PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Click here to download a PDF of the Program-at-a-Glance(as of October 5, 2009)
SEMINAR TRACKS
TRACK: RETROFIT PROGRAMSLessons Learned from Canadian Energy Retrofit Programs
Canada has had a variety of government and utility programs focused on reducing residential energy consumption. What lessons have we learned that can help us develop effective energy retrofit programs that will lead to significant energy savings in existing homes?
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Gain an understanding of the successes and failures of past energy retrofit programs from those involved in these inaugural attempts to educate homeowners and engage them in action
2. Learn what factors contribute to successful programs that lead to energy reductions
3. Participate in a discussion to discuss the roles of government, utilities and the retrofit industry in future energy retrofit programs.
Gail Lawlor, (Session Leader) Energy Matters
Steve Connelly, BC Hydro
John Hockman, J.L. Hockman Consulting, Inc.
John Jeza, Ontario Power Authority
ENERGuide & ecoENERGY: What Have We Learned?
Over 500,000 houses tested and 150,000 remediated. Is this a furnace replacement subsidy or have great strides been made? Gain insight from a program manager who has directed its development and implementation, and from another who has evaluated its performance and impact.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Have a better understanding of the program's impact
2. Appreciate the ongoing evolution of the two programs over their long life
3. Recognize both the wealth of data gained as well as the growth of an infrastructure of energy advisors, and the network of organizations that administer the program.
Suzanne Deschênes, Natural Resources Canada
Ken Tiedemann, BC Hydro
(Panel) Low-Income Weatherization: Implementation Issues
We may have big government support for low-income programs. This panel will share experience from US and Canadian programs. What are the particular requirements for doing effective low-income weatherization? What are the steps that can support the development of a skilled and motivated work force? How can the benefits be demonstrated in order to sustain stable funding?
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Recognize a number of barriers to low-income retrofit program implementation including non energy related repairs, rental housing, hard to reach customers, language and cultural barriers, targeting for impact
2. Be able to list key design elements that can increase program impact
3. Explore opportunities to integrate different funding sources for greater impact.
Clifford Maynes, (Facilitator) Green Communities Canada
Joseph Bonello, GreenSaver
Jim Fitzgerald, Conservation Services Group
Jack Laverty, NiSource / Columbia Gas of Ohio
How to Evaluate Programs
Michael Blasnik has evaluated dozens of energy programs addressing existing and new homes and analyzed energy bills from millions of homes. If he confirms that savings have been made, the program has been successful. Find out how he reviews and evaluates program impact.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Recognize the key elements of statistically sound impact evaluations and design flaws that can undermine an evaluation
2. Be better able to interpret program evaluation results
3. Improve their ability to purchase evaluation services that provide feedback for program improvement.
Michael Blasnik, M Blasnik & Associates
Reducing Electrical Loads
Good quality compact fluorescents may be a logical starting place for reducing electrical loads but where do you go from there? The average Canadian home uses 11,640 kWh of electricity per year, and consumption is growing. Find out what has been learned from programs designed to reduce electric base load, and the electrical reductions that can be gained from weatherization programs. Hear a preview of efforts underway to incorporate electrical use into EcoENERGY.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Examine what is known about North American residential electrical and electric base-load use, and the implications for reducing that use
2. Explore the findings from program evaluation and field research that have investigated electric base-load reductions
3. Learn about recent efforts to develop tools and processes to address base-load reductions within the EcoENERGY program.
Michael Blasnik, M Blasnik & Associates
Anil Parekh, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Terry Strack, Strack & Associates
What Saves Energy & Why: US Program Measured Results
Material in this presentation will probably surprise many. How much energy is really saved from insulation, air sealing, window and heating system replacements, and hot water measures? Compare predicted vs. actual savings for a variety of retrofits, including quite a few that don't seem to perform as expected. Examine the factors that lead to real world energy savings based on building science and measured – not projected – results.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn what factors are associated with actual, real-world energy savings
2. Find out which retrofits result in measurable program savings, which ones don't, and why
3. Gain a greater understanding of the roles of diagnostics and computerized audits in making retrofit decisions.
Michael Blasnik, M Blasnik & Associates
Updating ecoENERGY : What are the Next Steps?
