Question 1

What is a Smart Home?

Accepted Answer

The traditional definition of a Smart Home is one that allows homeowners to control appliances, thermostats, lights, and other devices remotely using a smart phone or other Internet connection.  EcoLuxury Homes has taken this concept to a new level.  Our homes have intelligent Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) controls that automatically makes adjustments based on the changing conditions within the house.  Additionally, the award-winning energy efficiency our homes offer make them super smart – for the homeowner’s comfort, reduced cost of living, and for the planet.

Question 2

What is LEED Platinum Certified?

Accepted Answer

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED® is an international symbol of sustainability excellence and green building leadership. LEED’s proven and holistic approach helps virtually all building types lower carbon emissions, conserve resources, and reduce operating costs by prioritizing sustainable practices.  Platinum is the highest level of LEED certification and is awarded based on a points system that ranks six key factors: Location & Transportation, Sustainable Site Development, Water Savings, Energy Efficiency, Materials Selection and Indoor Environmental Quality.
LEED homes are designed and constructed to: 
Be more resilient in the face of changing weather patterns
Maximize indoor fresh air and minimize exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants for better health outcomes
Use less energy and water
Deliver value, with very little markup versus non-green homes and opportunities for incentives and rebates for green homes. 
Our energy consultants, Clearsphere Home Energy Advisors, helped guide us to the LEED Platinum Certification and our super-low HERS score by introducing us to many super-innovative technologies and partners.

Question 3

What is a HERS Score?

Accepted Answer

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance.  HERS® rated homes are good for your family’s health and comfort, your finances, the environment and the country!

Question 4

How does an EcoLuxury Home rank on the HERS scale?

Accepted Answer

Our model home, on its preliminary testing, achieved a HERS Score of 35, making it 52% better than the Ontario Building Code.  This score helped us win the 2023 Cross Border Challenge Zero-Energy Ready Award.

Question 5

How does Panasonic’s nanoeX technology work?

Accepted Answer

The technology works by generating a high volume of negatively charged ions and oxygen molecules that disrupt the life cycles of microorganisms and neutralize their ozone. The Nanoe X technology has been shown to provide a safe and effective solution for preventing the spread of infections and maintaining good air quality. Learn more here.

Question 6

Why does Ontario have Time of Use Pricing and why should we expect it to continue?

Accepted Answer

In many parts of the world, electricity providers have difficulty balancing supply and demand.  Many forms of electric generation produce consistent energy that is difficult to ramp up and down to meet different levels of demand throughout the day.  Ontario is the perfect example of this.

In order to meet demand during peak hours, Ontario has been generating so much electricity in the past few decades that it has to pay neighbouring provinces and states to use its excess energy during off-peak hours. 
 
As a solution to this problem, Ontario offers residential customers the option of Time of Use (TOU) or Ultra Low Overnight (ULO) pricing.

Current TOU and ULO Pricing can be found here.

Question 7

What is Ultra Low Overnight (ULO) Electricity Pricing in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

To try to avoid having to pay neighbouring jurisdictions to take excess electricity overnight, the Ontario Energy Board has recently introduced the Ultra Low Overnight (ULO) pricing plan.  As of November 2023, between the hours of 11pm and 7am, Ontarians can purchase electricity at $0.028 per kWh.  Updated pricing can be found here.

Question 8

What is Peak Shifting?

Accepted Answer

Ecoluxury Homes are designed to use as little energy from the grid during peak (expensive) hours and draw from the grid mostly during the ULO off-peak period (super inexpensive).
How do we do it:
Panasonic Evervolt Batteries provide power to the house during peak (expensive) daytime hours as well as during power outages, and recharge overnight during the ULO Price Period (super inexpensive).
Panasonic Evervolt Solar Panels also provide power to the house during peak daytime hours.  When there is excess capacity generated, it is used to recharge the Evervolt batteries.
Our hydronic floor heating is powered by an electric boiler that only draws power overnight.  The recirculating system  retains enough heat during the day, like a battery, to continue to keep the floors and house warm and then recharges overnight.

Question 9

What is the Moen Smart Water Network?

Accepted Answer

The Moen Smart Water Network is an innovative system designed to help homeowners monitor and control their home's water usage more efficiently. The network consists of a series of sensors that are installed under your sink and in your basement, which track how much water you use and alerts you if there's a leak. Learn more here.

Question 10

What is Swidget?

Accepted Answer

Panasonic Swidget is a smart home solution that consists of a multi-socket adapter and software that allows you to control and automate your electrical devices remotely. The adapter enables you to power and control your devices through the Swidget app without needing to install any wires or new hardware. The solution allows you to customize your electrical devices to your preferred settings and control them from your smartphone or tablet. Swidget supports a wide range of devices, including lamps, fans, lights, and more.

Swidget is the powerful technology that enables Panasonic Breathe Well to integrate set-it-and-forget-it purification & circulation, heating & cooling, and ventilation & filtration. Simply snap in your desired insert into a Swidget Outlet or Switch and be confident that the air in your home or office is the healthiest it can be.

Question 11

What do you mean by modern luxury?

Accepted Answer

Impeccable comfort that appeals to all the senses, combined with modern high-end finishes, state of the-art-design and technology, and superior craftsmanship.  We challenged our designers to make every room in our model home as inviting and aesthetically pleasing as possible.  This effort even extended to often overlooked parts of a house like the garage and mechanical room.

Question 12

What is Grey-water recycling?

Accepted Answer

Grey-water recycling is the process of reusing wastewater from sinks, showers, washing machines, and other fixtures that do not contain fecal matter. This water is treated and reused for flushing toilets.

EcoLuxury Homes use the Greyter system to recylcle shower water, substantially reducing the annual water consumption in the home.

Question 13

What is an ERV and how is it different from an HRV?

Accepted Answer

An ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) exchanges stale inside air for fresh outside air, but preserves the temperature and humidity of the inside air.
HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilator) systems recover only heated or cooled air, depending on the season, but ERV systems recover both heat and relative humidity.
ERVs are superior because in winter, moisture recovery helps keep your indoor air from becoming too dry, while in summer, it prevents excessive humidity from entering your home.
Overly dry air makes your family more vulnerable to health conditions like dry skin and sore throats. On the other hand, air that’s too moist fosters mold and mildew growth, leading to allergies and respiratory problems. Both extremes are bad for the structure of your house.

All EcoLuxury Homes are outfitted with one of Panasonic's leading-edge ERVs.

Question 14

What is the Renewability Power Pipe?

Accepted Answer

A Power-Pipe works by recycling the heat from outgoing warm waste water- such as shower water- and uses this to pre-heat incoming cold fresh water. This helps to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions and keep heating bills down.  All EcoLuxury Homes are outfitted with a Renewability Power Pipe.

Question 15

Where can I buy an EcoLuxury Home?

Accepted Answer

We are currently looking for development sites, primarily in the Toronto area to continue building EcoLuxury Homes.  Please reach out to us here if you have any suggested sites for us.

Question 16

Can you build me an EcoLuxury Home on my property?

Accepted Answer

We would love to do that.  Please reach out to us to discuss the location of your property and timing.  We will try to accommodate all requests, but our capacity and geographic flexibility may be limited at times.

Question 17

Is it expensive to build an EcoLuxury Home?

Accepted Answer

When the total costs of home ownership are considered, we believe it is less expensive than many alternative or traditional concepts.  Energy savings over the lifetime of the home far outweigh the modest incremental costs to building an EcoLuxury home.  But the comfort and quality of living that comes with it is priceless.

Great for the planet. Even better for you.

Frequently Asked Questions