1. 1
ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA
Renewable
EnergySOURCES
The Home of the Future Now
Are We Near Near Zero?
The Renewables Sweet Spot
PVT – A Panel Discussion
Getting Off the Grid
The Trouble With Windows
Publicationnumber42408014
IN THIS ISSUE
BETTER
BuilderMAGAZINE
the builder’s source

2. A b r e a t h o f f r e s h a i r .
MAX SERVICE
All mechanical and electrical components are
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Heating coil and fan/motor slide out for easy
service.
One of the most extensive warranties in the
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only,where applicable.
MAX COMFORT
With the increased efficiency of this optional
Electronically Commuted Motor (ECM),
homeowners will be free to cycle air continuously
with a minimal increase in electricity cost.
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making your customers’ homes more comfortable.
Mini Ducted Hi-Velocity Air Handling System
Optional Prioritizing of Comfort Levels with Energy Savings
MAX SPACE SAVER
The MAXAIR fan coil is so compact that it fits
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It can be installed in new or existing homes.
It takes less than 1/3 of the space of a conventional
heating and air conditioning unit.
MAX ENERGY SAVINGS
Energy savings,temperature control and comfort
levels are achieved in individual levels of the home
by prioritizing the requirements.This is achieved
by installing optional space thermostats. If any
area calls for heating or cooling, the individual
thermostat allows the space it serves to achieve
optimum comfort and still maintain continuous
air circulation throughout the home.
This method of prioritizing is a great energy
savings measure while offering an increased
comfort level to the home owner.
FLEXAIRTM
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The supply outlets can be placed in the wall,
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air cleaners or ERVs / HRVs.
Snap-together branch duct and diffuser
connections.
MAX ELECTRICAL SAVINGS
ECMs are ultra-high-efficient programmable
brushless DC motors that are more efficient than
the permanently split capacitor (PSC) motors used
in most residential furnaces.This is especially true
at lower speeds used for continuous circulation in
many new homes.
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3. FEATURE STORY
16 The Home of the Future Now
other builders to do the same.
BY ALEX NEWMAN
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
02 Publisher’s Note: Reduce, Unplug and Recharge
BY JOHN GODDEN
03 The Bada Test: Are We Near Near Zero?
BY LOU BADA
04 Industry News: PVT – A Panel Discussion
BY MICHAEL PATHAK
06 Industry Expert: The Renewables Sweet Spot
BY GORD COOKE
08 Builder News:
BY PANASONIC AND BETTER BUILDER STAFF
11 Builder News:
Competitive Advantage for Builders
BY PANASONIC AND BETTER BUILDER STAFF
13 Industry News: Taking Water Heating to New
Heights in Net Zero Housing Communities
BY MICHAEL LIO
23 Builder News: Environmental Sustainability:
Good for the Planet. Good for Business.
BY ROXUL AND BETTER BUILDER STAFF
27 From the Ground Up: The Trouble With Windows –
Passive Solar Overheating
BY DOUG TARRY
BETTER
BuilderMAGAZINE
the builder’s source
1
4
ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
11
3
PHOTO:WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COMPHOTO:WWW.DESIGNPICS.COMPHOTO:WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COMPHOTO:ROXUL
Cover: Greenhill Contracting, The Preserve at
Mountain Vista, New Paltz, N.Y.
24
WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015

4. 2 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
Publisher
Better Builder Magazine,
63 Blair Street,
Toronto, ON M4B 3N5
416-481-4218 fax 416-481-4695
sales@betterbuilder.ca
Better Builder Magazine is a
sponsor of
Publishing editor
John B. Godden
managing editor
Wendy Shami
editorial@betterbuilder.ca
To advertise, contribute a story,
or join our distribution list, please
contact sales@betterbuilder.ca
Feature Writers
Tracy Hanes, Alex Newman
ProoFreading
Janet Dimond
creative
Robert Robotham Graphics
www.RobertRobotham.ca
This magazine brings
together premium product
manufacturers and leading
builders to create better,
differentiated homes and
buildings that use less energy,
save water and reduce our
impact on the environment.
Publication number
42408014
Copyright by Better Builder
Magazine. Contents may not
be reprinted or reproduced
without written permission. The
opinions expressed herein are
exclusively those of the authors
and assumed to be original
work. Better Builder Magazine
cannot be held liable for
any damage as a result of
publishing such works.
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Better Builder Magazine
63 Blair Street,
Toronto, ON M4B 3N5.
Better Builder Magazine is
published four times a year.
I
n 1906 Adam Beck, founder of the power
system in Ontario, decreed “power at cost.”
The idea was that any surplus revenues
over operating costs could be used to improve
the electrical distribution system or reduce
power rates. Fast-forward to 1998 where
Ontario Hydro, a Crown corporation, was
divided into Ontario Power Generation and
Hydro One, and forced to operate under the
Business Corporations Act, running as private
businesses. Add 13% HST in place of 5% GST,
special service charges for conservation pro-
grams such as microFIT, and a
moratorium on coal-fired gen-
erating plants, and the result
is roughly a $37 billion debt. I
think Adam Beck must be roll-
ing over in his grave.
Adrian Morrow and Shawn
McCarthy of The Globe and
Mail report hydro rates will
rise 42% from December 2013
to 2018 and will peak at 68%
by 2032. What’s the answer to
escalating costs? Most think
its renewable energy sources,
but there is a problem. Renewable energy has
to be saved for a rainy day. It needs to be
stored. A storage solution proposed by policy
makers and net zero home proponents uses
the grid as a giant battery. It works like this.
On sunny days electricity is collected and
either sold to the utility or reverse metered
back to the grid for a credit.
Herein lies a fallacy, because as we know
there is no such thing as a free lunch. Debt-
strapped utilities will become like banks.
Historically, banks paid us interest for using
our money to loan to other parties. Now banks
have service charges. We pay transaction fees
to deposit or withdraw our money. Remember
the Mexican peso crisis in 1995? North Ameri-
can banks figured out that service charges
could offset bad debt.
Currently, homeowners generating solar
electricity on their rooftops pay a metering
charge to the utility when flowing to the grid.
Rising electricity costs are creating a sce-
nario where it makes more sense to use the
power generated on a rooftop in the house it
comes from. The answer in the longer term
is to actually unplug solar from the grid and
store the power on-site. The battery technol-
ogy used in Tesla electric cars can now be
used economically and reliably in houses. (We
include an informative article on solar photo-
voltaics (PV) with battery storage
in this issue.)
The feature article is about an
inspiring winner of the Cross-
Border Builder Challenge award.
Anthony Aebi is now building net
zero subdivisions in New York
State. The question has always
been whether homeowners are
willing to pay for energy-efficient
features. Anthony says yes! Lou
Bada reports on the challenges
and complaints that arise from
renting cost neutral efficiency.
Gord Cooke generates an important cost ben-
efit discussion on the renewables sweet spot
– when does buying conservation measures
make more sense than investing in on-site
power generation?
Building envelopes are becoming so effi-
cient that now the big energy consumption
factors in a house are hot water heating and
plug loads. Michael Lio investigates using heat
pump hot water heaters in net zero houses.
Doug Tarry offers a clear vision on the choice
of low solar heat gain windows essential for
comfort in Near Zero houses.
A favoured author Anne Lamont published
a list of lessons learned during her 62 years
on the planet. Among the gems was this –
“Anything can be fixed if you just unplug it for
awhile, including you.” Ready, set, unplug. BB
Reduce, Unplug and Recharge
publisher’snote
By J oh n G o dden
2 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
Building
envelopes are
becoming
so efficient
that now
the big energy
consumption
factors in a
house are hot
water heating
and plug loads.

