The Eden Mills and District Community Club has been awarded a grant of $15,000 for its community hall energy retrofit project.
The grant will be applied to the cost of a new heating/cooling system, specifically to the purchase of an air-to-air heat pump.
The grant comes from Farm Credit Canada’s AgriSpirit Fund, which contributes to capital projects ranging from playgrounds to fire and rescue equipment in rural communities.
The village’s proactive stance on energy issues has been initiated through the Eden Mills Going Carbon Neutral initiative. Since the launch of the program in 2007, the village’s carbon emissions footprint (households and public buildings) has been reduced by 22 per cent. While the Canadian average per capita emissions of CO2 is 14.2 tonnes, the average Eden Mills residence emits eight tonnes of CO2 (this comparison is based on equivalent CO2-producing elements).
The community club’s intention is to lower energy requirements and the carbon footprint of the hall so that, as fuel prices rise, the hall doors can stay open for future generations. The hall will also serve as a model of various energy-saving techniques that can be applied to homes as well as historical buildings.
The hall energy retrofit project began with a new metal roof installed in 2008. This winter, with the assistance of Ontario’s Trillium Foundation, new energy-efficient windows are being installed and the interior of the roof insulated. These steps will reduce heat loss significantly. In the future the walls will also be fully insulated, further reducing energy requirements.
The air-to-air heat pump is expected to use considerably less energy than the current propane furnace to heat the building, as well as provide a more efficient cooling system during the summer months.
