Forexample,groupsmightsuggestthatchangingtoLEDlightbulbscouldreduceenergyconsumptionofahomeby85percent.Additionaleffectscanalsobefoundintheonlinesources.
8. Directstudents’attentiontotheright-handcolumnandthecriteriaforanenergy-efficienthome.Promptgroupstoselectthecriteriathateachoftheactionswouldmeet.Forexample,studentsmightsuggestthatchangingtoLEDlightbulbsmeetsallthreecriteria.
9. Guidestudents’attentiontothesecondpageofActivitysheetB.Askthemtoselectthetopthreeactionsthatwouldimproveorincreasetheenergyefficiencyofthehome.Encouragestudentstoreflectonthecriteriatoguidetheirdecisions.
10.Invitestudentstosharetheirdecisionsandreasonswiththeclass.Asagroup,discussthesuggestions:Whatconditionsorhabitsmightmostnegativelyaffecttheenergyefficiencyofhomes?Whatactionsorhabitsmighthavethegreatestpositiveimpactontheenergyefficiencyofthehome?
Explore the energy efficiency of students’ homes
1. ProvideeachstudentwithanewcopyofImproving Home Energy Efficiency(ActivitysheetB).2. Encouragestudentstothinkoftheirownhomes:Whatconditionsorhabitsmightdecrease
theenergyefficiencyoftheirhomes?Whatactionsmightincreasetheenergyefficiencyoftheirhomes?
3. Directstudentstocompletetheactivitysheetusingdetailsfromtheirownhomesandtheir
Examine actions that improve energy efficiency (Cont’d)
4
What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?LE
ARN
ING
ACT
IVIT
IES
personalenergyhabits.Guidethemtosuggestactionsthatcouldimproveorincreasetheenergyefficiencyoftheirhomes.Encouragestudentstoreflectonthebriefingsheets,onlinesources,andcriteriatoguidetheirthinking.
4. Promptstudentstoselectandnotethetopthreeactionsthatwouldimproveorincreasetheenergyefficiencyofthehome.Remindstudentstousethecriteriatoguidetheirdecisions.
5. Invitestudentstosharetheirideaswiththeclass.Asagroup,discussthesuggestions:Whatconditionsorhabitsmightmostnegativelyaffecttheenergyefficiencyoftheirhomes?Whatactionsorhabitsmighthavethegreatestpositiveimpactontheenergyefficiencyoftheirhomes?Whatimportantadviceaboutenergyefficiencymighttheirhomesgive?
Respond to the lesson challenge
1. Guidestudents’attentionbacktoBriefingsheetA.Askstudentstoreflectontheinterview:Whatmadeituniqueordifferent?Studentsmightsuggestthatitwasaconversationwithahome,orthatthehomegaveadviceaboutenergyefficiency.
2. PromptgroupstoquicklyreviewthequestionsaskedbySam:Whichwasthemosteffectivequestion?Whichwastheleasteffectivequestion?
3. Invitegroupstosharetheirdecisionsandthinkingwiththeclass.Basedonthediscussion,developcriteriaforeffectiveinterviewquestions:• requiremorethanayesornoanswer• buildoninterestingbackgroundinformation• drawoutimportantideasandinformation
4. Revisittheinterview,andinvitestudentstoidentifyanyquestionsthatmeetthecriteria.Studentsmightsuggestthat“Whatareasdoyouthinkneedspecialattention?”and“Doyouhaveanyothersuggestionsforotherlittleactionsthatcouldimproveenergyefficiency?”meetthecriteria.
5. ProvideeachstudentwithacopyofPlanning an Interview(ActivitysheetC).Explainthatthefinaltaskofthelessonisto,intheformofaninterview,describetheadvicetheirhomesmightgiveaboutenergyefficiency.
6. Directstudentstodevelopquestionsthattheycouldaskahometolearnmoreaboutactionsandbehavioursthatcanimprovehouseholdenergyefficiency.Explainthatthefocusoftheinterviewistodescribetheimportantadvicethathomesmightgiveaboutenergyefficiency.Remindstudentstousethecriteriaandinformationfromtheactivityandbriefingsheetstoguidetheirthinking.