5. 3WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
I
had an interesting interaction with
one of our clients recently over
the installation of a condensing
hot water tank. The customer was
extremely adamant that we not install
this very good and efficient piece of
equipment in their home due to its
higher rental rate (approximately
50% more than a conventional water
heater) for their municipally mandated
ENERGY STAR home. Logic and math-
ematics were not convincing enough to
pacify this customer (it is essentially
cost neutral rent vs. gas consumption
and provides some continuous hot
water). This customer was not alone –
we’ve received a number of these calls.
Despite some of our customers’ senti-
ments, getting to Near Zero or net zero
in new housing will take even further
conservation efforts where and if we
can. As the technology stands today,
net zero housing will need to include
some form of renewable energy gen-
eration in the home. Are we ready?
In fact, as municipalities are driv-
ing us to be ahead of the Ontario
Building Code (OBC) in terms of
sustainability through their planning
processes, renewables may need to
come into play much sooner than
you would expect. It is striking that
as I read policy papers, it seems Near
Zero/net zero is a de facto matter
and we just need to give it the old
college try. Clearly something has to
be done about climate change. What
and whether it should be done is a
matter of political debate and differ-
ences. The Ontario Ministry of the
Environment and Climate Change
(MOECC) has put forth a Climate
Change Discussion Paper to develop a
climate strategy and action plan. The
development and homebuild-
ing industry must do the work
of this world to implement the
results of this high-minded
political process. Fair enough,
but it would be astonishing if all
stakeholders, and especially all
levels of government and regula-
tions, were aligned.
The goal of a carbon neu-
tral economy and planning for
the weather-related effects of
climate change will have a great
impact on our industry, homes
and developments. Expanding
the Greenbelt and forcing more
density (i.e. more multiunit
buildings) will be challenging for
net zero housing (and afford-
ability). Distributed and district
energy systems are experimental
at the moment. The challenges
are not technical alone. Builder/
developers are not versed in
building electrical utility systems
nor are condominium corporations
prepared to be utility operators. Are
local distribution companies and the
electrical grid ready for electric cars,
distributed energy production and all
the ramifications? Are rural communi-
ties ready?
As it stands today Ontario’s “objec-
tive-based” building code’s existing
structure and content restricts, rather
than encourages, the introduction
of innovative approaches/solutions
and the use of new and/or emerg-
ing technologies. Planning, zoning
bylaws, engineering standards, and
architectural control guidelines are at
odds with innovation and carbon neu-
trality. Real incentives to encourage
innovation are absent, and cap and
trade initiatives will likely not benefit
our industry in any way, possibly the
opposite.
Laying this in the lap of industry
and believing it will create green jobs
and a green economy is precarious
at best. Without the correspond-
ing buy-in of the multitude of levels
of government/quasigovernment
organizations, and a truly informed
public, we will not be productive in
our efforts. Without a proper cost/
benefit analysis, this will make us
prone to boondoggles and have many
unintended consequences. I believe I
will be having many more interesting
conversations with my customers in
the coming days. BB
Lou Bada is construction & contracts
manager for Starlane Homes.
thebadatest
By L ou Ba da
PHOTO:WWW.DESIGNPICS.COM
Are We Near Near Zero?

6. WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 20154
T
here are many ways to harness
energy from the sun. The more
known options are solar photo-
voltaic (PV) panels and solar thermal
panels. A lesser-known emerging
technology is the photovoltaic solar
thermal (PVT) panel.
PV panels are made up of semi-
conductor PV cells that convert the
sun’s energy into electricity. On the
other hand, solar thermal panels use
a dark metallic absorbing material
(absorber) and a fluid (such as air or
a water/antifreeze mixture) which
runs below the absorber to collect
and transport the sun’s energy as
heat. A PVT panel represents a hybrid
of the two systems. The sun’s energy
is converted into both electricity and
heat by using PV cells as the absorber
along with a fluid to extract the heat.
The simplest design of a PVT panel
is to glue the PV cells to the absorber
plate of a solar thermal system. A
typical solar thermal system has a
flat plate collector which consists of a
metal absorber plate coated in a dark
material to absorb more heat, with
metal pipes running underneath and
insulation on the sides and bottom of
the panel. To make a PVT panel, the
coating on the metal plate of the solar
thermal system is removed and the
PV cells glued onto the absorber plate.
Typically there is an option to add a
layer of glass (glazing) on top of the
PVT panel to make the panel glazed
(a PVT panel with no glass is called
unglazed). This type of PVT panel, a
combination of PV and solar thermal
panels, uses a water/antifreeze fluid
mixture to run through the metal
pipes to extract the heat.
Another PVT design combines a
solar heater with a PV panel using
air as the heat extracting fluid which
is channelled under the PV panel.
The solar heater is similar to a solar
thermal panel except that it heats
air instead of a liquid mixture, and
the metal pipes are replaced with a
metal duct. These systems are used to
preheat the air entering the building
and help reduce heating loads. For the
remainder of this article, however, the
focus will be on the liquid-based PVT.
The PVT system was initially
designed to reduce the overheating of
PV cells by cooling them while col-
lecting the excess heat. This arose
because the efficiency of a PV cell’s
electricity generation decreases with
the increase in cell temperature. The
following calculation is used to illus-
industrynews
By Mi c h a e l P a t h a k
Top: PV panels on roof. Above: Solar thermal panels on roof.
PHOTOS:WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
PVT – A Panel Discussion

