Community Survey Report by Heidi Schindler

TAF Interim Report The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge March 31, 2008

Prepared for: Toronto Atmospheric Fund Prepared by: The Net Zero Energy Home Coalition and The Now House Project Inc.

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Contents Interim Progress Report

Appendices 1. Topham Park Energy-use Questionnaire Introduction Questionnaire Design & Distribution Key Findings Questionnaire Results

11 12 13 17 19

2. Three Community Meetings Meeting One: Dreaming Of A Green Home Meeting Two: Home Green Home Meeting Three: Looking For Leaders

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3. Topham Now Newsletter

4. Budget Summary Expended To Date Forecast

Interim Progress Report The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge Topham Park is a wartime housing community in East York Toronto. Originally called the Sunshine Valley, the community was developed in the late 1940s to house veterans returning from the Second World War. The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge is a community based project that is utilizing a socio-technical approach to reducing energy use and emissions through home retrofits; it is employing the award-winning, net zero energy design concepts of Now Houseâ&#x201E;˘, a CMHC EQuilibrium Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. The community retrofit challenge will bring all stakeholders into the community to encourage good communication, education and a spirit of cooperation, to measure the impact of a locally-driven project on behaviour change (conservation) and energy and emissions-reductions through home retrofits. Participants will work together over a 12-month period to reduce their home energy use by at least 25% against a pre-defined baseline. The Toronto Atmospheric Fund awarded project funding of $50,000 to Net Zero Energy Home Coalition who in collaboration with The Now House Team will carry out the project. This is our interim progress report to TAF.

PROJECT PROGRESS The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge has been underway for the first three months of 2008. In that time, the Now House team has designed, distributed and tabulated results of a demographic and energy-use survey distributed to 200 households in Topham Park. We have set up an email and telephone database of 49 residents interested in learning about energy saving and participating in the community project. We have planned and facilitated three meetings in the community with the objective of gathering ideas and developing a strategy for moving forward. We have published and distributed our first community project newsletter: Topham Now.

The Topham Park Energy-Use Questionnaire (TAF 1.1.1) The Now House team started the project in January 2008 with the design of a demographic, attitudinal and energy-use survey to meet the requirements of section 1.1.1 of the TAF contract requirements. The team researched energy use surveys and academic documents on preparing a survey that would provide demographic, attitudinal and behavioural data allowing exploration of the social, technical and economic dimensions of energy use and related decisions in the community. A draft survey was prepared and sent for comment to two previously arranged advisors: Dr. Paul Parker, Chair of the Faculty of Geography, University of Waterloo and Dr. Rafael Gomez, Chair of the Faculty of Economics, Glendon College, York University. Both professors have extensive experience in the development, distribution of community-related surveys and the compilation of meaningful survey data. They each made specific recommendations for changes to questions, additional questions and suggested the addition of one postage paid card for collecting names of people interested in knowing more about the community project. Paul Parker has since visited the Now House project and Topham Park community and would like to share learnings and best practices with a similar community project that he is leading in Waterloo. The team designed, printed and packaged over 200 questionnaire packages which were distributed to the 200 households in Topham Park. The survey had a very high return rate of 47% with one in two residents completing and returning the survey form. The responses to the 25 questions were entered into a database and comparative results compiled. The entire survey report forms a major part of this interim report (see Appendix 1) In brief, the survey provided the following key data: Demographic • Most respondents have lived in Topham Park since 1990 • Most respondents were female and most are married. • The median age of respondents was 50, with the youngest being 33 and the eldest 81 years of age. • Youth and children under 14 accounts for 23% of the population. • There is an average 2.8 residents per household. • Residents of Topham Park are well educated with 50% reporting university graduation.

• Household incomes are predominantly upper middle to middle income brackets. • Topham Park is a socially active community. Most respondents reported knowing most people on their street and many people in their neighbourhood. • Many Topham Park residents reported being involved in community activities with 20% taking part in activities involving their children and 40% of adult activities having a charitable or neighbour-helping-neighbour purpose. Attitudinal • While almost 100% said the environment was a concern to them, when asked why they made energy-saving retrofits to their home, the environment was cited only 5% among all reasons. • Most who reported making energy-saving retrofits said saving money on their energy bills was their primary motivation. • They predominantly get their information about the environment and energy use from television/radio and newspapers. • They believe responsibility for the environment is equally shared among the government, the consumer, and industry/business. Behavioural • Many respondents have sought advice about energy-saving changes. At 20%, contractors were the most cited source with utility companies next at 15%. Family, friends, nieghbours and the Internet represented varying percentages of other sources. Advice from utility companies is implemented more often than advice from contractors mainly due to the smaller amount of money involved. • The majority of respondents have made at least three significant energy saving changes to their homes and 46% said they are interested in making further changes. • Only 12% of respondents have had energy evaluations done on their homes. • About 60% reported being aware of government rebates, and 12% have received rebates. • 53% expressed an interest in knowing more about the Now House Community Retrofit Challenge. The survey results assist us in identifying possible strategies, as well as, determinants and social barriers to participating in energy-saving programs and renovations among Topham Park residents (TAF 1.1.1) in a number of significant ways:

