A Green Mortgage lets you divert

cash from utility bills towards

energy systems that pay for themselves.

Here’s how.

G G REEN MORTGAGE

FINANCING

GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS BUILT INTO YOUR MORTGAGE

Wise Home Options Pay Off !You need time to plan the details of your dream home. More importantly, you need practical and easy-to-understand information. You’ll likely need to explain your choices to other people – your spouse, contractors and bankers – and you’ll need numbers and arguments to back up your choices.

House Rich but Cash Poor ?We’ve done the research and produced this pamphlet to tell you about a few ways you can save money on home operating costs. And, we show you why you’ll feel good about owning a home that leaves a smaller footprint on the environment.

Who Pays?Essentially, the utility pays for the equipment.

“The mortgage is an elegant way to spread the cost premium out thin enough so that energy savings exceed the cost of financing the upgrade,” says Jeannine Paul, president of Nexus Solar Corporation

Window WiseAdding argon fill to all windows, plus applying a low-emissive coating to all north-, east- and west-facing windows, could result in tremendous energy savings. Ideally, south-facing windows should be exposed to winter sun while being shaded by trees or eaves, in which case it can be best to forego the low e coating as these windows will gain more heat than they lose in winter and won’t overheat in summer. A window upgrade of this nature would have a typical payback of just over five years, or when included as part of a Green Mortgage pays back immediately.

Added InsulationAdding insulation to basement walls to R20 costs only $0.71 per month if put into a Green Mortgage ($122 if paid in full), and will save about $2.39/month on average.

Solar VentilationAn active solar air heating system is an efficient and cost effective means of harnessing solar energy to heat buildings.

Solar ventilation technology operates in a simple and maintenance free manner, using economical and environmentally benign solar energy to heat buildings. The wall’s metal cladding heats the air and forces it through ducting to the forced-air heating system, producing as much energy as a conventional heat recovery ventilator (HRV). Solar ventilation systems are particularly good in very cold conditions and climates where they optimize HRV performance.

Daylit interiors are also a good defense against Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a medical condition related to poor daylight exposure. South facing windows produce about six times more daylight than north facing windows. Use ample indoor glass and selective use of reflective paint and mirrors to light interiors naturally.

Smart Design Saves EnergyProper house orientation and wise selection of materials can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 50%. Whether building or renovating, design and material selection is important to achieving positive economic return from your investment.

Enhanced south facing window area combined with higher-mass materials in your home such as tile floors and double drywall can capture the heat of the winter sun and transfer it into useful space heat. Likewise, these measures keep the space cooler and more comfortable in the summertime. Trees pruned to a high crown, along with eaves, provide natural ventilation and cooling.

Green Mortgage FinancingYou’re probably familiar with some of the terrific energy saving technologies available today. Renovation shows are filled with ideas and people who’ve upgraded are hardly shy about telling you how much money they’re saving. But if you think the initial cost is too high, think again – there are ways for you to go green and save money.

Green Mortgage Financing puts the cost of an energy-saving technology into your mortgage. A technically more expensive house can be cheaper to own and operate if the upgrade is an energy system that saves more money than it costs in the mortgage.

 

Small energy savings grow with every energy price hike. Clean energy system also increase life expectancy of fuel-fired equipment, while offering home owners the satisfaction of being environmentally friendly at home.

For Example:A typical 4-person Canadian household occupying a

1,152 sq ft town home (end unit) could invest $6.76

monthly for solar ventilation inside the mortgage and

save $7.97 from monthly energy bill. Overall, the

investment nets $1.21/month or $14.52/year, which

grows every time utility bills rise. Furthermore, you

don’t have to wait for the investment to materialize – it

pays off right away.

 Other benefits of Drain Water Heat Recovery include:

• The hot water heating system you install can be about 40% smaller because of the additional heating capacity provided• Zero maintenance• You will run out of hot water less often thanks to the added hot water capacity• No need to upgrade tank size to achieve more showers per tank

Fitting your home with this type of energy-saving technology can be financed in one of two ways. Purchased outright, a unit will typically cost $600 - $1000. Depending on how much hot water is used a Drain Water Heat Recovery unit will usually recover this cost in 2-6 years.

 

Or, it can be put inside a Green mortgage, where a family consuming 4 showers per day will save roughly $7.74 for an added mortgage premium of $5.81 monthly. That makes it $1.93 cheaper to own than not.

Drain Water Heat Recovery

You paid for it; you should use it!

Did you know that 20 - 40% of all the energy consumed in an average home is used to heat water? That doesn't sound alarming, but add to that the fact that approximately 80 – 90% of all water heat goes straight down the drain after use. This means throwing away hundreds of dollars each year just to heat the sewage treatment system!

Drain Water Heat Recovery technology recaptures

energy to pre-heat in coming fresh, cold water. The

drain water itself is not re-used, just the heat energy it

carries is recaptured. About 90% of the energy used to

heat the water in your home is normally wasted to the sewer; with a

Drain Water Heat Recovery approximately 35% of that energy is

recovered.

$0

$1

$2

$3

$4

$5

$6

$7

$8

Orientation R28BasementInsulation

Argon FilledWindows

Drain WaterHeat Recovery

SolarVentilation

$/m

onth

$1.21$1.93

$1.00

$1.46

Energy Saved

Mortgage Premium

$0.64

Data was simulated from an actual 1,152 sq ft town home site in Saskatoon as if occupied by an average four-person Canadian household, using 2006 natural gas rates. Energy consumption rates were based on software and testing conducted by Natural Resources Canada.

 Nexus Solar Corporation specializes in Renewable Energy Technology (RETs) and practical greenhouse gas emissions avoidance practices for homeowners, commercial and government clients. For more information, visit us at www.nexussolar.com.

Nexus Solar Corporation306.373.5960

1336 8th Street East

Saskatoon SK S7H 0S9

www.nexussolar.com