January 10, 2017

Building Knowledge has been fortunate to be on the forefront of one of the most exciting movements in Canada's residential energy efficiency market. As Chair of the Canadian Home Builders' Association's Net Zero Energy (NZE) Housing Council, Andrew Oding (Senior Building Science Associate at BKC) sees clear and powerful changes coming to the industry over the next few years.

The NZE Housing Council's immediate priorities are as follows:

• Define a technical standard for NZ homes in the Canadian context
• Develop a third-party certification process
• Generate public interest in NZ homes through a marketing and informational programme
• Educate builders on how to achieve NZ certification for their homes

The Council hopes to help its members voluntarily achieve net zero goals and showcase Canada's continued leadership in home construction.

Andrew believes home builders are ready for the challenge. He says, "Canadian builders have been pushing the technologies and building science that enable net zero homes for many years. The industry keeps chiselling away at the puzzle, developing new solutions, new processes and new simple technologies argument developing that a NZ home could be more affordable on a monthly basis."

With over 30 current Net Zero home projects underway (some projects representing entire phases of new homes) BKC is streamlining the process and skills to help builders of all sizes design, construct and sell homes that meet the net zero standard (with the capability to produce more energy than they consume). This work can include:

• initial efficiency optimization exercise and builder benchmarking: cost optimization, ease-of-construction analysis
• Net Zero Ready/Net Zero specification and scope development
• in field verification, trade training and quality assurance inspections
• sales and marketing development and training
• owner and occupant consultation meeting: pre- and/or post-construction

Builders looking to get ahead of the curve and build towards the anticipated Net Zero standard can get in touch with Andrew and Building Knowledge to discuss the next steps.

To read more, see Andrew's interview following CHBA's annual meeting.