Net Zero Energy Ready Retrofit Housing Demonstration

Lead Proponent

Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology

Project Objectives

This project aims to retrofit a 25-year old student residence complex into an energy-efficient, low carbon emitting, thermally comfortable and aesthetically pleasing facility. Comprised of 68 townhouse units (6 students per unit) across 12 buildings, Kestrel Court will showcase the advantages and possibilities of deep energy retrofits for 1) single-family, semi-detached and townhomes; 2) low-rise wood-frame apartment buildings prevalent in Canadian cities and towns, and 3) taller Multi-Unit Residential Building (MURB) projects with steel stud construction. Kestrel court will be closely monitored with IoT sensors to help build a transformative model to reduce carbon emissions from existing low-rise housing throughout Canada.

Expected Results

The retrofits to these buildings will lead to long-term energy and cost savings and better comfort and indoor air quality for these student residences.

Expected results include providing replicable solutions for deep energy retrofits of Canada’s existing building stock, which will lead to substantial GHG and energy consumption reductions.

The project will also contribute to building a retrofit economy by providing a business case for large-scale, cost-effective deep energy retrofits that can be implemented across Canada.