Content courtesy of Pembina Institute
A Sustainable Home is an Affordable Home
While the urgency of climate action is clear, it is equally important to ensure it doesn’t impact affordability.
Here’s the good news: energy efficient upgrades for buildings not only reduce emissions, and increase quality of life, they also improve affordability. By upgrading to energy efficient windows, insulation, air sealing and ventilation in existing buildings, we can effectively prevent energy loss and maintain a comfortable indoor environment – even without cooling, these upgrades help make a home more comfortable. This not only reduces energy bills but also enhances air quality, which benefits our health and well-being.
And let’s talk about heat pumps—they’re game-changers. Compared to traditional furnaces, they’re much more energy efficient, and can result in significant reductions in heating costs – and they provide cooling in the summer months. Embracing heat pumps and other sustainable solutions not only saves money but also contributes to a greener future by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
While essential to our long-term physical and financial health, and the well being of our planet, none of these things come cheap. To accelerate the transition to sustainable buildings, the Canada Green Buildings Strategy (CGBS) must include substantial public investments. These investments will not only help leverage private capital to build a new renovation economy, but also ensure that every Canadian has access to the funds needed to upgrade their homes, especially low-income households.
Making these investments is smart; environmentally and financially. A wave of renovations to upgrade existing homes across Canada could create long-lasting well-paying jobs for up to 200,000 people per year – that’s approximately the same number of people employed in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction combined in Canada in 2022. What’s more, this emerging industry could generate more than $48 billion in economic development each year. That’s more than agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting combined contributed to the Canadian economy in 2022.
At Westeck Windows and Doors, we manufacture bespoke fenestration products that will provide benefit to the specific needs of the project. Working with main contractors, architects, designers and clients, we recognize the requirements of each development are unique, and provide a custom solution to suit.
Westeck manufactures innovative windows for maximizing the view, ease of operation and impressive thermal performance. If you or your architect can design it, our specialty department can most likely build it.Westeck Windows and Doors now has 30+ sales professionals, across offices in BC – Vancouver, Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna and Washington State – Kirkland and Bellingham
