An enclosure-first design approach is part of an effective strategy to future-proof against both future building retrofit energy policies and increasingly severe climate events.

As the new construction building codes in BC and the rest of Canada move further toward net zero energy (e.g. the BC Energy Step Code, Toronto Green Standard), this leaves existing buildings as the next area of focus for policy on emission reduction and energy efficiency. Some municipalities and provinces/territories have already begun implementing energy upgrade requirements for retrofit projects (e.g. City of Vancouver). It is anticipated that building codes and by-laws throughout Canada will increasingly require energy upgrades for existing buildings, potentially setting performance targets for certain building types with a schedule for enforcement. Building near net zero homes is one way to future-proof against potential future energy retrofit policies, and also protect against rising energy costs and carbon tax.

The Government of Canada has plans to implement a mandatory home energy labelling program as part of ongoing climate action work. See the Pan-Canadian-Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, Built Environment section published by the Government of Canada. This means that all homes sold will have an EnerGuide label summarizing their energy efficiency and overall performance. Homes built now to Step 5 will have a better label than homes built to the code minimum and will be more attractive to home buyers. Additionally, by 2032 the code minimum in BC will be Step 5, meaning that selling a home that was built to lower performance requirements may be harder as the EnerGuide label will indicate the home is below the code minimum. To sell these "below code minimum" homes in 2032 the seller may need to lower the price or undergo expensive deep-energy retrofits to bring the home up to Step 5 code requirements.

Additionally, projections for climate change due to global warming include increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events and storms [IPCC, 2018]. Using an enclosure-first design approach decreases reliance on grid energy distribution systems that may be interrupted during severe weather events. For example, electricity service may be interrupted by blackouts due to strong winds and fallen trees, and some hydro power facilities may have lower capacity during droughts. Natural gas service may be disrupted during severe storms and heavy rainfall can damage buried utilities. Homes with high-performance enclosure designs have lower heating and cooling energy demand than typical construction, so occupants are not only more comfortable during times of emergency when utilities are not available, but also safer.

In addition to more insulated enclosures to reduce space conditioning energy demand, strategies to prevent overheating should be also be considered. Passive design measures like solar shading, natural ventilation, and controlling solar gain can help mitigate increasing temperatures (and/or the use of a mechanical cooling system). In the event of a power outage, homes that are built with these measures could stay cooler longer in the summer and warmer longer in the winter. Other climate adaptation strategies may also be considered such as HRVs with accessible filters for smoke control to combat the increase in forest fires. The use of HRVs with filters also leads to increased indoor air quality.

Example EnerGuide home energy label