7. 5WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
trate the importance of this point.
For the common crystalline PV cell,
the efficiency decreases 0.4% per 1°C
increase in temperature.1
This can be
a problem on hot, sunny summer days
where a PV cell can reach tempera-
tures of 50°C above ambient tem-
peratures. In Canada, a peak summer
ambient temperature could be around
30°C, which means a panel of PV
cells could reach 80°C. PV panels are
tested at standard testing conditions
(STC), which have the cell temperature
operating at 25°C. If we assumed the
PV panel had a rated efficiency of
14% at STC, then at a peak summer
operating temperature, the overall
panel efficiency would be just under
11% – a 22% reduction in performance.
For a 300 watt (W) panel, this reduc-
tion in efficiency would mean a loss in
power collection equivalent to more
than one 60 W incandescent lightbulb.
PVT panels, which extract excess heat
from the PV panels, could offer an
improvement to electricity production
by reducing the summer panel operat-
ing temperatures.
PVT panels can be glazed or
unglazed, depending on whether
electricity production or heat collec-
tion is being optimized. A glazed col-
lector has a glass layer covering the
PV panels, giving the panels slightly
more insulation than an unglazed
collector. This means the PVT panel
can get hotter, increasing the ther-
mal performance of the PVT panel,
but decreasing the electrical output.
Unglazed collectors demonstrate
the opposite performance efficien-
cies – increased electrical output
and decreased thermal performance.
Depending on the project and needs
of the building, it is possible to have
a preference for the collection of heat
or production of electricity, and PVT
panels allow this flexibility.
Similar to a solar thermal panel, a
PVT panel can be used in combination
with a geothermal system to assist
with the heating demands of a build-
ing. Instead of solely depending on
ground temperatures for the geother-
mal system, adding the solar heating
assistance allows for a decrease in
the size of the geothermal field and
therefore less drilling or excavating
is required. This can help reduce the
cost of the overall system. This con-
cept can be used on any scale from
houses to full communities such as
Drake Landing in Alberta.2
One additional advantage with
using an unglazed PVT collector is
the ability to heat reject, during the
summer, into the cool night sky. Heat
pump efficiency improves when the
source temperature is closer to the
desired output load temperature. If
the building is a cooling-dominated
building, the geothermal source can
get quite warm in the later summer
months, reducing the effectiveness
of the heat pump. By heat rejecting
via the PVT panels, the geothermal
source temperature can be lowered,
bringing it closer to the desired
source temperature and improving
the performance of the heat pump.
The disadvantage of a PVT system
is that the panels currently cost more
than PV and solar thermal panels
combined. Furthermore, in Canada
there are very few suppliers and prod-
ucts available. The more established
panel suppliers are found in Europe.
This makes it harder to purchase
certified PVT panels, as well as find
someone familiar with the product to
install them. Although the installation
is the same as connecting a PV panel
electrically and plumbing a solar ther-
mal panel, having to make both these
connections to one panel adds a level
of complexity to the installation.
Nonetheless, the market will con-
tinue to develop in Canada as more
projects are undertaken where the
conditions allow for the PVT panel to
be the preferred option for the project
objective. Recently, Sustainable EDGE
deemed it beneficial to use PVT panels
in two of our design projects, as an
optimal way to meet the project goals.
Overall, PVT panels have several
advantages and disadvantages, like
most products. It is up to the design-
ers, contractors, and clients to deter-
mine if the PVT panel better serves the
project, and the goals of the client. BB
Michael Pathak, MASc, is a project manager
at Sustainable EDGE Ltd., providing services
in mechanical engineering and sustain-
able building consulting. Contact michael.
pathak@s-edge.com. Disclaimer: Example
products shown do not constitute a recom-
mendation for purchase by the author.
industrynews
By Michael Pathak
Solimpeks PVT panel,
used with permission.
1
Proc. (1997) 1293–1296.
2
Drake Landing Solar Community. www.dlsc.ca

8. 6 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
A
t the recent Spring Training
Camp, Alex Ferguson of Can-
metENERGY showed the results
of literally thousands of energy simu-
lation runs designed to help sort out
the cost effectiveness of a wide range
of energy efficiency improvements,
including solar photovoltaic (PV)
systems. It provides another clue in
helping builders find the sweet spot
of when to integrate renewable energy
sources into their housing along the
path of continual improvement. The
research was comprehensive and
there are undoubtedly many lessons
to be learned from it. However, one
quick summary finding stuck with me.
At current pricing, solar or renew-
able energy sources are the next
most cost-effective initiative after the
energy performance of houses have
been reduced by approximately 50%–
60% from current code levels. Frankly,
this will be of little surprise to any
energy evaluator or builder who has
tried to achieve energy ratings above
an EnerGuide level of about 87–88 or
a HERS rating below 40–45, but it was
nice to see that validated. These val-
ues approximate that 60% reduction
target in at least an Ontario context.
Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t be
open to adding solar systems at any
time, but if you are looking for an
indication of the most cost-effective
way to get to a net zero energy home,
this 60% threshold is useful and we
can explore it more.
The house pictured here is a
Near Zero cottage that a fine R-2000
builder, Derek Seaman of Southamp-
ton, Ont., has been building for us. He
has been kind enough to share details
of pricing of various elements, and
three visible choices help demonstrate
the concept of finding the next most
cost-effective choices.
Take the south-facing triple-glazed
windows that you see in the picture.
Two specific choices were made. First,
we selected a relatively high solar
gain low E coating with a solar heat
gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.48 for the
south-facing glass, and low radiant
gain and loss coating with an SHGC
of 0.22 for the north- and west-facing
glass. Second, we chose triple glazing.
These two choices added just under
$1,300 to the cost of the admittedly
modest window order. However, using
both HOT2000 and REM/Rate soft-
ware, I found that these two choices
reduced the estimated total annual
energy usage by between 700 and 1200
kWh per year. That equates to $1.10 to
$1.86 per kWh saved.
Next, notice the extruded foam
insulated sheathing on the wall. That’s
3” thick, and with the 2x6 wall with
spray-in-place closed cell foam in
the cavity, that results in an effective
R-value of R40. We considered the
impact of an extra inch of extruded
foam to get to R45 effective walls. This
would have cost about $750 more in
foam materials alone, but would have
resulted in an estimated annual energy
reduction of less than 100 kWh.
The Renewables Sweet Spot
industryexpert
By G ord Cooke
SUPPLIED PHOTO
The south-facing windows of this net zero cottage were triple glazed, which reduced the estimated total annual energy usage.

