Energuide for houses database – an innovative approach to track residential energy evaluations and measure benefits

The EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) database is a management information tool and central depository for tracking residential energy evaluations and measuring benefits from the energy evaluations delivered across Canada. The EGH database is a comprehensive computer-based system developed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) for the management of its energy efficiency oriented programs. Energy advisors perform detailed house energy efficiency evaluations and use the energy analysis software to recommend energy efficiency measures to homeowners. The energy analysis software generates a detailed house data file. Once the house evaluation is complete, the energy advisor sends the house data to the EGH database. The EGH database contains an e-mail processor to download the house data from service organizations. This data is subsequently verified and further assembled in a database file. Each data file contains information on the house’s physical characteristics and its energy requirements. Information collected in the database can be used by internal program personnel to generate statistics such as the number of house evaluations performed across the country or technical house characteristics data and also assist in making policy decisions. The database contains files for more than 165,000 houses rated across Canada of which about 26,000 have been re-evaluated after homeowners implemented energy efficiency retrofits. The concepts and database structure allow for the implementation and management of a large-scale energy efficiency program through various delivery channels.