Interested in improving energy efficiency in your co-op? Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) outlines the benefits: cost-effectiveness, comfortable, healthy living conditions and care for the environment. While Natural Resources is thinking about private housing, co-ops can use many of the tips on offer.
NRCan provides good advice on how to save energy through changes to kitchens and bathrooms, living/dining areas and bedrooms that don’t cost a fortune. Some tips can also be applied to your co-op office, laundry room, hallways, mechanical room and garage. You can even save energy in outdoor areas like balconies and front and back yards, depending on whether your co-op has apartments or townhouses.
The Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) website is dedicated to energy efficiency for homes at Energy efficiency for homes (nrcan.gc.ca). Tips on making small changes in your co-op can be found here. The website also has a page of information about local and regional sources of funding. Small projects completed in every co-op unit can make a long-term difference at a low upfront cost. Which one is right for your co-op?