9. 7WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
Finally, notice on the roof the
solar-integrated shingles. This is a 5
kW array of the relatively new DOW
POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles that
offer a very attractive and practical
application for solar integration. In the
Southampton latitude, a solar system
with a capacity of 5 kW is estimated
to produce approximately 6,300 kWh
of power annually or 1,260 kWh/kW
capacity installed. The installed cost of
the solar shingles was approximately
$5,500 per kW installed capacity.
The table above summarizes the
impact of better windows and addi-
tional extruded foam sheathing as
compared to adding additional solar
capacity.
Therefore triple-glazed windows
were a 3 to 4 times better investment
than adding additional solar capac-
ity, but going from an R40 effective
wall to R45 by adding another 1”
of extruded foam would be less cost
effective than adding an additional
0.08 kW solar capacity.
It is important to note that the
more typical PV panels that mount
over top of the roofing materials can
now be installed for as little as $4,000
to $4,500 per kW capacity. This, of
course, changes the decision matrix
from a cost perspective, notwithstand-
ing the architectural appeal of the
integrated solar shingles.
It should add confidence to high
performance builders who are offer-
ing ever more energy-efficient tech-
nologies that there are some compel-
ling cost metrics that can be used in
the decision matrix process. As you
consider the implications of solar
panels on process, structure, design,
warranty and marketing, you can now
be assured there is a way to evaluate
or compare the cost relative to other
energy improvements such as better
windows, additional insulation or
more efficient mechanical systems.
There is indeed a sweet spot of cost
versus renewables capacity that will
help you along the path to net zero
or Near Zero energy homes. BB
Gord Cooke is president of Building
Knowledge Canada.
kWh/yr Saved Cost Additional Additional
Solar Capacity Solar Cost
Avoided Avoided
Triple-glazed
windows
700–1200 kWh $1,300 0.56–0.95 kW $3,080 to $5,225
R40 to R45 walls 100 kWh $750 0.08 kW $440

10. 8 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
P
anasonic Eco Solutions Canada
is teaming up with partner
Tabuchi Electric of Japan to
bring a new residential energy man-
agement system to North America.
The EneTelus Intelligent Battery
System (EIBS) is a groundbreaking
5.5 kW AC hybrid residential inverter
that integrates a 10 kWh lithium-ion
battery that will provide residential
customers a viable option for their
household energy management needs.
The EIBS will provide homeowners
an affordable and effective option to
lessen their dependency on the grid
and by using the built-in peak-shifting
capabilities, better manage their
energy costs.
This inverter is designed to work
seamlessly with Panasonic’s market-
leading lithium-ion battery, and is
bred from Tabuchi’s vast experience
with inverter design and manufactur-
ing which spans more than 20 years.
The inverter’s internal bidirectional
DC/DC converter charges the battery
from either the solar panels installed
on the roof or from the grid, thereby
facilitating flexibility and superior bat-
tery management. Off-peak electricity
can be stored at night and dispatched
during the day to reduce electricity
time of use costs.
Normally, it takes PV designers/
installers a long time to design com-
plex battery backup systems. How-
ever, pairing the EIBS hybrid inverter
with storage batteries enables PV
system designers/installers to reduce
lead times for designing an effective
backup system. These systems reduce
the need to be grid dependent and
provide alternative power during grid
interruptions.
Homeowners will benefit from
buildernews
By Panasonic and
Bet t e r Bu i l de r S t a ff
Getting Off the Grid –
Affordable, Smart, Nonsubsidized Solar Photovoltaics (PV) With Battery Energy Storage
IMAGES:PANASONIC
Solar Inverter With Lithium Ion Battery System: Block Diagram

11. 9WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
lower electricity bills, and
three different mode settings
that maximize the use of
backup power during outages.
EIBS additionally enables utili-
ties to manage grid stability,
especially during peak hours.
Looking at the big picture, util-
ities will save a tremendous
amount of money through
reduced substation and trans-
mission construction. BB
buildernews
By Panasonic and
Better Builder Staff
Grid tied: Selling back to the grid.