This program is due for an update. How should it be changed? What works? What doesn't work? Come prepared to discuss and offer your ideas to ensure the program achieves its goals of reducing energy use in existing homes.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Hear a variety of stakeholders discuss their experience with all aspects of this flagship program
2. Offer input on all aspects of the program, including but not limited to, software, advisor training, provision of integrated contractor and financial services, effective reports, and quality assurance.
Gail Lawlor, (Session Leader), Energy Matters
Doug Clark, Home NRG Savers
Steve Goldberg, C3 Group
Terry Watters, Sustainable Housing
TRACK: MODELING RESIDENTIAL ENERGY USE back to the top
HOT2000 / HOT3000 - Energy Modelling Tools in a Climate of Change
HOT2000 is NRCan's current home energy modelling tool used to analyze energy performance in existing houses and compliance with new construction codes and standards. Find out how and why this tool is an integral part of Canadian residential energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives. This session will also introduce HOT3000 – the tool for modelling houses that goes beyond today's best energy performers.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Gain an understanding of what HOT2000 does
2. Learn how HOT2000 is used in government programs
3. Get an introduction to HOT3000 version 1 – the evolution of HOT2000.
Robert Calla (Session Leader), CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Jeff Blake, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Louise Roux, Natural Resources Canada
Clean Energy Project Analysis With RETScreen
This seminar will provide a basic overview of the RETScreen Software, including its applicability for various clean power, heating and cooling technologies. See a demonstration of the new energy efficiency model. Learn how to use the software to evaluate existing or expected energy use, assess potential savings opportunities, and prepare proper financial analysis for stand alone measures and an entire house as a system.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Understand the role of preliminary feasibility studies
2. See how the RETScreen Software works
3. Learn how RETScreen makes it easier to help identify and assess potential renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
Gregory Leng, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
TRACK: BEYOND SINGLE FAMILY back to the top
Auditing MURBs: Issues, Challenges, & Opportunities
Financial incentives for retrofitting multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) are driving requests for audits. Find out how to apply HOT 2000 to a variety of configurations (master metered, individually metered, and everything in between). Gain practical insights to the art and science of blower door testing. Explore the opportunities, differences, and complications posed by multi-unit dwellings. Recognize the significant non-energy issues that should be taken into consideration when making audit recommendations.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Identify typical construction types and understand how the performance of attached dwellings differ from single family detached homes
2. Learn techniques to diagnose and air seal attached dwellings
3. Discuss IAQ, combustion safety, fire, and odor issues and clarify how to address these issues.
Gord Cooke, AirSolutions
Ross Elliott, Homesol Building Solutions
Ventilation & IAQ in MURBs & Hi-Rise Multis
Open windows, undetermined leakage from stacks and shafts, assumed fan flows from label... As a result, many dwelling are under or over ventilated; effective, efficient, controlled ventilation is virtually nonexistent. Sealed curbs, measurement, downsized fans with constant air regulators (CAR) / orifices all help. Aeroseal duct sealing fixes "inaccessible" leaks, giving savings and performance with existing shafts. System change to new unit HRV/ERV's fulfill the promise of compartmenting and enhanced tightening. This session shows some new opportunities and some often missed.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. See examples of existing passive and active ventilation systems in place and some flow measurements of existing buildings
2. Hear comparison of some current options that are available for ventilation (and often energy savings) that can meet ASHRAE 62.1 and / or applicable codes
3. Find out about cost effective ventilation shaft retrofits successfully implemented plus Aeroseal duct sealing in high rise ventilation shafts in NYC and Minneapolis.
Jim Fitzgerald, Conservation Services Group
Stephen Kemp, Enermodal Engineering Ltd.
Air Sealing Multifamily Buildings
With energy efficiency reappearing as a major motivation for building retrofit it is suggested that a vast and un-serviced market exists in bigger buildings. One often expects multifamily buildings to be tighter than single family, but that is usually not the case. There are many opportunities to tighten multifamily buildings and this has been established as a cost effective measure. Gain insight about the assessment methodology, materials, and calculations.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Be aware of the opportunity and profitability to improve multifamily building performance and efficiency
2. Explore sales approaches for bigger buildings
3. Recognize different approaches to multi-unit dwellings, and the importance of addressing cross unit flows, and a variety of benefits that compliment energy efficiency.
Paul Duffy, Icynene Inc.
