Retrofitting Edmonton homes to become net-zero ready

Three homes in Edmonton were involved with the Retrofit Canada pilot project which transformed their homes to become net-zero ready.

As more and more people look for greener solutions, homes in Edmonton are being transformed to become more energy-efficient. The houses may look brand new, but in some cases, they are more than 50 years old with only a step away from becoming net zero.

Three families in Edmonton took part in the Retrofit Canada Pilot project. Including the Hoffman’s.

They are all about living green, their house is currently fit with solar panels and are now taking it to the next level.

“Just with modern technology we have now, this is the time to do this,” said Sean Hoffman.

The Hoffmans decided to deep retrofit their home. This means they gave it a facelift, replacing the house’s original exterior with new panels to keep the heat in, and the cold out all while reducing energy use.

“It being a pilot project, it was a learning experience for all parties but the end product is wonderful and we have an extremely efficient comfortable home,” Sean said. “Instantly the day they put the insulation and the panels on the house, it was quieter. Within an hour the whole house was almost the same temperature. There’s no more cold spots, hot spots.”

The idea for the homes involved with the Retrofit project was sparked by a technique used by EnergieSprong. Which is a method developed in the Netherlands and widely adopted by European builders for retrofitting row housing. Now it’s made its way to Alberta.

“Edmonton’s always been a hotspot for net zero housing. It’s a really great place to see how this business is growing with some of the first net zero homes in Canada built here,” said Jesse Tufts, mechanical engineer with ReNü Engineering Inc.