12. 10 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015

13. 11WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
W
e live in an exciting time. The
connected home is no longer
exclusively for the wealthy.
What was once only available to a
niche market is quickly becoming a
mainstream reality. Who doesn’t want
the ability to monitor both the inside
and outside of their home, access a
full wireless security system, turn on
their lights when away on vacation,
or get instant notification of a flood,
fire or carbon monoxide leak from the
comfort of their smartphone?
So it’s not surprising the connected
home category is expected to grow
aggressively as customer awareness
and penetration do the same. Insur-
ance companies are also watching this
category closely. Water and fire dam-
age are two of the largest expenses
they have to reimburse. Insurers
are intrigued by the ways connected
homes can greatly reduce – or at best
eliminate – these claims through early
warning measures.
Homebuilders now have the oppor-
tunity to differentiate themselves
from their competition by tapping
into this emerging market and incor-
porating connected home products
into builds. Rather than only focusing
on benefits linked to a home’s size or
energy efficiency, for example, they
can take it a step further and lever-
age connected home products to offer
unique solutions to their customers.
Builders should never forget that
purchasing a home is the biggest
investment most people will ever
make. Not only do they want it to be
functional, look great and last a long
time, they also have a vested inter-
est in protecting their asset. Builders
are in the unique position to change
regular homes into smart, connected
homes right from the start. They can
give their customers the ability to
take charge of their home’s security
by supplying the platform and starter
kits with the purchase of a home. By
setting up connected home systems in
décor centres, homebuilders can also
explore the potential to make addi-
tional revenue by upselling à la carte
devices to their customers and driving
customer satisfaction in the process.
If you are considering offering
connected home solutions with your
builds, it’s also wise to look at moni-
toring solutions that have the ability to
expand as the desires of homeowners
change over time. Consider systems
that are linked to an overall device eco-
system, again for easy expansion.
One solution to consider is the new
Panasonic Home Monitoring System.
It has no monthly fees or contracts,
offers an easy two-step initial setup,
and allows users to monitor their
home from anywhere in the world
via their smartphone. Panasonic uses
proven digital enhanced cordless tele-
communications (DECT) wireless tech-
nology, which maximizes the system’s
range to more than twice that of Wi-
Fi-only systems (up to 1,000 ft.). DECT
technology also significantly reduces
frequency interference with other wire-
less devices around the house, giving
users piece of mind that the system is
always communicating properly. Up to
four cameras and 50 additional devices
can be added to one Home Monitoring
System, so as customer desires change,
the system can too. BB
To learn more visit
www.Panasonic.ca/housingsolutions
Connected Homes Offer Competitive
Advantage for Builders
buildernews
By Panasonic and
Be t t e r Bu i l de r S t a ff
PHOTO:WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

14. 12 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
buildernews
By Panasonic and
Better Builder Staff

15. 13WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
F
ifty-seven minutes – that is
the average time my teenager
spends in the shower. Yes,
the engineer in me compels me to
analyze all the energy use in my
household. Meanwhile, my young-
est takes less than five
minutes, but I’ll leave
that story for another
time. Hot water use var-
ies from one household
to another depending on
the number of occupants,
their behaviour, and an
entirely separate, but
very important contribut-
ing factor – how many
teenagers you have.
When designing a cus-
tom home, the builder and
designer can factor in the
behaviours of family mem-
bers, making a net zero
performance-based design
more feasible. However,
when talking about large
scale net zero housing in a
production setting, build-
ers and designers need to
make assumptions about
occupant behaviour and
design net zero based
on typical behaviours. So
what should we assume
for the amount of hot
water used for showering?
Natural Resources
Canada’s CanmetENERGY research on
hot water energy consumption shows
that a typical electrically heated
home consumes about 4,300 kWh of
electricity for heating domestic hot
water with an annual cost of about
$470 per household. CanmetENERGY
has analyzed hundreds of housing
data points to determine an average
hot water heating load of 143 L/day
per household based on the average
behaviours of two adults and one
child. The latest NRCan voluntary
energy efficiency housing programs
(R-2000 Net Zero Energy pilot) cur-
rently use this assumption.
As the housing industry moves
toward very energy-efficient hous-
ing design (e.g. net zero), reducing
the water heating load becomes very
important. Figure 1 summarizes
the estimated energy consumption
breakdown of a typical
2012 Ontario Building
Code (OBC)-built single
detached home. While
over 50% of the estimated
energy consumption is
attributable to space
heating, it is important
to note that aside from
the NRCan-set standard
baseload assumptions
for lights and appli-
ances, the next big load
is domestic hot water
heating (21% of total
energy consumption).
Figure 2 summarizes the
average estimated energy
consumption breakdown
across all single detached
net zero home designs
from NRCan’s ecoENERGY
Innovation Initiative:
Owens Corning’s Net Zero
Housing Community proj-
ect (ecoEII OC Net Zero
project) (www.zeroenergy.
ca). While the builders
have reduced space heat-
ing loads down to 20% of
total energy consumption,
the domestic hot water heating load
still hovers around 17%. The baseload
energy use for lights and appliances
makes up over 50% of the energy use
in a net zero house. There’s a huge
industrynews
By Mi c h a e l Li o
Taking Water Heating to New Heights
in Net Zero Housing Communities

16. 14 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
opportunity to reduce water heating
energy consumption. As for baseloads
– we’ll leave that for another article.
While a production builder can’t
predict the number of teenagers in
a family or the duration of their hot
showers, efficient water heating tech-
nologies are available to reduce con-
sumption. The affordable and readily
available hybrid heat pump water
heater (HPWH) is a great example of
such a technology.
What is a heat pump water heater
(HPWH) and how does it work?
An HPWH uses the heat from the
surrounding air to heat water more
efficiently. Instead of heating stored
water directly with a conventional
electric element, this water heater
absorbs available heat from the ambi-
ent air, which is then transferred to
and intensified by a heat exchanger
into the water, a far more cost-effec-
tive process. To help better under-
stand this concept, try to imagine a
refrigerator that is working in reverse
mode. Instead of removing heat from
the inside of a box, the HPWH actu-
ally removes heat from the surround-
ing area and transfers it to the water
inside an enclosed tank.
electric resistance water heater?
An HPWH does not convert electricity
into heat like a typical electric water
heater. Instead, the HPWH moves heat
from the air into the water. An HPWH
is more efficient than electric resis-
tance water heaters. Energy factor (EF)
measures the amount of hot water
produced as a result of consuming
one unit of energy. Most 100% efficient
electric resistance water heaters only
have an EF of 1.0 (or 0.93 when con-
sidering standby losses), meaning it
uses one unit of energy to produce one
unit of energy worth of hot water. The
Rheem Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater
(Figure 3), for example, has an EF of
2.45, which means it
consumes one unit of
energy and produces
approximately two
and a half units of
energy worth of hot
water.
What does a hybrid
heat pump water
heater (HPWH)
mean?
A hybrid HPWH allows
the homeowner to
toggle the operation
of the heat pump to
draw more or less
heat out of the air.
For instance, if you’re
finding there is a lot
of solar gain (over-
heating in rooms
with big windows),
the unit can be used
in heat pump only
mode to draw some
of that free heat
into the water tank
(by circulating the
furnace fan). Similarly
in the summer, the
heat pump only mode
could provide a mea-
sure of air condition-
ing by removing heat
from the indoor air.
Will the location of the
As most units will be located in a
mechanical room or unoccupied
space, any minor temperature swing
in these spaces will generally not com-
promise whole home comfort. If the
temperature swing is unacceptable,
the heat pump mode can be toggled.
How does this technology comple-
ment net zero energy home design?
Net zero energy home designs will
require a renewable energy genera-
tion component like
solar photovoltaic
(PV) panels. Solar PVs
produce electricity
for the home and the
best way to optimize
on this renewable is to
use electric mechani-
cal equipment (for
space heating and
water heating). As
discussed, an HPWH is
almost twice as energy
efficient as a standard
electric resistance
water heater with
added cooling benefits
in the summer. It is
also important to note
that most net zero
energy home designs
also use an electric
air source heat pump
(ASHP) as the primary
space heating equip-
ment. When an ASHP
is coupled with an
HPWH, it fully opti-
mizes the energy effi-
ciency performance of
both pieces of equip-
ment, delivering very
significant benefits.
Case Study: ecoEII
OC Net Zero proj-
ect – HPWH partner:
Rheem
“Hybrid water heaters pair well
with heat pumps for space heat-
ing. Together they deliver enormous
energy savings,” reports Derek Hick-
son, manager of innovation at Minto
Developments Inc.
Reid’s Heritage Homes and Minto
are two of the selected builders
participating in the ecoEII OC Net
Zero project that will see at least 25
net zero houses built across Canada.
Reid’s and Minto are building at least
five net zero houses in the regions of
industrynews
By M ichael Lio
Figure 3: Rheem Professional
Prestige Series Hybrid Heat
Pump Water Heater.
SUPPLIEDIMAGE