Steve Tratt, ZERODRAFT/Canam Building Envelope Specialists
TRACK: BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS back to the top
Moving Homeowners from Audits to Action
This session will explore why only a fraction of homeowners act on the recommendations set out in their ecoENERGY audit report. Do homeowners know what to do, where to call, and who to trust when they want to proceed with energy audit recommendations? This open-forum will identify ways for the energy retrofit industry sectors to work together to better serve the in increasing number of interested but hesitant homeowners.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Examine opportunities to effectively meet the government and utility energy retrofit objectives and meet the needs of homeowners
2. Identify ways to enhance contractor professionalism, profitability, and long term sustainability.
Gail Lawlor, (Session Leader), Energy Matters
Laverne Dalgleish, Building Professionals
Shawna Henderson, Bfreehomes Design Ltd.
Peter Love, Love Energy Consultants
Phil Winters, NorthGrid Solar
Making Money by Air Sealing & Insulating
Great. You can tell everyone that you work in a ÏgreenÓ sector, saving the environment. How do you ensure that some (or lots) of the green stays in your pocket? This is an industry led workshop. Gain insight to how building performance contracting is different from conventional insulation contracting. Explore additional markets in near zero energy retrofits, low rise and hi-rise multifamily dwellings, and identify their implications on your business practices.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Examine ways to use trade allies to build a strong referral network
2. Find out how building performance contractors differentiate themselves from their competition by offering comprehensive solutions that address a number of problems in addition to energy use
3. Explore opportunities to integrate higher levels of insulation and air tightness into home renovation projects.
Steve Tratt, ZERODRAFT/Canam Building Envelope Specialists
Building a Profitable Contracting Business
Most small business owners understand the product and technical side of their trade quite well. But the biggest challenges usually come when figuring out how to run the business side. This panel presentation and Q & A session will explore how retrofit contractors have built successful businesses, ...and not-so-successful ones. All participants have an opportunity to share their experiences, challenges, business techniques, tips, and resources, and to investigate options of working with governments and utility incentive programs.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Explore different options for structuring their business
2. Examine operational issues including marketing, lead generation, sales, products and services, personnel and job site management
3. Gain ideas related to business and financial management, and identify resources that can help you improve your business.
Ken Farrish, Farrish Marketing Services
Areef Abraham, Quality Program Delivery Services
Lou Frustaglio, Dreambuilders (2004) Ltd.
Joe Waugh, Efficiency New Brunswick
TRACK: OPPORTUNITIES ON THE LEADING EDGE back to the top
Efficient Heat Pumps for Cold Climates
Lots of choices these days – air to air, mini-splits, geothermal, heat pump water heaters. How do you choose among these technologies when saving money for homeowners? Do they best satisfy all or part of the energy needs? What are the technical advances that improve performance and appropriate applications in cold climates? What have we learned from field testing? What role do these technologies have in addressing greenhouse gas reductions from existing homes?
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Examine a variety of applications for heat pump technology, with particular emphasis on ductless heat pumps (mini-splits) and their potential performance in Canada
2. Have a better understanding of appropriate and inappropriate applications for heat pump technology
3. Recognize significant differences between conventional fossil fuel heating systems and heat pump heating systems.
Skip Hayden, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Bert Phillips, UNIES Ltd.
Hot Water Use & New Choices for Water Heating
Gas, oil or electric water heating? High efficiency or conventional? Tankless, storage tank or hybrid? How about solar? When is heat recovery a good option? So many choices... Learn about how Canadians are using hot water and what technologies work for what homes and lifestyles. Are there real savings available?
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Understand how hot water use has changed over the last twenty-five years and why
2. Learn about the range of water heating technologies available, their advantages and disadvantages
3. Be able to decide what water heating device is most suited to a particular usage pattern.
Bert Phillips, UNIES Ltd.
Martin Thomas, CanmetENERGY
Next Generation Heating Systems (integrated space + water + ventilation)
Compact versatile systems that provide space heating (both force air and / or radiant), water heating, and ventilation create new retrofit market opportunities. What works? What's efficient? What's not? Learn how to better inform customers with: old boiler based radiator systems, where radiant floor heating is to be added to homes with existing forced air heating; or where a combo with a small diameter duct air handling systems needs improvement.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn about where different types of retrofit combination systems should be considered (boiler based, tank based, instantaneous based, integrated mechanical system, etc.)