Make energy saving as engaging as baseball. The level of social activity in this community is very high suggesting the opportunity for developing a coalition among Topham Park residents is possible. From May to October baseball fever takes over in this community. Our challenge is to make energy saving as engaging as baseball. Let the sunshine in. Many residents have already done the energy-saving home retrofit basics. With over 90% of respondents who have expressed an interest in the Now House Community project having completed three or more significant energy-reducing changes to their homes, the challenge to reduce energy use in the community by another 25% is more challenging than originally anticipated. On the up side, this may be the time for renewables. We will be exploring the potential for a collective tendering initiative for solar thermal systems. Opportunity knocks for utility companies. Relatively few respondents to the questionnaire have had energy evaluations done on their homes. And when asked who is their most trusted source for energy-saving advice, respondents rated â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;utility companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; among the top three, and reported implementing changes recommended by their utility companies most often. What if we combine the low level of energy audits with high trust in utilities to achieve a greater uptake of energy audits? Opportunity knocks for utility companies. We will pursue these as a strategy to assist us in establishing a baseline from which to meet TAF 1.1.2 -- the measurement of energy use and emissions reductions goal of 25% through home retrofits. Money talks louder than melting ice caps. As in many such surveys today, the majority of people in Canada are reporting that the state of the environment is a key concern. However, most do not factor in the environment when making decisions for home retrofits. Their main reason for making behaviour changes such as turning out the lights, and energy-saving home retrofits is to save money on their energy bills. Conclusion: money is a key determinant to making energy reductions. Green media. Given many forms of media to choose from, the people in this community get most of their information about energy-saving products and strategies from news stories reported on television/radio and in newspaper. Some watch nature shows, but to a lesser extent. Conclusion: television/radio and newspapers are the key media for informing these residents about the environment and energy saving. However, this is not a finding that we will necessarily be able to benefit from.

Three Community Meetings During February and March, the Now House team held three meetings in the Topham Park Community. All meetings were held on Thursday evenings from 7 – 9:30 pm at the Topham Park Clubhouse which we rent from the City of Toronto. The community residents are notified of the meetings two weeks prior via email invitation and phone messages, and a reminder notice is sent the day before. Refreshments are provided as are paper, felt markers, post-its and posters showing the agenda and objectives for the meeting. We set the agenda and employ various dialogue processes to engage people in discussion. Over 90% of survey respondents expressed an interest in the community project; however, our turnout has been low which surprises us and the people who do turn out. Our meetings have followed two big snow storms in Toronto, so that may be a factor and a reason to hope for a larger turn out once the weather improves. We have gathered a core group with strong interest in working together and engaging the larger community in specific campaigns. A complete record of these meetings is included in Appendix 2 of this report. What follows are the highlights and learnings from these meetings.

Meeting One: Dreaming of a Green Home? The first meeting was held on February 7, 2008. We introduced the Now House Community Retrofit Challenge, as well as our partner the Net Zero Energy Home Coalition and our funder The Toronto Atmospheric Fund. We described the project goals and the basic 12-month timeline and project calendar. We then employed a dialogue process called World Café in which we broke into two groups and explored the participants’ views on two key questions: 1. What can I do as a homeowner to save energy? 2. What can we do as a community to save energy? Meeting Outcome: Following the meeting the Now House team reviewed the ideas raised by the participants, clustered the ideas and developed four possible scenarios that would be used in the next meeting to assist the group in developing a way forward.

Meeting Two: Home Green Home The second meeting was held on February 28, 2008. Again we had a relatively small turnout. We reviewed the project goals and objectives of the community project for the new attendees. Using a dialogue process called Open Space we broke into two groups and explored these four scenarios that had been derived from the ideas put forward at the previous meeting: 5

Show Me the Money - A multiple supplier tendering process Topham team with support from Now House develops a tendering process in which product suppliers are requested to provide quotes for a particular quantity of product. Big Box Candy Sponsor - A sponsor-supplier solution Now House team seeks supplier sponsors for the community project, i.e., Home Depot, RONA, Lowe’s, RBC The sponsor package is not a donation but a market-driven package that includes a combination of retrofit products, financial package, contractor, product installation, etc. Do it Together™ Topham Park - A community driven solutions approach Members of the Topham team create a Topham Park skills inventory regarding home improvements, organizational skills, event planning, financial skills, etc. Working with Now House the Topham Team elects project champions as leads or subject matter experts in particular subject areas. ‘How’ Now House A facilitated ‘how to’ process led by the Now House team The community project follows the Now House process that includes: a series of workshops, tours of the Now House currently being retrofitted, energy audits, planning workshops, etc. Meeting Outcome: Following the meeting the Now House team reviewed the dozens of ideas that had emerged for each of the four possible scenarios. General consensus was that we should adapt or merge a hybrid of each of the scenarios. The participants asked us to draw up a ‘starter list’ of activities that would serve as stepping stones to build toward the bigger task scenarios. We drew up a specific list of deliverables and sent out a call for leaders to the original list of invitees as well as to regular meeting attendees to identify interest in leading a particular initiative.