17. 15WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
Guelph and Ottawa respectively.
Both builder design teams ana-
lyzed readily available technologies
and found the most affordable and
seamless integrated technology was
the HPWH.
In April 2013, Rheem debuted
an entirely redesigned hybrid water
heater with an EF of 2.45. “Rheem
launched America’s first hybrid elec-
tric heat pump water heater in 2009,
and now we’ve changed the face of
the hybrid market with our new Pres-
tige Series unit,” said Bryan Collar,
senior product manager at Rheem’s
Water Heating division. “This is one
of the most efficient water heaters
available today, and it’s something
that builders can leverage when try-
ing to educate homebuyers on the
energy savings that come with buy-
ing a new home.”
Rheem was selected as the exclu-
sive national partner for the HPWH
technology for the ecoEII OC Net
Zero project. All participating build-
ers, including Reid’s and Minto in
Ontario, Mattamy Homes in Calgary,
Construction Voyer in Quebec, and
Provident Developments in Halifax
will be providing the HPWH as a stan-
dard in their net zero homes.
“The Rheem Hybrid Heat Pump
Water Heater provides a great option
that adds to the overall efficiency of
the home. The combination of the
heat pump component in the heater
provides reduced energy consump-
tion, in turn reducing the solar
energy required to power the home,
making this a cost-efficient option
with longevity, comfort and peace of
mind to the buyers’ experience,” sug-
gests Jennifer Weatherston, director
of estimating & innovation at Reid’s
Heritage Homes.
The ecoEII OC Net Zero project is
in its last year and construction of
all five net zero communities will
be completed by March 2016. The
first grand opening was hosted by
Reid’s Heritage Homes in Guelph
this spring.
For more information about the
Rheem Professional Prestige Series
Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater, visit
www.rheem.com.
For more information about the
ecoEII OC Net Zero project, visit
www.zeroenergy.ca. BB
Michael Lio is president at buildABILITY
Corporation. michael@buildability.ca.
industrynews
By Michael Lio

18. 16 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
H
omebuilder Anthony Aebi, president of
Greenhill Contracting, didn’t even know he
was a contender for RESNET’s Cross-Border
Builder Challenge last fall.
But when energy modeller Pasquale
Strocchia, who rates the energy efficiency
of Aebi’s upstate New York homes, saw how
well they performed, he immediately put Aebi’s name for-
ward. It was a move that paid off when Aebi easily won the
prestigious challenge for his net zero energy homes.
The win is well deserved, Strocchia says, since Aebi
works very hard. But the main reasons he is such a leader
in energy efficiency is thanks to a scientific mind keen
on experimenting, and an obsessive drive to constantly
improve his energy rating. “Beating his past performance
is a bit of a game to him.”
Aebi isn’t an engineer, hasn’t studied sustainability at
the university level, and doesn’t consider himself an envi-
ronmentalist. But he’d built the first net zero home in the
American Northeast by 2007.
Before then, Aebi admits, he was building “typical crap
stick homes.” He changed his building methods after see-
ing a builder using insulated concrete forms (ICFs) and
thought it was so “neat,” he decided to try it out on his
own homes. Around the same time, he discovered solar
and decided to pair that with ICFs as an experiment, then
hired Strocchia to rate the home’s energy use.
Aebi was in for a big surprise – Strocchia’s energy mod-
elling revealed the house had a -1 rating – a net positive
home – meaning it produced more energy than it used.
After a little research, Aebi discovered that very few
homes were built like that. Once inspired, he began to put
all his energy into building, experimenting with several
different ICF brands before deciding on the best. He also
worked closely with his mason to find a more efficient
building process, which resulted in changing the roof-to-
wall connection for better performance and greater cost
effectiveness. That’s the home that ended up being rated
the first net zero home in the American Northeast.
Now with 22 homes under his belt – and eight more in
the works – Aebi has garnered much respect in the indus-
try. And that has trickled down to his trades. Strocchia
says Aebi’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC)
contractor called him for a retest on some ductwork. “We’d
told him the work was good and passed the test, but he
was after zero leakage. Pretty amazing to take that on with
no other provocation than to improve your performance.
But Anthony’s enthusiasm and striving is contagious.”
featurestory
By Al e x Ne w m a n
The Home
A "nonenvironmentalist" discovers
builders to do the same.