2. How these systems should respond to loads to provide comfort and be efficient
3. See some sample retrofit success stories.
Peter Edwards, Energy Systems
James Glouchkow, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Skip Hayden, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Saving Water: Latest Tools & Techniques
Water has an energy implication too, as well as being a resource worth saving. There are relatively easy ways to save water in a house and some good paybacks. Learn from those who have implemented successful water saving programs and find out what we are learning about changes in cold and hot water use. Explore the latest water conservation trends, products, and practices.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Explore the array of water conservation products now available
2. Learn the connections between water and energy efficiency, with an emphasis on water options
3. Examine resources and programs, such as GreenPlumber and EPA WaterSense label that can help motivate consumers and communities to conserve water.
Bill Gauley, Veritec Consulting, Inc.
Cate Soroczan, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
Beyond Business as Usual: Deep Energy Reductions
Perceptions about the cost, availability, and environmental impact of energy are changing rapidly. There is a critical need to achieve significantly deeper levels of energy reduction. Join in re-examining our assumptions regarding what is possible and practical in existing homes. Hear the retrofit journey of Now HouseÙ, a near zero energy use sixty-year-old wartime home. Lorraine Gauthier launched the first Now HouseÙ in 2008 and has eight more houses underway.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Recognize that there are a variety of approaches and investments that can result in deep energy reductions
2. Be able to identify the role of system optimization and non-energy benefits in making a case for deep reductions
3. Explore lessons learned and implications for current deep energy projects.
Lorraine Gauthier, Work Worth Doing – Now House
Linda Wigington, Affordable Comfort, Inc. (ACI)
Leading from the Far North
Northern practitioners claim that if energy efficiency and alternative technologies can work in the north, they will work even better everywhere else. Experts discuss projects in the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut, the unique technical and cultural challenges of working in the far north, the careful planning and implementation required to generate successful outcomes, and the lessons learned.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn about super energy efficient construction details for existing houses in very cold climates
2. Examine the cost effectiveness of super energy efficiency retrofits
3. Explore the unique challenges of working in the Canadian far north.
Juergen Korn, Yukon Housing Corp.
Bill Semple, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
Beyond Cavity Fill: Techniques for Superinsulation
You have an opportunity to add insulation to the outside or inside of a home. But how do you choose among a confounding array of options – Where do you put the vapour retarder, the air barrier, and drainage plane? How much insulation is enough? What about corners, extensions, and stuff that is in the way? Explore superinsulation wall systems using loose fill insulation, high density batts, spray foam, and rigid foam sheathing.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Be able to identify the energy and non-energy benefits of a high performance wall
2. Understand the wide range of material and labor costs and the factors to consider when selecting a strategy for a specific home
3. Recognize the critical importance of minimizing thermal bridging in order to achieve a high performance wall system.
John Hockman, J.L. Hockman Consulting, Inc.
Juergen Korn, Yukon Housing Corp.
TRACK: AIR LEAKAGE/ AIR SEALING back to the top
Air Sealing of Canadian Homes: Priorities & Principles
The basics: why to do this, how to do this, how to measure it. What are the priorities for air sealing in existing homes? How can you determine if the pressure boundary and thermal barrier are working effectively? What solutions are permanent, profitable, and practical? Explore materials and techniques for effective air sealing. Understand why the most important air sealing is often done (or not done) with a hammer rather than a caulk gun.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Identify priorities for air sealing in both new and existing homes
2. Gain practical ideas regarding techniques that can be applied at the next project
3. Know where to look for thermal defects in common housing styles and recognize the impact of air leakage on insulation performance.
Jim Fitzgerald, Conservation Services Group
Gary Proskiw, Proskiw Engineering, Ltd.
Air Sealing with One & Two-Part Foam
Explore the use of foam for air sealing applications. Spray polyurethane foam (SPF) provides high performance thermal insulation and an excellent air barrier. SPF can be used to treat localized problem areas or as an overall building insulation and air barrier system. In air sealing applications, one and two component polyurethane foam sealants are being increasingly used in response to their versatility, convenience, and speed of installation.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Become familiar with spray foam and one and two component polyurethane foam sealants, their differences, chemistry, and air sealing applications
2. Find out more about start-up, application, troubleshooting, mothballing, worker safety considerations, and use during hot and cold weather
3. Learn of the markets in which these products provide benefits of cost effectiveness and speed of application.
Laverne Dalgleish, Building Professionals
Paul Duffy, Icynene Inc.