Meeting Three: Looking for Leaders The third meeting was held on March 13, 2008. The same individuals continue to attend so we are developing a core team of about 8 – 10 people from the community. The agenda for this meeting was to discuss the list of deliverables and identify tasks to be done and people to do them. The deliverables included: A Topham Park skills and experience inventory. We’re looking for everyone from carpenters to teachers to cooks, to good organizers. Help develop a Who’s Who of Topham Park and find out who’s willing to lend a hand? 6

Green housing knowledge and product database. From what we heard, a few participants are already very knowledgeable about all things green. What are the techniques, tools, and products that we should collect and share with Topham Park residents? Local business inventory. The strategy is local local. The quest is for businesses in the Topham Park area that may be useful to us as the community project unfolds? What type of business? Who is the key contact? Location? That sort of thing. Project communications and marketing Let’s get the word out. We’ll begin with a warm and friendly, informative project newsletter. Something community project participants can hand out at any community function. Then develop a low cost guerilla marketing strategy worthy of the Super Bowl. This individual or committee would also provide general support for project communications. Plan a Spring Eco Fair in Topham Park An Eco Fair is just the thing to get 200 households in Topham Park out for some green fun in the spring sun. Let’s have a blast with lots of demonstrations, carbon footprint measuring, advertised freebees and green goodies. Meeting Outcome: While the participants agreed that these deliverables would be useful, no one was willing to take responsibility to lead a given deliverable. They expressed interest in having a logo and slogan for the project, a newsletter and a website. They believe if we have those in place, it will be easier to communicate with the other members of the Topham Park community about the Now House Community Project. While they offered to send us some ideas for names, they look to us to provide these tools and continuing leadership.

Topham Now – Now House Community project newsletter In response to the Topham Park participants, the Now House team has created the first newsletter: Topham Now. The newsletter will explain what the community project is as it evolves, and provide information on campaigns and updates. The first newsletter piggybacked on the Earth Hour initiative encouraging all Topham Park residents to turn out their lights on March 29. We provided an Earth Hour flyer to put in their windows if they plan to participate. We will count the participants and do the math to calculate the energy saved in that one hour. The newsletter is included in this report see Appendix 3.

STRATEGY GOING FORWARD

Team Development Stage – Forming/Storming It is still early in our team development, as we’ve spent approximately 9 hours over the course of three meetings with the Topham community team. We appear to be moving between the first two stages of this widely applied team development model: Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing. In the Forming stage, our team has met three times and learned about the opportunity and challenges. Team members tended to behave independently. They appear to be motivated but have not been able to set objectives or agree on a strategy. Although baseball is a passion in this community for several months of the year, developing a functioning team among participants will take time. We occasionally reach the Storming stage in which different ideas compete for consideration. There are a few natural leaders beginning to emerge, but the general tendency is to look to the Now House facilitators for continued leadership. Going forward we hope to move the team toward roles of greater responsibility in which individuals agree to take on leadership for specific campaigns or committees. To date, that has not happened. Direction Change Because of what we’ve learned to date, and because we have been unable to attract additional funding to support increased activity on our part or a financially-based incentive for community participants, we are recommending a change in our proposed project strategy. We originally proposed achieving a 25% energy reduction goal through home retrofits. From the Topham Park survey results, we learned that most respondents have already done many of the energy-saving basic retrofits such as insulation, HVAC systems, and windows. In the meetings, we’ve also learned two key determinants to making energy-saving retrofits. 1. Most people are unwilling/unable to spend money on making energy-saving changes. 2. People are not inclined to save money through shared labour (TAF 1.1.3); building a deck is one thing, but letting amateurs assist on home retrofits is not viewed favourably by the current project participants. In recognition of these learnings, we propose shifting from a direct focus on home retrofits to a 2-pronged micro/macro strategy including: 1. A series of small energy-saving campaigns ‘Small Changes Campaign’; focused on the residents of the entire community, plus 8

2. A group tendering process with a focus on one big change again made available to all residents. The Small Changes Campaign™ will work in combination with one or two community tendering initiatives (TAF 1.1.3) for a big change such as solar thermal systems, tankless hot water systems or foam insulation. We have met with the Toronto Green Neighbours who have conducted a tendering process for solar thermal systems and will discuss the possibility of learning from their best practices in the pursuit of our goals.

