The Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association (SSRIA) is here to present its Green Building Technologies Network (GBTN) Spotlight Series. This series will be featuring a project team once every other month until March 2023. The aim is to get to know the projects and teams working in the GBTN and support further collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing among our members.
Our guest this month is 4 Elements Integrated Design, welcome!
Project Type: Residential | Retrofit
Project Aim: Deep Energy Retrofits and Electrification
Project Summary: Click here for the complete project summary
Innovation: Deep Energy Retrofit and Electrification (DER+E).
4 Elements Integrated Design’s focus is to help project teams of builders, designers, developers and their clients find a pathway down the road to a better built, better-performing home. Can you tell us about the project innovation regarding Deep Energy Retrofit and Electrification (DER+E)?
There is huge interest and pressure on finding ways of reducing the existing house’s stock energy and carbon emissions in Canada. We have found limited widely available data on this new type of renovation that goes beyond just updating a house to current code and looks ahead to 2050’s requirements. This project became a chance to really push some advanced systems and approaches with lots of open-source photo documentation, modelling and costs to help others understand the process and the opportunities. This will then reduce risk and uncertainty for others who want to embark after us.
Three homes are being retrofitted as part of this project. What makes them and their homes good candidates?
The fact is that they aren’t all good candidates! We found homeowners that were willing to take on the risks and be open to really showcase all of the opportunities and challenges in a DER. The homes are all 1950-60’s era, a very common age of homes in the intercity that are often torn down to make way for infills. These homes use a lot of energy and are typically at a great age to do a big renovation anyway.
What does the holistic approach to DER+E look like? – Describe the process and planning conducted to reach design decisions.
We have certainly found the value of detailed evaluation and planning, while also needing to be flexible as there are so many unknowns in working with older homes. While an EnerGuide label is an important starting point to learn about the home’s energy consumption paths and opportunities, much more detail is needed in these larger type renovations. For example, electrical assessment and detailed solar design are important. The more you learn how the home is currently working and not working, the better you can plan and appreciate the pathway to energy efficiency.
What are the initial leanings or stumbling blocks that you can share with us about planning and retrofitting an existing home?
The golden rule is: if you touch it, you have to make it right. There is a real risk of locking in inefficiency if you’re not careful, and you have to be willing to tell yourself “no we can’t do that yet”. In my own house, we didn’t have the budget for the roof insulation to the levels required of a DER, so we will wait for the roof to age, then in a future phase we’ll be able to get a new roof and add insulation and solar. Projects 2 and 3 were able to include a new roof, insulation, and solar all together and had to think about the longevity of their new roofs.
What transferable skills of current trades can be directed towards DER+E trades work? or does it require special training?
We have noticed that these DER-type renos are complex and the scope of work needed of a trade is often very small. This can cause cost increases and delays as you juggle many people who only have a small bit of work to do. Having a primary builder with many skill sets was very helpful. One team could do a bit of roof work, flashing, insulation, and sealing, wereas often these roles would have been completed by 3 or 4 different crews.
The level of skill and understanding of building science is much higher in a DER as the details are not as typical, and the risk of making the home worse is higher. It’s important that approaches become standardized and well documented in guidebooks so that trades can learn and not have to figure out as they go, as we did. For example, thickening up insulation or moving the position of the window in a thick wall requires careful water/moisture management or a home that has been dry for decades will develop water issues.
What steps or planning can make it possible to replicate DER+E on a mass scale? why is this important considering the constrained electrical grid infrastructure?
A careful electrical assessment, calculation, and design are important requirements. We found overloaded breakers, undersized wires, or poor connections that were a real fire hazard as we dug into these homes. But, with a careful review of the Electrical Code and use of interlocks that allow loads to be limited, we found even homes with secondary suites could easily stay within a 100-amp service even with electrical heating and EV charging added. However, in exiting communities with overhead lines we also found to cost to upgrade 200-amp service was very inexpensive when meters were already being moved as part of the DER, so it made sense to upgrade to higher service. In our experience the capacity issues seem to be a long-term concern and one that Wire System Operators are working hard on now, with solutions ready.
You have teamed up with Tru-Aim and SAIT on this project. What services are they providing to enhance the outcome of this project?
We’ve got a great team of passionate experts throughout. Tru-Aim brought experience in electrification of high-performance homes and led the electrical review and design work, which is a much more complex process than a typical minor renovation. Frank Crawford and Gordon Howell put a lot of thought into how to navigate electrification. SAIT is our backbone reviewing our findings and photos for use in upcoming courses and guidebooks. SAIT’s work is just beginning as a large part of their role is in the data logging and analysis of energy and indoor air quality. We’ve got 10 months of pre-renovation data that will be cleaned up and studied as we begin our post-reno monitoring soon.
4 Elements has specific in-house skills that make executing retrofit projects possible. Can you tell us about the unique qualifications that make 4 Elements uniquely situated to spearhead DER+E?
The team at 4 Elements brings together a massive level of experience in the energy efficiency and renovation industry as we approach 15 years working with Alberta builders and homeowners on energy efficiency and testing. We are unique in that we bring both the technical side of Energy Advisors, Manager and Commissioners, but come from a design background rather than engineering. Most of my team are SAIT Architectural Technologists with years of experience in the design and drawing of higher-performance homes, and that ability to visualize homes and details is critical.
Will the data collected from this project provide the needed scientific support to attract future projects to embrace these innovations?
I am excited that all of our work will be open to the public. Many of the homes we work on are private, and we can’t share information, but here we’re going to release massive amounts of photos, data logging, modelling results, and costs online for review and wider use. I hope that we see credit for this work in all sorts of future projects and presentations.
In your view, what will be the greatest reward or takeaway from this project?
It’s been a wild ride but most of all I’ve enjoyed working so closely with this amazing group of families, builders, and trades that came together to make this happen. It’s a big risk with high costs and complexity, and renovations never go perfectly smoothly. We are all still friends, the homes are coming together, and the results are looking great.
Have questions for 4 Elements? Send us a message, and we will get in touch. Send Mail (info@4elements.eco)