As a community, we all contribute to our town’s combined energy consumption and greenhouse gas footprint. To evolve our community’s energy footprint, the Town is looking for new ways to assist our residents in reducing their energy consumption through advanced energy efficiency programs and alternative energy projects.
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Our Energy
Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit Kit
The Town of Okotoks now offers a Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit Kit with the tools and basic instructions to provide enough information on how to conduct a basic home energy audit by yourself.
Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP)
This Program will allow residential property owners to obtain low interest loans from the Town of Okotoks to complete energy efficiency renovations!
Powering off Appliances & Lights
One major way to reduce energy usage in your home is powering off appliances and lights when not in use. By taking a few short minutes to walk around your home to unplug unnecessary appliances and turn off unused lights, you are able to save a large amount of money on your power bill!
Changing Light bulbs
- In many homes, light bulbs can act as a large source of heat and energy consumption. By switching to light emitting diodes (LED) in your home, you are able to save money and energy.
- Remember: Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) can be taken to the Eco-Centre for disposal. Traditional incandescent light bulbs can be placed in your black cart for pickup.
Install Programmable Thermostats
- Programmable Thermostats are a great way to save energy and money, by keeping your home at an ideal temperature at all times. Programmable Thermostats range in price from $90 - $400, and can be purchased at most home and hardware centres.
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Energy-efficiency for summer heat
Energy-efficient retrofits can help your home stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Here are some retrofit ideas and tips to help keep your home at a comfortable temperature, no matter what the weather is like. These low and no cost fast fixes will help keep your home cool today:
- Seal and insulate! The best way to save energy is to not use any! Reducing drafts from poorly fitting doors, pipes, windows, or any other pathways that allow air to enter from outside is a cheap and easy way to keep cooler air where it belongs—outside in the winter and inside in the summer! Increasing insulation in attics and/or outside walls can also help. Space heating is the biggest energy user in your home, so these fixes will keep the temperature (and the energy bills) at a more comfortable level all year round. The Town of Okotoks DIY Energy Audit kit has a thermal camera to help identify sources of heat losses.
- Windows: Window glazing (adding a transparent or mirrored film to the glass) can reduce solar heat without blocking the view. Well-fitted insulated blinds or curtains can also reduce solar heat from windows by up to 60% (and reduces heat loss in the winter by up to 40%).
- Hot (or less hot?) water heaters: Heating water is the second biggest energy user in your home. Most hot water heaters are set by default at 60°C. The US Environmental Protection Agency advises that maintaining a temperature of 49°C is the best temperature to keep your tank safe from bacteria, and can save 5-6% of annual gas use. Check out this NRCan Water Heater Guide for more tips on keeping energy and water use down.
With hot days increasing each summer, larger upgrades can make next year more comfortable:
- Cooler roofs: Choosing a light-coloured roof reflects solar light and heat away from your home, reducing the temperature inside. Green roofs, or roofs that are wholly or partially covered by a growth matrix and growing plants, also reduce the heat absorbed by a home. Growing plants on top of your home can not only provide shade and deflect, but also cool the surrounding area by absorbing water through the roots and then releasing it into the air (evapotranspiration).
- More on windows: Professional window glazing can be more effective than DIY kits, and gives more options to let light in and keep heat out. Replacing older windows with higher-rated windows can also reduce heat transfer from out to in, and in to out. Well-fitted insulated blinds or curtains can also reduce solar heat from windows by up to 60% (and reduces heat loss in the winter by up to 40%).
- More on sealing and insulation: Increasing a home’s air tightness and insulation can be a big project, but it can also have a big payoff. Homes built prior to 1946 have double the heating requirement per square meter than homes built to current standards.
- If you’ve done all you can to seal up your house, then an air conditioner can add an additional layer of comfort. If you choose to invest in one, look for energy-efficient models with the EnergyStar logo.
- Canada’s Greener Home Program provides grants and zero-interest loans for energy-efficient upgrades—don’t forget to check them out for help on some of these projects!
More energy conservation tips for inside your home:
The Town of Okotoks has electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations available for public use that are free and available to the public 24 hours a day (note: chargers are not reservable) at the following facilities:
Municipal Centre:
Two EV chargers are located on Elizabeth Street directly in front of the Okotoks Municipal Centre (5 Elizabeth Street). One charger is exclusively for Tesla vehicles, and the other is a universal charger.
- Charger 1: Sun Country Highway EV-60 - 48 Amp
- Charger 2: Tesla - 80 Amp
Location: 5 Elizabeth Street
The chargers were donated to the Town by Sun Country Highway as part of its Municipal Destination Program.
Operations Centre:
- 20 Amp Max - Requires charging cord
- 5 outlets available
Location: 1118 North Railway Street (in east and west parking areas)
Southridge Emergency Services Building:
- 15 Amp Max - Requires charging cord
- 2 outlets available
Location: 98 Woodhaven Drive on the west side of the building
Okotoks Arts and Learning Campus:
- 40 Amp Max, SAE J1772 connector
- 2 Chargers, with 2 plugs each, for 4 chargers total
Location: 23 Riverside Drive