7. Encouragestudentstosharetheirdraftquestionswithatrustedpartner.Guidestudentsinusingthecriteriatoprovidefeedbackaboutoneinterviewquestionthatiseffective,andonethatcouldberefined.
8. Invitestudentstosharetheircompletedinterviewswiththeclass.Invitethemtosuggestwhatotherindividualsorgroupsshouldheartheadvicethathomesmightgiveaboutenergyefficiency.
Explore the energy efficiency of students’ homes (Cont’d)
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?LE
ARN
ING
ACT
IVIT
IES Reflect on the learning
1. Promptstudentstoreflectontheimportanceofenergyefficiencybyaskingthemquestionssuchas:Whatarethemostimportantbenefitsofincreasingtheenergyefficiencyofahome?Howmightourhabitsanddecisionsabouttheenergyweuseinourhomesaffecttheenvironment?
2. Encouragestudentstosuggestwhatstepstheymightpersonallytaketoimprovetheenergyefficiencyoftheirhomes.
Assess the learning
1. EncouragestudentstouseAssessing My Understanding of Energy-Efficient Homes (AssessmentmaterialsA)toself-assesstheirunderstandingofactionsthatcanimprovetheenergyefficiencyofhomes.
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Activity sheet A
How Energy Efficient is the Home?
By Joel Filipe/Unsplash
Not energy efficient
Very energy efficient
Somewhat energy efficient
How energy efficient is this home?
Note your rating on the scale below:
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Im
prov
ing
Hom
e En
ergy
Eff
icie
ncy
Activity sheet B
Pote
ntia
l ine
ffici
ency
Wha
t con
ditio
n or
hab
it m
ight
be
decr
easi
ng
ener
gy e
ffici
ency
?
Poss
ible
act
ion
Wha
t act
ion
mig
ht
incr
ease
ene
rgy
effic
ienc
y?
Effec
tsW
hat e
ffect
s will
the
actio
n ha
ve?
Crite
ria
Does
the
actio
n m
eet t
he
crite
ria?
F
Cost
-effe
ctiv
e F
Kind
to e
nviro
nmen
t F
Com
fort
able
and
hea
lthy
F
Cost
-effe
ctiv
e F
Kind
to e
nviro
nmen
t F
Com
fort
able
and
hea
lthy
F
Cost
-effe
ctiv
e F
Kind
to e
nviro
nmen
t F
Com
fort
able
and
hea
lthy
F
Cost
-effe
ctiv
e F
Kind
to e
nviro
nmen
t F
Com
fort
able
and
hea
lthy
F
Cost
-effe
ctiv
e F
Kind
to e
nviro
nmen
t F
Com
fort
able
and
hea
lthy
8
What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Activity sheet B (Cont’d)
Sele
ct th
e to
p th
ree
actio
ns to
impr
ove
the
ener
gy e
ffici
ency
of t
he h
ome:
Actio
ns1.
2.
3.
Reas
ons
Crite
ria
for a
sses
sing
the
evid
ence
:✓C
ost-e
ffect
ive:
An
ener
gy-e
fficien
thom
eco
stsl
esst
ohe
at,c
ool,an
dop
erate.H
omes
thatare
ener
gy
efficien
tare
welli
nsul
ated
and
airtig
ht,w
ithh
igh-
efficien
cyhea
tingan
dco
olin
geq
uipm
ent.
The
hom
eha
ssim
plede
vice
sdes
igne
dto
dec
reas
eco
nsum
ption
ofen
ergy
and
water.
✓K
ind
to th
e env
ironm
ent:
An
ener
gy-e
fficien
thom
eha
seffi
cien
tfea
ture
sand
elem
entsth
atw
ork
toge
ther
tore
duce
theam
ount
ofe
nerg
yth
atis
cons
umed
.This
redu
cesg
reen
hous
ega
sem
issions
an
dsh
rink
sthe
hom
e’scar
bon
foot
prin
t.✓C
omfo
rtab
le a
nd h
ealth
y:A
nen
ergy
-effi
cien
thom
eis
war
min
win
tera
ndco
olin
sum
mer.Th
eho
me
hase
ffectiveve
ntila
tion
andex
celle
ntair
quality
.