19. 17WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
Aebi and Strocchia both use HERS as a rating index –
they aim for ENERGY STAR, which in the States uses HERS
to rate efficiency. It’s become internationally recognized
as a rating system to compare the efficiency of an existing
home to one newly built to current code. The U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
LEED program, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) ENERGY STAR program all use HERS, which was cre-
ated in 2006 and devised from the former HERS scale.
Designed in the late 1980s by the mortgage industry,
the HERS scale gave banks a way to “quantify the value of
energy efficiency so they could refinance an existing home,
because of the money saved in the long run,” Strocchia says.
Strocchia has looked at Canada’s ENERGY STAR pro-
gram, and while he hasn’t examined it in depth, he says
it appears to be more “prescriptive” than the U.S. equiva-
lent. “The list seems large without the give and take of
HERS, which in my opinion allows a builder more flex-
of the Future Now PHOTO:GREENHILLCONTRACTING

20. 18 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
ibility to decide what to complete in
order to have the home hit the target
of reduced energy consumption.”
Ironically, only a few banks now
use the HERS index to help determine
mortgage eligibility. That annoys Aebi.
“When I went to renew my mortgage,
they looked at car payments, income,
assets, but no one asked how much I
spend on energy in a year.”
That’s short-sighted, Aebi says,
since a net zero energy home elimi-
nates the roughly $5000–$6000 you’d
expect to pay on utilities in a year,
money better spent on putting into the
home itself. According to Aebi, The
Sensible Accounting to Value Energy
Act (The SAVE Act) – which would
require banks to consider a home’s
energy use or efficiency in mortgage
calculations – has been languishing in
front of Congress for years.
Banks aside, the straight cash
talk resonates with potential buyers.
“Homeowners get the bottom line –
when they don’t have to pay $6000 a
year on energy bills, they can put that
money into a bigger, better home,” Aebi
says. At 3.5% interest, that translates
into $80,000 more on the mortgage,
something he posts on his website.
Creating net zero energy homes
takes a combination of superior build-
ing envelope – photovoltaic (PV) solar
panels, Icynene spray foam, triple
pane windows, and 2.5 in. Styrofoam
insulation inside and out – with a heat
recovery system for energy use that is
about one quarter what a normal new
house would use. Since solar panels
produce enough energy in summer to
offset any use in the winter, the grid
becomes the home’s battery – winding
forward and backward – and at the
end of the year, most homeowners
end up with a small return/refund.
The geothermal system Aebi uses
is really a ground source heat pump
that generates additional energy. Nor-
mally geothermal would be cost pro-
hibitive, but since the homes are so
well insulated and implement a heat
recovery system, the energy required
is so minimal, they can use smaller
equipment, Strocchia explains.
The only drawback to geothermal,
Strocchia adds, is the higher cost of a
ground source heat pump, which basi-
cally connects a plastic pump in the
ground and uses refrigeration technol-
ogy to harvest heat.
A cheaper alternative is an air
source heat pump. “The Japa-
nese have had some phenomenal
progress with this technology and
created units that can operate at
-15°F and provide about 75% of
their rated capacity,” Strocchia says.
Energy modeller Pasquale
Strocchia (R), who rates the
energy efficiency of Aebi’s
upstate New York homes, put
Aebi’s name forward and he
easily won the prestigious
challenge for his net zero
energy homes.
PHOTO:WENDYSHAMI
featurestory
By Alex Newman
Lifebreath MAX Residential HRVs:
Maximum efficiency
Maximum reliability
Maximum choice

21. 19WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
featurestory
By Alex Newman
Clockwise from top left: Builder Anthony Aebi explains high efficiency pressure-
balanced HRV to John Godden of Better Builder; attic detail – 2-lb. blown foam used
to encapsulate cavity for use for HVAC distribution; happy, satisfied homeowners,
happy award-winning builder.
PHOTOS:GREENHILLCONTRACTING
19WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015

22. 20 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
“It’s becoming an afford-
able option to get efficient
electric-based heating and
cooling. The disadvan-
tage is that the equipment
sits on the ground or is
attached to the house, so
the life expectancy of the
equipment is lower.”
That’s why Aebi, in look-
ing at long-term sustain-
ability of buildings, feels the
ground source heat pump
is the wisest choice – and
more effective.
But building better and
reducing energy use can’t
only be about the bottom
line or saving the environ-
ment. Another important
factor to consider is resil-
iency, especially in light
of climate change and the
recent very harsh winters.
During the winter of
2013/2014, Aebi had two
homes that were built,
but not yet sold. Stroc-
chia suggested he shut the
doors, turn off the heat and
then conduct temperature
monitoring to see exactly
how they performed. At the
outset, indoor temperatures
were 70°F, and outside it
was 5°F. Although the out-
side temperature fluctuated
between -8°F and +10°F, the
temperature inside levelled
off at 60°F. As Strocchia
sees it, the home became
not only net zero energy in
very cold weather, “but also
became a valuable resource
for that family, for extended
family, and even neighbours
who would have a safe place
to go if they lost power dur-
ing extreme cold.”
Being sustainable not
just for the planet, but for
people too is something that
resonates with Aebi. “He has
kids,” Strocchia says. “He
sees the volatility of energy
in terms of foreign policy,
plus the pollution and car-
bon emission factor, and is
dedicated to making energy
efficiency a priority because
he sees all the related ben-
efits. But mostly he has a
personal interest in making
a difference.” BB
Alex Newman is a writer,
editor and researcher at
www.alexnewmanwriter.com.
featurestory
By Alex Newman
PHOTO:GREENHILLCONTRACTING
Heart of the solar photovoltaic (PV) system – the inverter with main
electrical panel.

23. 21WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
Telephone 905-760-9894
Toll Free 1-800-465-5700
Fax 905-660-5967
Mike Martino
I am a “GOOD MAN”
MikeMartino
www.martinohvac.com
HVAC2014
We provide home comfort
solutions that exceed our
customers’ expectations
through professional design, installation, service
and use of environmentally friendly, energy efficient products.
CALL US FIRST!

