Upgrading Existing Housing in Yellowknife to Achieve Energy Efficient Standards

Across Canada, building codes are becoming increasingly stringent for new construction. There are plans for all provinces and territories to build new buildings to net-zero energy by 2030. However, the existing building stock makes up most of the buildings in Canada and this study explores an existing house in one of Canada’s most extreme climates, in Yellowknife. Three targets are aimed to be achieved: The City of Yellowknife new build requirement, EnerPHit equivalent for an Arctic Climate and Net-Zero Energy. A single-family detached home, including typical construction for pre-1975, in Yellowknife was analyzed to determine if achieving a net-zero energy building using on-site renewable energy is possible. An envelope-first approach was taken to then improve the mechanical and electric loads. Ultimately, the City of Yellowknife target of 105 kWh/m2/year for TEDI was achieved but the EnerPHit and Net-Zero Energy Targets were not. For existing buildings exposed to extreme climates, it will require more than upgrades to the existing building infrastructure to achieve such targets. However, with the use of renewable energy technology, the building EUI and TEDI were reduced to 13.94 kWh/m2/year and 0 kWh/m2/year.