Prefabricated Net-Zero Energy Retrofit of Affordable Row Housing

Lead Proponent

Ottawa Community Housing

Project Objectives

The main objective of this project is to prove the technical and financial feasibility of net-zero energy retrofits for Canada’s low-rise affordable housing stock utilizing a panelized prefabrication approach to lower cost and minimize occupant disruption.

Building enclosure panels incorporating significant levels of thermal insulation, new windows and doors, and new cladding or roofing will be fabricated offsite, delivered and installed. New heat-recovery ventilation will be added to each unit, along with cold-climate air-source heat pumps for space and water heating. A panelized roofing system will be installed over the existing roof to support additional insulation and a solar photovoltaic (PV) array sufficiently sized to offset building loads and achieve Net-Zero Energy performance. 

Expected Results

This project will result in at least a 55% reduction in building energy use, and will inform the business case for replicating this retrofit approach across other low-rise residential buildings, especially in the affordable housing sector.

A prefabricated modular approach emphasizes standardization and industrialization, providing a replicable solution that benefits Canadians.