Towards Development of a 1980’s Greater Hamilton Area Single Detached Residential Housing Archetype: Retrofitting to the Performance Levels of Net Zero Energy Ready

This research defined attributes of existing residential housing in the Greater Hamilton Area for the development of an archetype model that would represent a two-storey single detached house to investigate the potential of the existing housing stock to achieve Net Zero Energy Ready performance. Energy modelling displayed significant alteration of the building enclosure was required to accomplish Net Zero Energy Ready performance. A hygrothermal analysis of the above grade wall assemblies concluded caution should be applied when implementing a double stud wall assembly and consideration should be given to the permeability of the exterior insulation when a low permeance interior membrane is present. The findings of this research supported the development of the first archetype model to represent the Greater Hamilton Area that identified retrofit strategies that can reduce the energy consumption of the existing single detached housing stock, while acknowledging solutions that ensured durability was preserved.