Defining Pressure & Thermal Boundaries
Understanding the relationship of pressure differences and air movement is at the heart of completing a successful energy retrofit. What constitutes an effective air barrier? Is the polyethylene sheet the air barrier? Is the Tyvek? What happens when you project out a bay window? Is a kneewall attic inside or outside the house? This workshop will explain and illustrate (through The House of Pressure) the ways that pressure, air flow, and building systems interact to create energy, comfort, and safety problems in houses.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn the basic rules of air flow and pressure differences
2. Have a clearer understanding of where the dangerous discontinuities lie
3. Describe how to measure building pressures and flows.
Anthony Cox, New River Center for Energy Research and Training
Ken Ruest, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
How Leaky are Canadian Homes? Results, Opportunities, & Challenges
Over the last ten years more than half a million homes have been blower door tested through federal existing housing energy efficiency retrofit evaluation and incentive programs. What have we learned about air leakage? Examine air tightness data by regions, house age, and type of home. What are the air sealing opportunities for improving the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock in Canada? Hear an Energy Advisor's perspective for the air tightness testing and gathering the field information for recommending effective air sealing measures.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Get an overview of the air tightness field test protocols, calculations, and results interpretation
2. Learn about trends in air tightness of Canadian housing evaluated under the ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes program
3. Gain an understanding of air sealing opportunities and challenges identified during the ecoENERGY Retrofit Homes program.
Steve Goldberg, C3 Group
Anil Parekh, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Louise Roux, Natural Resources Canada
TRACK: VERIFYING PERFORMANCE back to the top
Using & Interpreting Infrared Thermography
If you do final inspections, training, energy assessments, or diagnose mold and moisture problems, an infrared camera may be the next tool to consider. Contractors and crews benefit from feedback, and building problems can be explained visually. Experience the world of building thermography – a wide-ranging, non-commercial discussion of the technology including new lower-cost cameras. Learn what infrared can do, cannot do, how to evaluate cameras, and what's coming next!
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Understand the basics of infrared diagnostics in residential structures
2. Find out how not to be fooled by what you think you see
3. Recognize the value of using infrared thermography for building inspections, and discover the benefits of using the latest infrared technologies, especially lower-cost cameras.
Greg McIntosh, Snell Infrared Canadian Training Center
Getting Peak Performance with Cavity Fill Insulation
Installing insulation in closed cavities poses challenges of access, coverage, and settling. Air movement through insulation can undermine its effectiveness. Explore best practices for achieving and ensuring cost effectiveness and impact. Learn how products differ, what's the best insulation machine, the best delivery system, and if a tube is required. Applications for dense pack cellulose, blown-in mineral wool, and fiberglass will be discussed.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Understand the importance of proper insulation density, installation techniques, machine capacity, and machine settings for minimizing voids, settling, and air movement
2. Examine strategies to ensure the contractors and crews have the skill and knowledge to perform cavity insulation correctly and consistently
3. Explore methods for verifying the proper installation of wall insulation, including core sampling, bag counting, and digit testing.
Keith Williams, Building Services & Consultant
TRACK: DURABILITY AND HEALTH back to the top
House as a System Concepts for Successful Retrofits
A house is a complex assembly of interacting components. An improvement to one part of a home can sometimes cause unanticipated effects on another part of the house system. How can you improve your ability to predict and / or diagnose these effects – or at least recognize potential danger.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Examine the driving forces that impact moisture, heat, and air movement in buildings
2. Learn some of the ways that interactions can cause performance problems
3. Understand the concept of home performance and the role of diagnostics in verifying that expected results are achieved.
Anthony Cox, New River Center for Energy Research and Training
Jim White, Systems Science Consulting
Indoor Air Quality in Existing Houses
There are many Canadian houses with poor indoor air quality (IAQ), leading to health effects. Find out where and how to look for possible problems and begin to recognize a variety of sources. Understand when to test and the limitations of test protocols and results. Gain an understanding of differences in sensitivity across the population, and who maybe particularly vulnerable. Appreciate why a house as a system approach is needed for minimizing IAQ hazards.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn the types of contaminants in the home, where these contaminants come from, and how they can be avoided
2. Examine the potential impact of air sealing on the indoor air quality and how to prevent problems
3. Be aware of findings from Health Canada's assessment of indoor air quality in Canadian homes, and its relevance to conference attendees.