Interest from other wartime communities We have had interest expressed in replication of the Now House project (not the Now House Community Project as it’s not well known yet) in other wartime communities in Ontario (TAF 1.1.4). Specifically in Toronto, individuals in the wartime communities of Queensway Park in Etobicoke and the Mount Dennis Weston area (between the Junction and 401 and Black Creek to the Humber) have contacted us for more information. In the Weston community, they have developed a Sustainable Community Development Initiative and are particularly interested in addressing affordable housing and sustainability as they have a large number of wartime houses with residents in the lower income bracket.

Press and Publicity Although we’ve been interviewed several times in the past three months (Toronto Star, East York Mirror (x2), AZURE magazine) for the Now House project and make a point of mentioning the community project, it has yet to garner press except briefly on CBC Radio ‘Sparks’, although they promise to come back when we’re fully up and running. Lorraine Gauthier has presented the Now House and the Now House Community Project at the following venues: Sustainable Building Conference, Sudbury, September 2007 Heritage Canada Conference, Edmonton, October 2007 Municipal Affairs and Housing, Southwest Regional Conference, London, October 2007 Green Building Festival, Toronto, October 2007 Green Neighbours Meeting, March 2008 Homebuilder and Renovator Expo, Toronto, November 2007 Canadian Green Building Council Forum, March 2008 Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, March 2008. 9

And we will include the Now House Community Project in information provided in our RBC-sponsored booth at the Green Living Show in April 2008.

Budget Summary Although the Net Zero Energy Coalition and the Now House team have pursued opportunities for additional funding to further support the delivery of goals under the terms of the TAF contract, no additional funding has been received. The Now House team has designed a strategy (at a $20/hr rate) to accommodate the funding available and deliver on the goals set out in the TAF contract. The basic strategy is to establish a solutions platform organized by the Now House team but delivered, at least in part, by leaders in the community. Given our learnings to date, this objective may prove too optimistic. However, we are proposing to continue to drive and manage the project activities, to the extent the budget allows, until such time as we can develop leaders within the community to support some of the activities. We will also move forward on a Small Changes Campaign and a Tendering process. As the forecasted budget suggests, we will conduct twice monthly meetings with community participants and develop a monthly newsletter to communicate information, coming events and campaigns to the larger (200 households) community. With any remaining funds we will work on developing potential sponsorships. Expended to date: $15,000.00 (including GST) (See Appendix 5 for details) NZEHC Administration: $1,270.00 Now House Team: $13,869.00 • Survey design, delivery, tabulation, report • Labour (planning, communications, design, meeting facilitation) • Materials (posters, photography, printing) • Space rental for meetings • Report preparation. Forecast: $33,118.00 (over 9 months) • Monthly budget: $3,679.00 • Bimonthly meetings • Monthly newsletter • Small Changes Campaign • Tender Development • Energy reduction calculations • Final Report. 10

APPENDIX 1 The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge Survey Report: Topham Park Energy Use Questionnaire March 31, 2008

Introduction The Community Project Topham Park is a wartime housing community in East York Toronto. Originally called the Sunshine Valley, the community was developed in the late 1940s to house veterans returning from the Second World War. The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge is a community based project that is utilizing a socio-technical approach to reducing energy use and emissions through home retrofits; it is employing the award-winning, net zero energy design concepts of Now Houseâ&#x201E;˘, a CMHC EQuilibrium Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. The community challenge will bring together all stakeholders in the community, encourage good communication, education and a spirit of cooperation, to measure the impact of a locally-driven project on behaviour change (conservation) and energy and emissions-reduction. Participants will work together over a 12-month period to reduce their home energy use by at least 25% against a pre-defined baseline. The Survey The purpose of the survey is to establish baseline data on 200 households in Topham Park to collect demographic, attitudinal and behavioural data to explore the social, technical and economic dimensions of energy use and related decisions in this wartime community. The survey will also be used to identify and document possible determinants and social barriers to participating in energy-savings programs and renovations among Topham Park residents.

w JUST A REMINDER. It’s not too late. You still have time to ﬁll in the Now House Community Project questionnaire. Dig it out of the recycling box and send it back to us. We will appreciate it a whole lot. Thanks to all that have already sent it in.

The Now House Team www.nowhouseproject.com

v JUST A REMINDER. It’s not too late. You still have time to ﬁll in the Now House Community Project questionnaire. Dig it out of the recycling box and send it back to us. We will appreciate it a whole lot. Thanks to all that have already sent it in.

