Participant Resources
As a participant in the Neighbourhood Climate Concierge program, you’ll find key resources, expert presentations, and helpful links here. This page will be updated regularly with materials from each session, so check back often for new content!
Month 1:
Getting Started –Understanding Your Home & Opportunities
Topics Covered
Home Introductions – Share details about your home’s energy setup.
Funding Overview – Learn about grants and financing options.
Resources & Tools – Explore key guides and toolkits.
Commitment to Action – Plan your next steps, including energy assessments.
Resources & Links:
-
This helps homeowners understand electric alternatives to fossil fuel-powered appliances, from heating systems to everyday equipment. It provides clear guidance on costs, implementation, and emissions reduction, empowering Canadians to plan their home upgrades, make informed decisions when speaking with tradespeople, and inspire others to transition to cleaner energy solutions.
Access it here.
-
Step-by-step instructions for scheduling your assessment and what to look out for in the process.
Get the guide here. -
-
Bob Argue’s Climate Lens Tool is designed to provide a preliminary, qualitative understanding of potential emissions reductions and emission factors for various climate-related actions. It helps estimate the overall impact of a program by offering insights into expected reductions.
Some of the Mini Tools within the Climate Lens Tool also include cost implications, giving a general sense of the relative costs of different measures. However, these estimates are not a substitute for a detailed life-cycle cost analysis, which would take into account capital costs, fuel costs, and ongoing operation and maintenance expenses.
Here is a view-only link. The Excel document will be sent out with the follow-up of the first meeting. Please reach out to the project coordinator if you would like it sent out again.
Review Bob’s presentation in this video.
Month 2:
The Energy Assessment – Making Sense of Your Home’s Performance
Topics Covered
Homeowner Experiences – Share where you're at in the process and what you've learned so far.
Energy Assessments – Understand what they are and how they help identify energy-saving opportunities.
Expert Presentation – Learn from an Energy Advisor how your home works as a system and what to expect from your EA.
Financial Incentives – Get updated guidance on applying for funding and rebates.
Topics Covered
Topics Covered
Resources & Links:
-
A practical walkthrough of the home energy assessment process by our guest Energy Advisor. This includes what to expect, what gets evaluated, and how to read your EnerGuide label, amongst other things.
Access Stephen’s Power Point here.
View the video featuring Stephen here.Access Bridget’s presentation here.
-
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can build up in homes and pose serious health risks. While not a major focus of the assessment, we discussed why it's important to be aware of radon in your home and how to test for it.
Learn more about testing on the Take Action on Radon website.
-
This official guide explains what the EnerGuide label means, how energy efficiency is calculated, and what you can do with your home’s rating.
A link to the NRCan website here. -
This short document describes some of the types and strategies one could use to improve an existing basement space.
Basement Insulation Doc.
Month 3:
The House as a System– Insulation & Air Sealing
Participant Updates – Homeowners shared their progress, questions, and retrofit goals since the last session.
Deep Energy Retrofits: Order of Operations – Learn the key steps to improving home energy performance, starting with building envelope improvements.
Insulation & Air Sealing – Understand best practices for sealing drafts and insulating attics, basements, walls, and windows to reduce heat loss and improve comfort.
HVAC & Ventilation Systems – Explore how right-sized heat pumps, HRVs/ERVs, and other systems support a tighter, better-insulated home.
Airtightness & Mechanical Ventilation – Why “leaky” homes are inefficient, and how to maintain healthy indoor air quality with controlled ventilation.
Resources & Links:
-
An insightful look at how your home functions as an interconnected system, led by building science expert Andy Cockburn. The presentation covered the key steps of deep energy retrofits—from insulation and air sealing to HVAC upgrades—and explained how thoughtful planning can improve comfort, efficiency, and long-term durability.
Access Andy’s PowerPoint here
View the video presentation here. -
The CHBA Renovators’ Manual is a professional resource published by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, designed to support contractors and renovators in delivering high-quality residential renovations. It covers key aspects of renovation work, from planning and project management to technical standards and client communication.
In this section, we're focusing on Chapter 20: The Renovator's Checklist. This checklist helps assess whether a renovation could lead to new problems and ensures the homeowner receives a quality job. One of the simplest ways to use the checklist is by conducting a basic house inspection. It also emphasizes the importance of following the renovation hierarchy, which helps prioritize work in a logical, effective order.
You can purchase the CHBA Renovators’ Manual here.
Read the chapter here. -
The Lanark Leeds Home Builders Association (LLHBA) is part of the Canadian and Ontario Home Builders’ Associations and was established in 1991 by a group of area builders that wanted to set national skills at a local level. It has grown since then and is currently made up of builders, developers, sub-trades, suppliers, and professional service members.
You can visit their website and learn more about them here.
Month 4:
Heat Pumps: Efficient Heating & Cooling – Choosing the Right System
Topics Covered
What is a Heat Pump? – Introduction to how heat pumps work, their year-round heating and cooling capabilities, and the basic mechanics of refrigerant-based heat transfer.
Energy Efficiency & Climate Benefits – Discussion of the high efficiency of modern systems (300–400%) and their role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions when paired with renewable energy.
Heat Pump Options – Overview of ducted, ductless (mini-split), and water-to-water systems, including ideal use cases and pros and cons.
Participant Updates – Attendees shared questions, installation plans, and lessons learned since the last session.
Topics Covered
Climate Risks in Lanark County – Explore how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of local extreme weather events.
Emergency Preparedness – Learn how to prepare for power outages, flooding, wildfires, and extreme heat, including what to include in a 72-hour emergency kit.