Gord Cooke, AirSolutions
Jim White, Systems Science Consulting
Ventilation Systems for Existing Houses: What Works?
Good air quality is critical to our health. Without it we get colds, head aches, and feel fatigued÷ or worse. Effective ventilation is one part of good IAQ. What is effective ventilation? What are we ventilating for? How much do we need? How do health (ventilation) and comfort (thermal) differ? Learn the basics on ventilation systems, costs, controls, and ducting. Explore strategies to encourage residents to use their systems so problems are avoided. We will stomp out myths in pursuit of the truth.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn how to judge whether the ventilation rates are adequate in the homes where you are working
2. Be introduced to a variety of systems to provide mechanical ventilation in existing homes
3. Be aware of system design issues that effect installation cost, operating cost, and ventilation effectiveness.
Don Fugler, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
David Hill, EnerReady
Moisture Impacts, Sources, & Remedies
Moisture is a major factor in virtually all building durability and indoor air quality problems. This session will outline the sources of moisture, the paths it travels, the forces that drive it, and the mechanisms by which it causes problems. Fixing moisture problems can often mitigate other potential problems – example, radon. Moisture leads to mold, to rot, and increased off gassing from building materials. In other words, good moisture management is a cornerstone to building and renovating better homes.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Improve their ability to check a house for signs of moisture problems
2. Gain an understanding of the primary moisture sources, the mechanisms of moisture movement, and the relative importance of each in homes
3. Learn how to control moisture to correct or avoid common problems
4. Learn the link between moisture and ventilation, moisture and mold, moisture and radon as well as moisture and building durability.
Tex McLeod, McLeod Associates
Ken Ruest, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
Depressurization Issues: Making Sure the Chimney Wins
Houses with chimneys are at risk. Depressurization caused by ventilation systems, dryers, central vacuums, and even natural stack pressures can affect the way that a chimney operates, leading to backdrafting and spillage. If you contribute to making houses tighter, make sure you know how to avoid these dangers. The session will provide the basics and then describe different depressurization issues in houses and how they were resolved.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Understand how house depressurization occurs and what risks are involved
2. Find out how changes to combustion systems and venting can alleviate the risks
3. Look at alternate diagnostic procedures and solutions.
Jim Fitzgerald, Conservation Services Group
Don Fugler, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
Lead, Radon, Asbestos: What You Need to do to Protect Residents
When you leave the house after the retrofit, you want your clients comfortable, happy, and healthy. This session deals with the environmental hazards of older houses (asbestos, lead paint, accumulated dust, bat poop) and radon, which is in all houses. The speakers will help to put these contaminants in context and describe how you can minimize them in your clients' houses.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn about environmental pollutants inside houses, their health risks, and your legal requirements
2. Understand how to avoid contaminating the house during renovation activities
3. Review techniques that keep these pollutants low long after you have left the premises.
Jill Breysse, National Center for Healthy Housing
Don Fugler, Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
HRV Best Practices: Indoor Air Quality by Design
Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) are the most promising ventilation equipment for a cold country. They need a good installation, proper balancing, and diligent maintenance. Learn how this is done and what happens if you ignore these issues.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Recognize the potential for low operating cost and high energy performance in a properly selected, designed, and installed HRV or ERV (enthalpy recovery ventilator)
2. Be aware of the wide range of energy and IAQ performance that can occur and how to help to ensure that systems will perform as desired
3. Explore techniques for installing distributed ERV and HRVs in existing homes.
Gord Cooke, AirSolutions
TRACK: BEST PRACTICES back to the top
Rehabilitating Crawl Spaces: Rethinking the Process
Crawl spaces are one of the most commonly mis-understood and poorly maintained elements of the building assembly. They are also one of the key structural and environmental building blocks of the entire building. This back to basics session is intended to re-visit the basic building science principles of crawl spaces and demonstrate practical, field proven methods for building new crawl spaces and rehabilitating existing crawl spaces that have failed.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Begin to develop a solid technical understanding of crawl space performance requirements
2. Be able to identify three common crawl space failure mechanisms
3. Explore field proven and technically sound crawl space remediation techniques.
Don Figley, Figley Consulting Associates Ltd.
