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Edmonton Deep Energy Retrofit: the Future of Renovations
Renovations are no longer only about shiny countertops, new flooring and a fresh coat of paint. Discerning homeowners are now expecting much more. Today’s homeowner understands the value of investing in real energy-efficiency upgrades that often involve a significant – if not complete – overhaul to their home’s building envelope.
Marchand Construction in Edmonton Alberta has witnessed this shift firsthand. While their team still occasionally tackles traditional renovations, most of their renovation projects now involve performance-driven improvements to the building envelope.
A deep energy retrofit (DER) is broadly defined as a renovation of an existing building that results in a reduction of 50% to 90% in energy consumption. A successful DER is a systems approach that carefully considers the building’s overall design, construction methods, materials and technologies.
Originally built in the 1950s, this family home in an established Edmonton neighbourhood is a great example of a deep energy retrofit. Led by the team at Marchand Construction, the home underwent a major transformation that not only increased the home’s square footage, but also dramatically improved it’s overall energy performance. All the while, the home maintained its traditional architecture.
The new high-performance walls feature 3″ Terrafoam Platinum with graphite exterior insulation, Delta®-Vent S Plus exterior air barrier, Delta®-Reflex interior vapor impermeable barrier, Innotech triple glazed windows and doors, Thermalbuck ROESE on all windows, additional Aerobarrier air sealing, and all natural Havelock Wool interior insulation.
The result: total effective R28 walls with a low 0.68 ACH50.
And while low numbers are always impressive, the true winner is an energy efficient, comfortable and healthy family home that the homeowners will enjoy for decades.
High-performance building products supplied by Performance Haus. Photography by Sona Visual.