Hot Seat

Green is the new black

In this issue of Plumbing & HVAC magazine, there are quite a few articles that focus largely on energy efficiency—whether that may be through a new efficiency la bel or concerning the electric vehicle revolution as I like to call it. It has been something that I have noticed now for some time in the industry; there has been a surge in news surrounding green technology. Now, I have already written a column in the past few months that focused on the electrification of the heating/cooling industry, so I won’t dive down that rabbit hole again.

However, I think it’s been interesting to see the different approaches that associations, manufacturers, wholesalers, and contractors have been applying to their respective organizations in the goal of reaching net zero.

Companies have wrtitten responses to us that have commended the industry for moving in this direction and wish for us to continue writing about these topics. We don’t always set out to report solely on green technology, but as of lately, that appears to be where most of the news is coming from.

As previously stated, there have been several labels focused on energy efficiency that have come out as of late. In the last issue, we discussed the introduction of the Circulator Pump Energy Rating Program, launched by the Hydraulic Institute. As part of this program, circulators would receive a label illustrating its overall energy rating. For those that find a pump in the field with one of these labels and are curious what the circulator energy index means, well a tidbit to remember is the lower the value the higher the efficiency.

There are newer labels to the industry that refer to the entire home. The Net Zero Labelling Program for Renovations, launched by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, was created due to the ongoing pandemic. It shouldn’t come as a shock that there has been a surge in the number of people renovating their homes; people are spending more time at home after all. This gives the opportunity for contractors looking to add extra work to their already busy season and get some additional training on trends. Whether or not these types of labels encourage homeowners to think about energy consumption remains to be seen. The types of technology that are commonly used in net zero homes still need to come down in price, as the average homeowner probably won’t be able to foot the significantly larger bill. When that happens, I can foresee a net zero transition occurring at a quicker pace compared to current trends. After all, money talks.

November/December 2021 Volume 31, Number 8 ISSN 1919-0395

Publisher Mark Vreugdenhil (289) 638-2133 ext.1 Cell: (416) 996-1031 mark@plumbingandhvac.ca

Editor Leah Den Hartogh (289) 638-2133 ext. 2 Cell: (289) 830-1217 leah@plumbingandhvac.ca

Assistant Editor Francesco Lo Presti (289) 638-2133 ext. 3 francesco@plumbingandhvac.ca

Contributing Writers Roy Collver, Ron Coleman, Mark P. Evans, Bill Hooper, Michael McCartney, Glenn Mellors Bruce Nagy, Greg Scrivener

Design and Production Tim Norton/Janet Popadiuk production@plumbingandhvac.ca

All articles and photos by Plumbing & HVAC staff unless noted.

PLUMBING & HVAC Magazine is published eight times annually by Marked Business Media Inc. and is written for individuals who purchase/ specify/approve the selection of plumbing, piping, hot water heating, fire protection, warm air heating, air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, controls and related systems and products throughout Canada.

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