Home Resiliency Strategies – Discover ways to retrofit your home for better comfort and protection, including insulation, reflective roofing, and managing downspouts.
Resources & Community Planning – Get connected to municipal plans, health unit tip sheets, and local programs that support home and community resilience.
Resources & Links:
-
A practical introduction to heat pumps by guest presenter from Comfort Pro Ltd. The presentation covered how heat pumps work, their efficiency and environmental benefits, different system types (ducted, ductless, and hydronic), typical installation costs, and what to consider when choosing a system. It also touched on routine maintenance, sizing, and available rebates for Ontario homeowners.
Access Tom’s Power Point here.
Access Dan’s Power Point here.
View Dan’s presentation here. -
A helpful guide for homeowners exploring heat pump options. This pamphlet answers common questions about how heat pumps work, what to expect in Canadian winters, and how to choose the right system. It includes a checklist of what to ask your contractor, so you can make informed decisions and feel confident discussing upgrades to your home’s heating and cooling system.
Read the Heat Pump Education Tool here. -
An interactive guide from NRCan to help homeowners and professionals estimate the appropriate size and type of air-source heat pump for a home. Includes climate zone data, design temperatures, and detailed selection guidance based on home characteristics.
Use the Sizing & Selection Tool Here. -
This guide offers straightforward advice on how to care for and maintain your heat pump, and a fillable sheet to record information about your model that you might need on hand in the future.
Month 5:
Building Resilience – Preparing for Climate Challenges
Presentation on Solar Systems: Overview of solar technology, installation considerations, and financial incentives.
Peer Support & Wrap-Up: Final discussions on experiences, next steps, and progress on applications.
Tracking Impact: Participants document their energy consumption and emissions, with a planned follow-up in six months to assess results.
Resources & Links:
-
An engaging and informative session led by Sue Brandum on preparing homes and communities for the impacts of climate change. The presentation explored local risks — including extreme heat, wildfires and smoke, flooding, high winds, and power outages — and offered practical strategies for increasing household resiliency. Topics included cooling strategies, flood prevention, wildfire protection, emergency kits, and how to access local resources and planning tools.
Access Sue’s PowerPoint here.
Dr. Anabela Bonada leads research and knowledge mobilization efforts at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, integrating applied science, risk assessment, and policy to advance practical climate adaptation strategies. She leads the Centre’s wildfire portfolio and co-leads flooding initiatives, while contributing to work on extreme heat. Her work focuses on translating research into practical, cost-effective tools and guidance for municipalities, residents, and industry partners. She has developed nationally distributed flood and wildfire protection resources and regularly trains municipal staff and professionals across Canada.Through Dr. Bonada’s presentation, participants will learn how to identify key vulnerabilities around their home and implement targeted adaptation measures — from simple maintenance actions to longer-term resilience upgrades. The session will also clarify shared responsibilities between homeowners, municipalities, and insurers, helping residents make informed, proactive decisions.
View Dr. Bonada’s presentation here.
-
Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy outlines a coordinated, whole-of-society approach to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change. The strategy sets out a shared vision to make communities safer and more resilient, while minimizing losses and disruptions from climate-related hazards.
The strategy is guided by five “Goals for 2050”, supported by measurable targets for 2030. It emphasizes partnerships across governments, Indigenous leadership, and community-driven solutions, with ongoing evaluation and updates to respond to new challenges.
Read the full strategy here.
-
The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit provides practical guidance to help individuals and families prepare for a range of emergencies — including power outages, floods, extreme weather, and evacuations.
Their resources emphasize the importance of:
Personal preparedness: Creating a plan and emergency kit with food, water, medications, and other essentials to last at least 72 hours (some municipalities now recommend 5 days).
Staying informed: Following local updates and having a communication plan for your household.
Community safety: Being aware of local risks and knowing where to go for help, including the location of warming/cooling centres.
The Health Unit offers downloadable emergency planning tip sheets, checklists, and local contact information to help residents stay safe before, during, and after emergencies.
Explore the full resources and planning tools here.
-
The Intact Centre works with homeowners, communities, governments and businesses to identify, and reduce, the impacts of extreme weather and climate change.
They have developed these infographics to guide people in strengthening their resilience by outlining key actions that can be taken across different methods.
Access the infographics here.
Month 6:
Powering the Future – Exploring Solar & Final Steps
Resources & Links:
-
Ontario's Net Metering Program allows customers with renewable energy systems (like solar or wind) to send excess electricity to the grid in exchange for credits on their electricity bill, effectively offsetting their energy costs.
*Before investing in or making arrangements for a renewable energy system for net metering purposes, check with your electricity utility to confirm that you are eligible and that the renewable energy system can be connected to their grid.Visit the website here.
-
The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is a national, non-profit industry association representing the wind, solar, and energy storage sectors across Canada. Established on July 1, 2020, CanREA was formed by the merger of the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), with the addition of energy storage to its mandate. For anyone considering solar, CanREA is a valuable resource for reliable information on technology, available incentives and rebates, and connecting with trusted, certified installers—helping Canadians make informed decisions about adopting renewable energy.
Visit their website here. -
This introductory presentation on solar provided an overview of how solar energy works and how it can benefit homeowners. Topics included net-metering versus load displacement, the primary components of a solar system, understanding electricity bills, available programs and incentives, and assessing a home’s eligibility for solar. The session also included a Q&A to address participants’ questions, giving attendees practical insights into adopting solar energy.
Access Marie’s presentation slides here.
View the presentation here.