Impr
ovin
g H
ome
Ener
gy E
ffici
ency
(Con
t’d)
9
What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?
Planning an Interview
Activity sheet C
Possible question for your home Possible response from your home
Criteria for effective interview questions:✓requiremorethanayesornoanswer✓buildoninterestingbackgroundinformation✓drawoutimportantideasandinformation
If you could talk with your home about energy efficiency, what important advice would it give?
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Briefing sheet A
Advice From a HomeHouse: Psst...hey Sam! I know you are getting ready for school, but if you have a few minutes I would really like to talk about energy efficiency. As you know, I am getting older and I think we need to chat.
Sam: Huh...hello? Who was that?!?
House: It’s me, your home. I have lots of other ideas to share with you about how I am consuming energy. There are some important tidbits you might really want to hear about. Maybe you can tell your family.
Sam: Umm...okay. I guess I have a minute or two…
House: Great! I know you know the obvious things. Light bulbs, energy-efficient appliances, adjusting the thermostat at night and when you’re not home, but there’s lots more to consider. Let’s start with my age—did you know that I’ll be 77 this year? That isn’t really all that old for a home, but I am starting to feel a little creaky. I am still very solid, though, and feel like I can last another 77 years, especially if you can show me a little love.
Sam: So, what areas do you think need special attention?
House: Hmmm...let me think for a moment…I’ve noticed that there are some gaps and spaces around some of my doors and windows. While this is perfectly normal for a home my age, this lets in cold air during the winter—not good when winters are so cold here! In the summer I’ve noticed that my cold air “leaks out,” making it harder for me to keep my cool.
Sam: I think we talked about that at school. I can see how that could make a big difference. I did notice a draft coming in under the front door this winter. I even had to wear my hoodie when I was gaming.
House: Exactly. And that also meant that someone in your family had to pay more to heat your home. There are other things, too, things that are harder to see.
Sam: What do you mean? Like behind the walls and under the floors?
House: More like over your head. I’m talking about insulation. It’s not very glamorous and you can’t easily see it, but more than 25 per cent of my heat can be lost through my roof. Upgrading the insulation in my attic would keep me warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Sam: And that would help save money and use less energy?
House: Correct.
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Briefing sheet A (Cont’d)
Sam: That’s seems important and simple enough, but it sounds like it could be pretty expensive. Is there anything that costs less but could still improve efficiency? I don’t want to have to give up our summer vacation for something like insulation!
House: Oh, absolutely! You already mentioned light bulbs. Simply changing some of the old light bulbs for newer types would save money and energy. Remember when you were helping install those new LED light bulbs and you burned your finger when you touched one of the old light bulbs? Those incandescent bulbs wasted so much energy as heat. The new LED bulbs you installed use 85 per cent less energy than the old ones. We could easily change out the rest of the bulbs, including the ones in the ceiling.
Sam: Good point. I only worried about the ones that were in reach. Do you have any other suggestions for other little actions that could improve energy efficiency?
House: Sure. Often people blame their house when they look at their electricity and heating bills. I think it’s important for people to think about how little things can add up to make a difference. Even some of your habits can make me use more energy!
Sam: I do make sure to turn off lights when I am not in a room and we run appliances like the dishwasher and washer and dryer during times of the day that aren’t so energy demanding….what was that called again, the energy rush hour? Anyhow, what else can I do?
House: Oh, there are so many other examples! Shorter showers, unplugging under-used appliances...I could go on!
Sam: You seem to know a lot about efficiency! What other surprises do you have to share about yourself?
House: Interesting question. It might surprise you to know that homes dream. And lately, I’ve been dreaming more and more about solar panels. I noticed some new homes in the neighborhood that have solar panels and I can’t help but wonder if I might be able to have some, too. I mean, I may be older, but that shouldn’t keep me from helping the planet! I’ve heard that a typical solar array can produce about 50 to 75 per cent of the energy used by a home—just imagine!
Sam: Hmm...you have given me a lot to think about. I really do have to run, but maybe we can talk about this some more. I want to do some research and come back to you for more of your advice!
House: That sounds great. I’ll be waiting!