The Now House Team www.nowhouseproject.com

Questionnaire Design, Distribution and Reponse Design The team researched survey design and consulted an existing bibliography on community projects aimed at existing home energy use (pg. 20). Additionally, two experts in survey design were consulted to provide feedback on the survey in draft form: Dr. Paul Parker, and Dr. Rafael Gomez. The survey was designed in three parts to create awareness and encourage return of the completed survey. Part u: Announcement One week before the survey was distributed, an initial announcement notifying residents of the upcoming questionnaire was delivered in Topham Park. Part v: The Questionnaire Package The Questionnaire Package consisted of a large envelope containing five items. 1 An introductory letter from the Now House Team explained the purpose of the questionnaire and the Now House Community Retrofit Challenge. 2 The questionnaire was a one-fold document containing 25 questions. 3 A gift of herbs and a pamphlet on how to plant them and use them was enclosed as a free gift. 4 A stamped return envelope for the questionnaire. Respondents were not asked to identify themselves. To maintain anonymity, but to assist us in analyzing return statistics, return envelopes were color-coded according to five sub-areas of Topham Park. 5 A separate stamped, return postcard was enclosed for those who wanted to provide contact information in order to participate in the community project. Part w: A Reminder One week after distributing the questionnaires, all residents received a notice reminding them that there was still time to complete and mail the questionnaire.

Distribution The questionnaire packages were distributed to 200 Topham Park households on Friday, January 25, 2008. Residents were asked to answer and return the questionnaires within a week following the delivery date. While many questionnaires were returned the first week, they continued to be returned for several weeks. By Thursday, March 20, 2008 a total of 94 questionnaires had been returned. The response rate was 47% which meant one in every two persons returned the questionnaire. The return envelopes were color-coded according to five sub-areas of Topham Park. The blue and green areas had the highest response rate. These two areas, representing 40% of the neighbourhood, returned about half of all surveys. Almost one in every two residents in these areas responded to the questionnaire. The other areas in the community had a significantly lower response rate. In the red, orange, and pink areas, only one in three households completed and returned the questionnaire.

Returned envelopes containing completed questionnaires.

Spreadsheets for tabulating survey results.

Key Findings There is an even distribution between residents who have actively sought advice about energy efficiency for their homes, and those who have not. The contractor/renovator, friends/family/colleagues, the utility company, and an energy evaluator are perceived equally as the most trusted sources of advice. After the utility company, contractors/renovators are the source of advice that gets implemented most often. Ttheir advice results in more extensive changes to homes than advice from the utility company. About 60% of those who have sought advice, have also given advice, suggesting that there is a strong potential for information transfer among neighbours that has not necessarily been utilized thus far. Virtually all survey respondents indicated they do at least one energy-reducing behaviour at home, such as turning off lights when they go out, air-drying clothes, using a programmable thermostat, washing clothes in cold water, among others. Nearly 62% of respondents have purchased an energy-efficient Energy Star product in the past. The reasons for making this purchase were mainly to reduce energy use, and to save money on energy bills. 80% of respondents have made at least one energy-efficiency improvement to their home. Cualking and weatherstripping of doors and windows was the most frequently reported energy-efficiency home improvement activity. Although 82% of respondents said the environment is an important issue, the environment represents only 8% of all the factors influencing home improvements . About 46% of respondents are planning to make home improvements in the future. Awareness of government rebates for energy-efficiency improvements is high at 60%. However, only 12% have had an energy evaluation done in their homes, a necessary step for getting a government rebate. 53% of respondents expressed an interest in learning more about the Now House community project. About 56% of those who expressed interest in this project live in close proximity to each other (northeast area of Topham Park). That area represents 40% of total residents. The remaining households who expressed interest in the project are distributed throughout the rest of the neighbourhood.

Questionnaire Results Length of residency in Topham Park While a few respondents have been in Topham Park for 60 years and a few for just one year, the majority of respondents – 60% -- moved to Topham Park between 1990 and the present; 25% arrived in the 70s and 80s and 15% of respondents moved into their homes between 1940 and 1960. Awareness of wartime history of the neighbourhood 95% of the respondents knew that their homes were considered wartime homes. ��

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The average and median age of the questionnaire respondents is between�� 50 and 51 years of age. The �� youngest respondent is 33, and the �� oldest is 81 years �� old. 65% of the respondents are women. ��

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63% of respondents are married, 18% are single, 8% are separated or divorced, 6% are widowed, 5% are common-law couples.

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Population density, and demographics There is a population of�� 2.8 people per household. �� The main age group (25-64) represents 58% of the population. Youth and children under 14 is the second largest age group, representing 23%. �� Youth between 15 and 24 years represent 10%, while people over 65 �� represent 10%.

