Design your new home to be energy efficient
Building a New Home in New Brunswick
What is the New Home Build Energy Efficiency Program?
This program is designed to encourage and incentivize the construction of energy-efficient new homes across New Brunswick. It offers rebates and support for builders and homeowners who choose to incorporate advanced energy-saving measures into their new constructions. The goal is to reduce energy consumption, lower utility bills, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
When do I register?
Participants have to register before a building permit is issued. Homes with building permits issued within 30 days of registrations can participate. Early registration is a key part of the program to ensure efficiency improvements can be built in at the start.
How solar ties in
- Smaller, cheaper solar systems — An efficient home uses less electricity, so a smaller solar array can meet a larger share of annual demand, lowering upfront solar costs and shortening payback time.
- Better economics and resilience — Solar offsets utility bills during daylight and can integrate with battery storage for backup power; net-zero or near-net-zero outcomes become more achievable when efficiency is prioritized first.
- Increased marketability — Homes that advertise high efficiency plus on-site solar attract eco-conscious buyers and can realize higher resale value, especially as energy costs and carbon considerations grow.
What homes are eligible?
- Homes located in New Brunswick heated by electricity, cord wood, pellets, natural gas, or propane
- Homes can be single detached, semi detached, or row houses
- Semi-detached or row housing units must have party walls that extend from the slab to the attic and have separated heating and ventilation systems
- Homes can be manufactured dwellings on a permanent foundation.
- Types of eligible foundations:
- Basement foundation
- Slab-on-grade with anchors
- Concrete blocks on an engineered pad
- Piers and beams
- Types of eligible foundations:
- Homes must be a residential property as defined under Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada 2020. Such properties would be no more than three (3) stories high and having a footprint of not more than 600 m2 (6,458 ft2)
- In-law suites and accessory dwellings are eligible under the following conditions:
- The new dwelling unit must be self contained with its own space heating, water heating, and ventilation equipment separate from the main house. It must have its own kitchen, bathroom, and living space. There must be a wall or lockable door separating the new dwelling unit from the main house.
- There should be a separate exterior entrance to the new dwelling unit.
- If the new dwelling unit is completely detached from the main house, it requires a separate program registration.
What homes are not eligible?
- Homes heated with oil.
- Mixed-use buildings with less than 50% Residential Occupancy.
- Multi-Unit Residential Buildings having two or more dwelling units. Note: Some two-unit buildings may be eligible if there is an interior unlocked doorway connecting the 2 units. In these cases, eligibility will be determined by your chosen Service Organization.
- Off-grid buildings.
- Cottages and camps not lived in year-round.
Here are three compelling benefits of participating and how adding solar strengthens each one.
- Lower Operating Costs & Greater Comfort
By building your home to higher efficiency standards your heating, cooling and hot‑water loads drop. Lower utility bills, better indoor comfort (fewer drafts, more stable temperatures) and less maintenance all follow.
- Adding solar (via Net Metering) lets you offset what power you do use further reducing bills. Exploring solar when designing a high‑efficiency home is smart because your remaining load is smaller, making the solar solution more effective.
- Higher Home Value & Market Appeal
Homes built to higher efficiency standards tend to have higher resale value, appeal to eco‑ and cost‑conscious buyers, and may qualify for lower mortgage‑insurance premiums.
- From a marketing / lifecycle view: a home that uses significantly less energy + possibly generates renewable energy looks more desirable.
- Financial Incentives & Future‑Proofing
With rebates now and utility cost increases expected in the future, you lock in cost savings and protect against rising energy prices. Plus, integrating solar helps you hedge further.
- Upfront rebates: up to $15,000 for highest tier.
- Solar readiness: program guidelines explicitly mention solar‑ready homes (design modifications to prepare for future photovoltaic or thermal systems).
|
Attribute |
Why it matters |
Typical program impact |
|
Incentives |
Lowers upfront cost for efficiency upgrades |
Encourages adoption during construction; incentive details updated June 2025 |
|
Energy performance |
Reduces lifetime utility spend |
Measured improvement vs. baseline code; fewer peak loads on grid |
|
Builder integration |
Ensures upgrades are built in, not retrofitted |
Reduces incremental cost and complexity compared with later retrofits |
Three value points
- Save money year‑after‑year — Investing in higher-efficiency new builds lowers annual heating and electricity costs, especially in New Brunswick’s cold winters where heating is the largest household energy use; program-aligned homes reduce demand on grid-supplied power and homeowner bills.
- Future‑proof against policy and market shifts — With recent code updates and program changes in 2025, building above minimum standards helps avoid early obsolescence and keeps homes attractive to buyers and eligible for future incentives.
- Amplify value with solar — Adding rooftop solar reduces net electricity purchases, pairs well with efficient homes (smaller system needed to cover loads), and increases resilience during peak events or outages; combining efficiency and solar yields a higher return on investment than solar alone.
Start your solar power install.