Advice From a Home (Cont’d)
12
What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Briefing sheet B
What is an Energy-Efficient Home? There are three criteria for an energy-efficient home:
Cost-effective
An energy-efficient home costs less to heat, cool, and operate. Homes that are energy efficient are well insulated and airtight, with high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment. The home has simple devices designed to decrease consumption of energy and water. The people living in this home keep inside temperatures reasonable, use electricity wisely, and buy ENERGY STAR products and appliances whenever possible.
Kind to the environment
All the efficient features and elements of the home work together to lower energy consumption, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and shrink the carbon footprint of the home.
Comfortable and healthy
An energy-efficient home is warm in winter and cool in summer. The home has great ventilation and excellent air quality; it’s never too humid or dry. A programmable thermostat is used to manage heating and cooling at night.
ACTIONS THAT IMPROVE EFFICIENCY
Reduce air infiltration: Cracks, holes, and gaps in a building’s exterior can cause heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. In the winter, more energy will need to be used to keep a house warm. If the house uses air conditioning (AC) in the summer, more electricity will be used to keep the house cool. Preventing such infiltration will reduce the energy needed to keep a comfortable temperature in the building. Older buildings are particularly more at risk of air infiltration, particularly around windows and doors.
Replace appliances, fixtures, and devices with more energy efficient alternatives: Not all appliances, fixtures, and devices are created equally when it comes to energy consumption. Home energy consumption can be reduced by switching out energy-intensive items with more efficient ones. In some cases, non-energy consuming alternatives even exist. Examples of energy-efficient alternatives include:
High-energy use item Lower-energy use alternative
Item: 42” plasma TV Wattage: 220 W 1
Item: 42” LED TV Wattage: 80 W 1
Item: Incandescent light bulb Wattage: 60 W
Item: Equivalent LED light bulb Wattage: 8 W 2
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Briefing sheet B (Cont’d)
ACTIONS THAT IMPROVE EFFICIENCY (Cont’d)
High-energy use item Lower-energy use alternative
Item: Desktop computer Wattage: 200 W 3
Item: Laptop computer Wattage: 75 W 3
Item: Electric blanket Wattage: 180 W 3
Item: Normal blanket Wattage: 0 W
Item: Electric lawn mower Wattage: 1500 W 3
Item: Reel push lawn mower Wattage: 0 W
Item: Clothes Dryer Wattage: 5000 W 3
Item: Hanging laundry to dry Wattage: 0 W
1 (Energy Use Calculator, 2018) 2 (Home Depot, 2018)3 (Toronto Hydro, 2018)
Change habits: Installing lower-energy appliances is not the only way to reduce home energy consumption. Using energy less often or with different habits is another way to reduce your energy consumption.
» Standby power: Many devices in your house consume a small amount of power even when they are turned off. This is known by many names, including standby power, vampire power, and phantom power. Devices use power even when off for several purposes, including allowing devices to be switched on very quickly, operate internal clocks, or keep a battery device fully charged even while it is turned on. If many devices in your home are consuming standby power, it all adds up to be a substantial amount of energy consumption. You can stop the consumption of standby power by unplugging devices like phone adapters or TVs when they are not in use.
» Use timers: Do you ever fall asleep with the TV on? Set a timer on the TV when you watch late at night so that it will shut off even if you fall asleep. Installing timers on appliances like bathroom fans so that they turn themselves off after a few minutes is a great way to decrease energy use.
» Adjust thermostat by 1 degree: Try setting your house thermostat 1o cooler in the winter than you normally would, and 1o warmer in the summer if you use air conditioning. This can save energy year-round, and you may not even notice the difference.
Recover waste energy: In nearly every house, once hot water from a shower, sink, washing machine, or dishwasher goes down the drain, its heat leaves with it. A drain water heat recovery device (DWHR) is a type of heat exchanger that captures heat destined for the sewer, and transfers it to cold water coming into your hot water heating device. This results in less energy being required to heat incoming water.