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The three main income levels in Topham Park are �� $40,000-$80,000, $80,000-$120,000 and over $120,000. About 33% of respondents earn $40,000$80,000; 33% earn $80,000-$120,000 and 27% earn more than $120,000. 7% earn under $40,000. These income levels are a factor in residents ability to make home improvements. Evidence of previous investments in home retrofits and their interest in future improvements indicate there may be disposable income available for making such changes.

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Occupation �� Over half of respondents report being employed full�� time. The next largest group is retired (21%), part-time ��(8% �� each), and other types employed, and homemaker �� of employment such as work-at-home, represent 8%. No unemployed, or student occupations were reported. There is no indication that occupation was a factor in �� questionnaire response rates.

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No correlations was found between levels of education, �� and ability to learn about and implement home energy�� efficiency improvements. ��

�� About half of all respondents report knowing many �� neighbours in the community, (by name or not) and �� 20% report knowing most of the neighbours on their �� street, indicating a strong social network throughout �� the neighbourhood. About 13% report only knowing �� their next-door neighbours. � ��

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Education levels Education levels in the community are high with 30% �� reporting college graduation, 20% reporting university�� graduate levels and 27% reporting post graduate �� degrees. High-school level�� education accounted for �� 20%.

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�� Social activities and networks in the community �� Social activities in the community��are split into three �� main groups: activities related to children, charitable/ assistance, and social/recreational. There are 2 adults for every one youth under 25. 78% of all social activities are family or adult oriented. About 40% of all �� family or adult activities have a charitable or neighbour�� helping-neighbour purpose, while the rest are related to social/recreational activities. School-related activities represent 22% of all activities in Topham Park. ��

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Sources of information related to energy and the environment When asked what their main source of information is regarding energy and the environment, respondents could report both their active/passive sources of information. Respondents reported television /radio,

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Views on who influences the environment and energy use Residents’ views are evenly distributed when it comes to who has influence on the environment. Government, industry/business, and the consumer received about 30% each, and are perceived as equally influential. Considering most survey residents identify themselves as the consumer sector, 2/3 of the respondents point at other sectors (government and industry/business) as those who are most influential regarding the environment and energy. Only 4% indicated “others” as having most influence, and wrote in responses including voters, each person, and all sectors combined.

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Views on the environment and energy use Nearly 100% of all respondents agree or strongly agree that the state of the environment is a very important issue facing the world. The majority, or 83%, agree or strongly agree that their decisions about energy use at home have an impact on the environment. A strong majority, 83%, report worrying about how much energy they use at home, and 76% worry about the cost of their energy use.

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Reasons for moving into the community Location and price of the house are the two main reasons for moving into this neighbourhood (26% and 24% respectively). Location can be interpreted as a combination of the location of Topham Park within the City of Toronto, as well as the location features, such as parks, cul-de-sacs, local schools, etc. Size of the house and lot, combined, represent 22% of the reasons for moving into the community. The next main factors are community-related (16%) . These factors might include inheriting a house, having family/friends already living in the area, or having lived in the East York area before. Other factors, such as style of the house, or other features of the neighbourhood, represent about 12% of factors influencing choice of neighbourhood.

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and newspapers as their most important sources of information, suggesting a more passive way of getting information when it comes to energy and the �� environment in general. TV/radio and newspapers �� represent about 23% of their information . �� sources �� Secondary sources of information which represent �� 11% each, include books/publications, the internet, and information on energy bills. Government, formal �� education, and friends/family/colleagues received �� about 5% each. The last tier of information�� sources include their children, billboards, and product labelling, all at about 1% each.

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Seeking information related to home energy efficiency �� There is an even distribution between those�� residents who have actively sought advice about �� energy efficiency for their homes, and those��who �� have not. Those who have sought advice report the �� contractor/renovator, friends/family/colleagues,�� the �� evaluator �� utility company, and an energy as the most �� common sources of advice. All of these sources are �� evenly distributed at about 18% each. The internet, �� standing at 10%, represents the only secondary source � � of advice. Sales staff, government, and neighbours, � �� each are reported at about 5%. ��

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Implementing energy efficiency advice at home People were asked to indicate whether they had �� received advice in the past. Half of respondents �� have asked for advice, and half have not asked for � advice (a 1:1 “information acquisition” ratio). Those who reported seeking advice on energy efficiency in � their home were also asked to mention how much of the advice received had been implemented. The utility company stands out as the source from which most people implement at least some of the advice received. This high level of advice implementation from utility companies compared to other sources of information could be attributed to the long existing company/client relationships that most households have with the utility company—the familiarity factor. Although 95% of the advice received from the utility company is implemented, most of it is only partly implemented. This might be due to the fact that utility companies have a low face-to-face contact with the average customer. Face-to-face contact may play a role as an influence in getting households to implement