Retrofits According to House Type
This session will build on the work performed by Shawna Henderson for CMHC and NRCan in the publications, About Your House Series: Retrofitting for Energy Savings (2004), Approaching Net Zero Energy in Existing Houses (2008) and Deep Energy Retrofits by House Type (forthcoming). You can prioritize retrofit procedures if you know the envelope details and the flaws of particular types of houses. Review a variety of house types and discuss the best way to deal with their unique features from both a technical as well as a deployment perspective.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Review common Canadian house types and how retrofit priorities differ
2. Be able to identify the most common opportunities / flaws in building enclosures of five or more house types
3. Recognize the potential and limitations of developing solutions by house type and vintage.
Anil Parekh (Session Leader), CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Shawna Henderson, Bfreehomes Design Ltd.
Joe Waugh, Efficiency New Brunswick
Basement Retrofits: What Works, What Doesn't?
Various retrofit schemes for basements will be discussed, debated, and occasionally dismissed. What are the different factors that should determine what insulation strategy should be implemented? Particular emphasis will be placed on problems which tend to occur and how they, and their impact, can be minimized.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Be able to describe why moisture is the root of all evil when it comes to basements
2. Learn about the most common mistakes made when either fixing or insulating a basement
3. Find about some uncommon, but dangerous, mistakes.
John Hockman, J.L. Hockman Consulting, Inc.
Gary Proskiw, Proskiw Engineering, Ltd.
Sorting Out the Options: Window Selection & Installation
Windows are a major source of winter heat loss in cold climates, summer heat gain in warm climates, and water entry wherever it rains. Replacement windows must be selected and installed with care otherwise promised energy savings may not be realized and building envelope durability compromised. Learn the tricks and traps of interpreting window specifications and installing windows to maximize energy efficiency and durability.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Better understand how replacement windows impact occupant comfort and energy performance of houses
2. Be able to compare window products and installation techniques
3. Learn different window replacement installation techniques based on climate conditions and house type.
Bill Semple, (Session Leader), CMHC
Stephen Thwaites, Thermotech Fiberglass
George Torok, GRG Building Consultants Inc.
Insulating & Air Sealing Attics
Attics are always the first to be insulated. Find out how to do this better and avoid causing problems. Attics often contain some of the biggest air leaks in a typical house. This can increase costs, reduce comfort, and cause ice dams and other moisture problems. Examine the issues posed by attics, look at common problems, and discuss materials and methods for fixing those areas in existing homes.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Understand why the attic / house interface is so important
2. Learn about some common air leaks between an attic and a house
3. Recognize the importance of verifying the effectiveness of air sealing work prior to insulating, and several ways to do that while work is in progress.
Greg Labbé, GreenSaver
Keith Williams, Building Services & Consultant
Strategies for Summer Comfort & Peak Load Reductions
The average Canadian home is often uncomfortable on hot summer days for a variety of reasons. At the same time, utilities are facing summer peaks in their load profiles that are costly to address. This session will show participants today's and tomorrow's solutions to the summer cooling problem, from reducing loads to proper equipment sizing and effective air distribution.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Gain an understanding of how addressing the cooling issue has evolved over the past thirty years and what tomorrow's solutions might look like
2. Get a snapshot of government programs to address cooling load reduction
3. Learn best practices in reducing loads (envelope), proper equipment sizing, and effective air distribution based on thirty years of design experience.
Dara Bowser, Bowser Technical Inc.
Jeremy Sager, CanmetENERGY, NRCan
Getting the Most from Your Blower Door
You have a blower door and you want to make it sing (and you want to make money doing so). Is the interior wall cavity more connected to the outside than inside? Is the garage more connected to the living room than the out-of-doors? Learn how to perform the pressure measurements, and more importantly, how to interpret them and understand the implications for air sealing or indoor air quality.
By attending this session, participants will:
1. Learn to use your blower door more effectively to improve house diagnostics and quality assurance of air sealing work
2. Find out how to use pressure diagnostics to locate thermal bypasses and building connections
3. Discover multiple ways of determining air sealing potential, from using basic charts to using computer software and handheld calculators.
Anthony Cox, New River Center for Energy Research and Training
Keith Williams, Building Services & Consultant