14
What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?Briefing sheet B (Cont’d)
ACTIONS THAT IMPROVE EFFICIENCY (Cont’d)
Improve home insulation: Every house in Alberta is heated during the winter. That heat slowly escapes through the exterior of the building, and more heat from the furnace is required to keep houses at a comfortable temperature. Adding more insulation or replacing the existing insulation with better insulation decreases the amount of heat lost through the exterior. Decreasing the rate of heat loss means that the furnace needs to create less heat. This saves money and resources. Better insulation also keeps homes cooler in the summer. Better insulation means that less heat will leak into the house, so less cool air will need to be created by the AC unit. Of all home appliances, AC units can be among the greatest energy consumers, so using the AC unit less often uses less energy.
Use passive solar design: This is a type of design that can also help reduce building energy use. Passive solar designs involve using heat from sunlight that enters the house through windows, and then storing it in a material like brick or concrete that has a high thermal mass. Passive solar design seeks to achieve year round energy savings, and some of the basic elements that work together are below (US DOE (2), n.d.):
» Properly oriented windows: Windows that are to be used in passive solar design should be oriented within 30o of south and should not be shaded during the day in the winter. These windows should be shaded during spring, fall, and summer to prevent overheating. Care can also be taken when designing where windows will go to maximize daylighting in the house, which can reduce the need to turn on lights until it is actually dark outside.
» Thermal mass: Thermal mass is the material inside the home that will absorb heat from the sunlight that comes in through the south facing windows. Thermal mass is commonly brick, stone, concrete, or tile. These materials will absorb and store the solar heat as light strikes them. When the room cools during the night, the material releases the heat into the air in the house. Making sure that objects inside the home do not block sunlight on thermal mass materials is also an important consideration. Thermal mass can also absorb heat from the the house during the summer months, helping to keep the air in the house cool and reduce the need for air conditioning.
» Strategic controls: Window awnings or roof overhangs can shade south facing windows during the summer when the sun is higher in the sky. Reducing the amount of heat entering the house in the summer reduces the need for air conditioning. The same awnings or roof overhangs will not block the lower angle sunlight in the winter from entering the home when it is needed the most.
References Energy Efficiency Alberta. (2018). Drain Water Heat Recovery. Retrieved online from https://www.efficiencyalberta.ca/home-improvement/drain-water-heat-recovery/Energy Use Calculator. (2018). Electricity usage of an LCD/LED Display or TV Screen. Retrieved online from http://energyusecalculator.com/electricity_lcdleddisplay.htmHome Depot. (2018). Philips 60-Watt Equivalent A19 LED Light Bulb Daylight. Retrieved online from https://www.homedepot.com/p/Philips-60-Watt-Equivalent-A19-LED-Light-Bulb-Daylight-4-Pack-461137/206774895NrCAN. (2016). Keeping the Heat In - Chapter 4: Comprehensive Air Leakage Control. Retrived online from https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/efficiency/housing/home-improvements/keeping-the-heat-in/comprehensive-air-leakage-control/15635Toronto Hydro. (2018). Appliance Usage Chart. Retrieved Online From http://www.torontohydro.com/sites/electricsystem/residential/yourbilloverview/Pages/ApplianceChart.aspxUS DOE. (2015). A Common Definition for Zero Energy Buildings. Retrieved onine from https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/09/f26/A%20Common%20Definition%20for%20Zero%20Energy%20Buildings.pdfUS DOE (2). (n.d). Passive Solar Home Design. Retrieved online from https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-efficient-home-design/passive-solar-home-design
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What important advice about energy efficiency might our homes give?
Success criteria How am I doing?
Icanidentifyactionsorhabitsthatcandecreasetheenergyefficiencyofahome.Examples:
Nextsteps(e.g.,usecriteria,askforhelp):
Icanrecommendactionsorhabitstoincreasetheenergyefficiencyofahome.Examples:
Nextsteps(e.g.,addmoreevidence,usecriteria,askforhelp):
Icandescribeeffectsofincreasingtheenergyefficiencyofahome.Examples:
Nextsteps(e.g.,addmoreevidence,usecriteria,askforhelp):
Assessing My Understanding of Energy-Efficient Homes
Assessment materials A
Name:
1.Provideexamplesthatshowhowyouhavemetthesuccesscriteria.2.Usetheratingscaletoindicatehowwellyouhavemetthesuccesscriteria.3.Describethenextstepsinyourlearning.