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energy efficient improvements. When looking at the influence of social groups, regardless of level of expertise, we find that family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours combined are just as influential sources of advice as contractors/renovators. Low face-to-face influence groups, such as government and the internet, show lower influence in the households’ decisions to implement changes. Advice from contractors/renovators may be implemented less often but when it is implemented it is far more extensive. Another interesting observation is that there are more home-owners who have done home energy improvements than those who have expressed interest in the Now House community project, perhaps suggesting that some residents feel that they have already “done it” and don’t need or can’t do much more. Ability to transfer Information When asked whether they had given advice to others, the response was split 50% between those who had and those who had not given advice to others. This “information transfer” ratio is similar to the previous “information acquisition” ratio, standing at about 1:1. There is a strong correlation between those who have sought advice and those who have given advice. About 60% of those who have sought advice, have also given advice, suggesting that there is a strong potential for information transfer among neighbours that has not been exploited in topham Park. If neighbours were recognized as a good source of information, then it could increase the energy-efficient improvements in Topham Park. This potential for information transfer in Topham Park is confirmed by the fact that 77% of those who said they have sought and given advice to others also expressed interested in the Now House community project. Another positive note is the high interest in the Now House community project as a learning opportunity. 50% of those who indicated not having sought advice in the past, are interested in learning more about this project.

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�� Energy-efficiency behaviour in the community �� Virtually all survey respondents indicate that they �� do at least one energy-efficiency behaviour at home, �� such as turning off lights when they go out, air�� drying clothes, using a programmable thermostat, washing clothes in cold water, among others. Out of all activities, turning off lights is the behaviour that �� is implemented most with a 34% response rate. �� Many respondents report different variations on the �� behaviours mentioned in the questionnaire, such as �� air-drying clothes in the summer, but not in winter, �� or using warm water for washing clothes, as opposed �� to cold water. Some respondents mentioned other �� behaviours not mentioned in the questionnaire, such as �� using dishwashers only when they are full. The purpose �� of this question was to capture whether households do some level of energy-efficient behaviour, and not to� � �� catalog their behaviours. ��

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Energy-efficiency upgrades �� The majority, or nearly 62% of all respondents have �� purchased an energy-efficient Energy Star product in �� the past. The reasons for making this purchase were �� primarily to reduce their energy use, and to save on � energy bills. Both responses stood at about 40% each. � �� Only 13% mentioned the environment as a factor for �� purchasing Energy Star products. ��

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80% of respondents have made at least one home energy-efficientcy improvement to their homes . Such �� improvements include installing a high-efficiency �� furnace, improved insulation, caulked/weather-stripped �� doors and windows, replaced old windows, changing �� light fixtures, covering windows with plastic in winter, among others. 61% have caulked/weatherstripped doors and windows (the highest activity reported) �� and 53% have installed a high-efficiency furnace, one �� of the lowest activities. Saving on energy bills is the main factor for making home improvements, followed by “improving comfort at home” and “to reduce my energy use”. Out of all the reasons for making such improvements, the environment represents 5% among all the other factors. About 46% of respondents are planning on making home improvements in the future.

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Government rebates 60% of respondents are aware of government rebates for energy efficient home improvements. But only 12% have had an energy evaluation done in their homes and only 12% have qualified for a rebate. Some households did mention getting rebates from the utility company, instead of the provincial and federal governments. Interest in Now House community project About 53% of respondents expressed an interest in learning more about the community project. However, about 53% of those who expressed interest, live in close proximity to each other, in the blue and green sectors, indicating high social connections in that part of the neighbourhood that represents 40% of Topham Park residents. The other half of households who expressed interest in the project are distributed in the remaining 114 houses in the neighbourhood.

APPENDIX 2 The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge Three Community Meetings March 31, 2008

Email invitation sent to persons wanting to be involved from the Now House Launch.

Communicative posters for meeting; agenda, what to expect, schedule and creative thinking.

Thank you and follow-up to all participants from initial meeting.

Meeting One

Dreaming of a Green Home February 7, 2008 Objectives: Get acquainted Introduce the project objectives Conduct a World CafĂŠ to generate discussion and ideas from community participants Review ideas and cluster similar ideas for future use.

Agenda:

Outcomes: Following the meeting the Now House team reviewed the ideas raised by the participants, clustered the ideas and developed four possible scenarios that would be used in the next meeting to assist the group in developing a way forward. Topham Park Clubhouse Community Meeting Set-up

February 28, 2008 Open Spaces Meeting

j a c k e t s kitchen music / speakers closet

NOW HOUSE PROJECT INFORMATION

fridge

t o y s

toys

slide

WELCOME!

(tea, coffee, name tags, etc.)

PRESENTATION CORNER

Email invitation sent to interested respondents from survey and past participants.

Reminder email to brave the snow and attend the meeting.

Meeting topic posters and open spaces agenda.

