In the last year, I have tried hard to find the best ways to make our split entry, detached, 1989 home more sustainable. 

I requested quotes from over 30 companies to get an average price for the sustainable solutions we found locally. Although I am not allowed to disclose their names and the specifics of the quotes, I can give you an estimate on how much it costs on average to get thermostats, heat pumps, solar panels, a metal roof and an electric car. 

We started with adding thermostats around the house, checked our insulation, and looked into getting solar panels, heat pumps, and an electric car. 

Things got complicated once we decided what we wanted all of the above. 

To make our home a sustainable home, it would cost us around $83,000 (Canadian) to get thermostats, heat pumps, solar panels, a metal roof and an electric car. 

We have some of the best rebates and programs in the country here in Prince Edward Island to help us make our home more sustainable; the bad news is that most of them rely on people borrowing money to get them. To learn more about the sustainable rebates available here in the province and federally check out my post here.

If you know me, you know I am a big fan of zero debt and financial freedom. I don’t want to borrow money to make my home more sustainable. If this means waiting a few more years, I am ok with it.

We are in the process of fully paying off our home. If all goes as planned, by July 2022, we will be debt-free. We can then focus on saving up money for all the projects I am about to discuss in this article. 

Before going into details, you need to know a few details about our home. We own a split-entry home that was built in 1989. The home’s square footage is around 2000 sq. ft. Our home is NOT an open concept, which affects how we need to place our heat pumps. The bigger the house, the more it costs to make it sustainable. I wish we had a smaller home. 

Thermostats

Price: 329 CAD for the Smart Nest Thermostat 4x329= $1,316 CAD

The number of items needed: 4

Rebate: $100 CAD

Cost for our home after rebate: $1216 CAD

The smart thermostats have made it easier to monitor and adjust temperature based on our needs as well as optimize efficiency. To be honest, we didn’t use the rebate for our thermostats, but we bought them when on sale. So I’m not sure if the refund is per thermostat or by household but that might be something worth looking into. Either way, this is something you should be able to get at a discount in one way or another.

Heat Pumps

Price Multi-Zone Heat Pump: approximately $ 8,500 CAD Plus HST

Price Single Heat Pump: approximately $ 4,500 CAD Plus HST

The number of items needed: 1 multizone, one single

Rebate: $1,200 CAD

Cost for our home after rebate:  $11 800 CAD Plus HST

Heat pumps are amazing. They were adopted in Asia a long time ago. The problem with getting heat pumps before we add solar is that PEI has one of the highest rates for electricity, and heat pumps use electricity. 

However, heat pumps are excellent in both winter and summer. They have a double function, which is fantastic and are a lot quieter than air conditioners. 

Although heat pumps are unique, they can not function by themselves on the coldest day of Canadian winters. You would still need an oil heating system as a backup. The primary purpose of a heat pump is to help the transition from oil to renewable energy. 

We need one multizone unit to heat and cool our basement and main level and one single unit upstairs in our bedroom. 

Solar Panels

Price: $20,000 CAD

The number of panels needed: 10-15

Rebate: approximately $6000 CAD

Cost for our home after rebate:  $12 000 CAD Plus HST

It blows my mind that the system we need for heat pumps ends up costing pretty much the same as the Solar Panel system. 

In PEI, we have some of the best solar panel companies. I strongly recommend getting in touch and asking for a quote. They will let you know everything you need to know about solar. I wrote an article about solar panels a while ago where I answered all of the questions I had at the time. 

Metal Roof

Price: the average quote I received was around $15,000 CAD . The highest quote was $22,000 CAD , and the lowest was $9,000 CAD

Rebate: None

I am surprised by the quoted prices. Some seemed really high, and some looked low. For example, I requested five quotes for the metal roof, and the price above is the average of all those five quotes. 

If you want solar panels, you have to have an excellent solid roof that lasts as long as the solar panels. So, for us, a metal roof is the best option. Also, I lived in Romania all my life, my grandpa was a roofer, and he always recommended a metal roof. So, I have always wanted a metal roof, but the main reason to get a metal roof right now is that it lasts as long as the solar panels- around 30 years. 

Electric Car

Price Tesla In Canadian dollars

Model 3 Standard Range- 423km- $52,990 CAD

Model 3 Long Range- 568km- $64,990 CAD

Model 3 Performance Range- 507km- $74,990 CAD

Model X Long Range- 580km- $124,990 CAD

Model X Plaid- 547km- $159,990 CAD

Model Y Long Range- 525km- $69,990 CAD

Model Y Performance- 488km- $83,990 CAD

Model S Long Range- 652km-$114,990 CAD

Model S Plaid - 637km- $169,990 CAD

Price SONO Motors solar car: €25,500 CAD or $37,096.17 CAD

Rebate: $5 000 up to $10,000 with both Federal and Provincial rebates.

Getting an electric car is more of a five-year plan for us. We plan to use our car till we can not anymore and then replace it with an electric car. 

I know Tesla is trending right now, but I am dreaming of getting a SONO electric car. 

While Testa is available in Canada, SONO is not. SONO Motors is a European company that truly innovated the electric vehicle. The SONO car is revolutionizing and innovating mobility. So I would like a SONO. 

I hope you enjoyed the breakdown of how much it would cost to make our home more sustainable. It helps frame the reality of the privilege it is to make these choices immediately and how necessary it is for green technology to become more accessible.

Let me know in the comments if you have explored implementing any sustainable technology into your lifestyle and what barriers you have faced?