Extraordinary work is being done by Haíɫzaqv Nation to advance climate action and decarbonize their community.

Clearly, the Government of Canada is interested in retrofits as a mechanism of mitigating climate change. But if they want to make meaningful reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, a more ambitious strategy is needed.

The goal of the Deep Retrofit Challenge is to build up market confidence in deep retrofits, encourage voluntary compliance with existing building policies, and inform future energy codes.

Nova Scotia has a biomass problem that needs solving. Currently, forestry by-products are amassing in the province as demand from paper mills tumults.

The Reframed Initiative brings together the construction industry, building owners, financiers, and policy makers to share knowledge on best practices to advance the business case of deep retrofits.

The municipalities of Nelson and Castlegar, BC are positioning themselves as leaders in the realm of embodied carbon research with their recently published Benchmarking Report and Material Carbon Emissions Guide

The people most likely to purchase retrofits, or build an energy efficient home, are not the people who were impacted the most by the heat wave.

Make no mistake, the construction site is filled with hot heads and hierarchies established by the age-old tradition of barking orders, nipping at heels for production with an equal measure of machismo and bravado.

Caring is about paying attention. Sweating the details. Let it be said that detailing an ABS for new construction is considerably easier than trying to cobble an ABS in an existing building. So hat’s off to all those who tackle the Deep Energy Retrofit of vintage buildings. Here’s a priority list of items to pay attention to.

As an energy auditor, I always had a quick answer and swung from the hips with the solution, but when my turn came to make decisions with my son about his house, I was caught in a morass of decision making paralysis. I wasn’t the role model I wanted to be.

A few critical actions are required to ensure Canada has enough building professionals to complete widespread deep-energy retrofits.

A passive building is under construction that will act as a retreat for youth to connect with nature and develop resilience.

As time passes and 2030 peaks over the horizon, it is clear that the Step Code must shift to mandatory and drastic regulations accounting for embodied carbon to address the climate emergency.

It is clear that as high-performance building standards become more popular, issues with the certification system become more evident. We currently lack the mechanisms to require operational performance data from certified buildings past the initial modelling and audit phase which is a major barrier to improving these standards.

Despite being an accredited passive building designer with a wealth of experience, Lorrie has encountered moments of uncomfortable undermining by male colleagues.

Like most of us, Adam was starkly aware of the global crises but didn’t know how to help beyond the small silo of passive buildings.

While the heatwave had severe health and mental implications - dehydration, heatstroke, cardiovascular and respiratory complications, depression, anxiety, drowning and food-borne disease - it also strained outdated housing, commercial and public infrastructure.

Passive buildings have long been known for their ability to reduce energy consumption and costs for the owner. Despite debates over effectiveness, it is also clear that the passive house standard offers more protection against climate-induced indoor air pollution than a code-built house.

In review, it is clear that the barriers for entry into the passive house and DER market are surmountable.