Meeting Two

Home Green Home February 28, 2008 Objectives: Review project objectives for new participants Review the ideas generated by the World Café Introduce the 4 scenarios developed from the previous meeting Conduct an Open Space process to discuss the 4 scenarios

Agenda:

Outcomes: Following the meeting the Now House team reviewed the dozens of ideas that had emerged for each of the four possible scenarios. General consensus was that we should create a hybrid of the scenarios. The participants asked us to draw up a ‘starter list’ of activities that would serve as stepping stones to build toward the bigger task scenarios. We drew up a specific list of deliverables and sent out a call for leaders to the original list of invitees, as well as, to regular meeting attendees to identify interest in leading a particular initiative.

Email invitation sent to interested respondents from survey and past participants.

�� When: Thursday, March 13, 2008 Time: 7:00PM to 9:00PM Where: Topham Park Clubhouse

�� On a cold, dark night in February, you came up with an exuberant list of great ideas for the community project. Your ideas were both grand and grounded and we suggest starting with a few of the basics. From the list below, please choose a project you’d be willing to lead or participate in and send us an email. Then come to the next meeting with a plan for how to make it happen. The team will be happy to help each leader work out a strategy if you need some help. �� We’re looking for everyone from carpenters to teachers to cooks, to good organizers. Help develop a Who’s Who of Topham Park and ﬁnd out who’s willing to lend a hand? �� From what we heard, a few of you are already very knowledgeable about all things green. What are the techniques, tools, and products that we should collect and share with Topham Park residents? �� The strategy is local local. The quest is for businesses in the Topham Park area that may be useful to us as the community project unfolds. What type of business? Who is the key contact? Location? That sort of thing. �� Let’s get the word out. We’ll begin with a warm and friendly, informative project newsletter. Something you can hand out at any community function. Then go for broke with a marketing/ad strategy worthy of the Super Bowl. And generally support project communications. �� An Eco Fair is just the thing to get 200 households in Topham Park out for some green fun in the spring sun. Let’s have a blast with lots of demonstrations, carbon footprint measuring, advertised freebees and green goodies. �� community@nowhouseproject.com 416.534.6609 882 Queen Street West Toronto, ON M6J 1G3

Reminder email to brave the snow and attend the meeting.

Meeting Three Looking for Leaders March 13, 2008 Objectives: Discuss list of deliverables sent via email Ask for leaders for each deliverable Assist each leader in developing a plan for his or her deliverable

Agenda

Outcomes The participants agreed that these deliverables would be useful, however, no one was willing to take responsibility to lead a given deliverable. They expressed interest in having a logo and slogan for the project, a newsletter and a website. They believe if we have those in place, it will be easier to communicate with the other members of the Topham Park community about the Now House Community Project. While they offered to send us some ideas for names, they look to us to provide these tools and to provide leadership.

APPENDIX 3 The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge Topham Now: Topham Park Community Newsletter March 31, 2008

What is the Now House Community Project? ��

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Topham Now T ��

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What if Topham Park reduced its energy use by 25%? ��

Now House Update ��

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Join us for EARTH HOUR ��

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Results from the Topham Park Home Energy Use Questionnaire

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CMHC’s EQuilibrium Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative

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Meet the Topahm Park Energy Savers ��

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EARTH HOUR TOPHAM PARK PARTICIPANT ��

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APPENDIX 4 The Now House Community Retrofit Challenge Budget Summary March 31, 2008

Budget Summary Expended to Date

Forecast

Topham Survey Materials Labour (4 team members) Other Total

342.00 5400.00 401.00 6143.00

Monthly Budget (9 months) Per month estimate

Topham Survey Analysis Materials Labour (1 team members) Total

20.00 1600.00 1620.00

Initial Meeting FEB07.08 Materials Labor (4 team members) Meeting Refreshments Local Facility Total

202.00 1620.00 33.00 54.00 1909.00

First Meeting FEB28.08 Materials Labour (4 team members) Meeting Refreshments Local Facility Total

54.00 980.00 23.00 54.00 1111.00

Second Meeting MAR13.08 Materials Labour (4 team members) Meeting Refreshments Local Facility Total

3679.00

Bi-monthy meetings (8 months) Monthly newsletter (8 months) Per month estimate 3367.00 Small Changes Campaign (8 months) Tender Development (8 months) Per month estimate 312.00 Energy Reduction Calculations Final TAF Report Estimate $3679.00

4.00 780.00 26.00 54.00 864.00

Community Newsletter MAR27.08 Materials 258.00 Labour (2 team members) 440.00 Distribution (2 team members) 80.00 Total 778.00 Interim Report MAR31.08 Materials Labour (4 team members) Total

4.00 1440.00 1444.00

Total Expenditures as of MAR31.08 $13869.00