24. 22 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015

25. 23WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
W
ith building codes mov-
ing toward greater energy
efficiency, environmental
protection and the prevention of
climate change, the call to adopt and
implement green building design and
construction best practices is growing
stronger throughout North America.
Not only is the call being heard,
it is being answered. Renewable and
responsible building techniques,
processes, and materials are gaining
momentum ahead of more stringent
code changes poised to take effect in
Canada in 2017. In fact, many are real-
izing that being on the leading edge of
the curve already offers some distinct
competitive advantages.
Manufacturers such as Milton, Ont.’s
ROXUL Inc. are a strong case in point.
Having introduced green building prod-
ucts to market decades before it was
trendy, its leadership understood that
best practices not only meant greater
progress, but also better business.
ROXUL’s environmentally-friendly
stone wool insulation has been proven
to increase efficiency and reduce
energy costs. While heating and cool-
ing make up two-thirds of a typical
home energy bill, the average home-
owner can cut that expense in half
– saving $750 per year – by insulating
properly. Reducing energy consump-
tion is only one way ROXUL is making
an impact. The company’s sustainabil-
ity vision extends beyond the perfor-
mance of its products to include every
facet of its operation.
While many companies still rely
exclusively on the use of oil, coal, and
natural gas to produce their products
and run their business, ROXUL Inc.
has instituted construction mandates,
manufacturing processes, and recy-
cling initiatives that serve to reduce
its environmental impact and lower
its own energy costs, as well as the
reliance on external resources.
Over the last six years, ROXUL has
invested over $170 million into its
manufacturing facilities to ensure envi-
ronmental systems meet and exceed
government standards. When you
buildernews
By RO XU L and
Be t t e r Bu i l de r S t a ff
Environmental Sustainability:
Good for the Planet.
Good for Business.
ROXUL’s production line – flawless operation around the clock.
PHOTO:ROXUL

26. 24 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
consider that every dollar spent
on green efficiency initiatives
generates between $4 and $8 in
gross domestic product (GDP)
(Source: Natural Resources
Canada), the phrase “green
initiative” certainly takes on another
meaning entirely, and the economic
impact is significant.
“Sustainability is a fundamental pil-
lar of our philosophy at ROXUL,” says
Trent Ogilvie, president of ROXUL Inc.
“We are committed to energy efficiency
and conservation being integral ele-
ments of everything we do.”
Environmental responsibility is
woven into the fabric of the organiza-
tion, almost literally. ROXUL’s stone
wool products are comprised of renew-
able, naturally abundant and recycled
materials. Its sound-absorbent, fire-
resistant and water-repellent insula-
tion is also chemically inert and free of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydro-
chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). ROXUL
products are also GREENGUARD certi-
fied, which means they meet the most
rigorous and comprehensive standards
for low emissions of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). What’s more,
ROXUL insulation maintains effec-
tive R-values and promotes healthier
indoor air quality, making it a long-
term, sustainable solution for building
construction, renovation or retrofit.
ROXUL’s production facilities in
Milton, Ont., Grand Forks, B.C. and
Marshall County, Mississippi use
advanced comprehensive environmen-
tal management systems to control
emissions. The filters themselves are
constructed of ROXUL’s own material
and recycled back into the production
process once they have served their
purpose, reducing both waste and
cost. Heat from the manufacturing
process is recovered and also used to
heat factories and warehouses.
“Our stone wool insulation is one of
the few building products to recover
the energy used in its manufacturing
process,” notes Ogilvie. “ROXUL insula-
tion can save more than 128 times
more primary energy than was used for
its production, transport and disposal.
The energy balance becomes positive
only five months after installation,” he
says. “Looking at the big picture, one
year’s production of stone wool insula-
tion will save more than 200 million
tons of CO2 emissions from buildings
and processes worldwide, over the
lifespan of the product. The impact is
incredible, and yet ROXUL continues to
explore further efficiencies.”
Water used in the production
of rigid and semirigid stone wool
insulation products like COMFORT-
BATT®, COMFORTBOARD ™ IS,
MONOBOARD®, TOPROCK® and SAFE
‘n’ SOUND® is collected and reused,
reducing total consumption by as
much as 50%. Stormwater is also col-
lected for use in this process, which
reduces costs, along with the demand
on the local municipal water systems.
More impressive is that ROXUL
production facilities send zero waste
to the landfill as a result of the pro-
duction process. ROXUL products
contain up to 40% recycled materials,
including slag – a byproduct of steel
production that would otherwise go to
landfill. Its manufacturing practices,
processes, and high recycled content
are a few of many contributing factors
to ROXUL insulation achieving valuable
Credit Certification points in several
categories of Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED).
Yet, it goes further still. The first
thing visitors to ROXUL’s North Ameri-
can corporate headquarters will notice
is priority parking spots for those with
plug-in electric vehicles. It has insti-
tuted a no idling policy at its office and
plants to limit harmful CO2 emissions.
The office building was understand-
ably constructed with a great deal of
attention to insulation best practices,
as it remains one of the easiest and
most cost-effective ways of conserving
energy. It also integrated glass walls
and skylights into the design to use
natural light rather than relying solely
on the high efficiency electric lighting.
The building’s LEED Gold certification
was important, given ROXUL’s com-
mitment and mandate toward environ-
mental leadership.
The introduction of Near Zero,
net zero and other energy efficiency
benchmarks – now being more widely
embraced – has given greater rel-
evancy to ROXUL’s environmental
stewardship. With builders striving
to differentiate themselves and sati-
ate consumer demand for greener
options, ROXUL has discovered that its
green policy has also been a wise busi-
ness decision. The reasons are clear
cut. Consider 40% of all energy con-
sumed is used in buildings and up to
30% of that total is wasted. Together,
Canada and the U.S. account for only
5.5% of the world’s population – but
produce 27% of the world’s green-
house gas emissions and use 50% of
the energy consumed by the world’s
richest nations. That’s staggering.
“Our sales teams globally have
made considerable strides, as build-
ers, designers, architects, and con-
sumers seek to spec products that are
more conscious of the world we live
in,” says Ogilvie. “Greener options and
initiatives are an investment in our
business and our future, but ulti-
mately, when we commit to renewable
energy and environmental sustainabil-
ity, everybody wins.” BB
buildernews
By ROXUL and
Better Builder Staff
PHOTO:ROXUL
ROXUL’s North Ameri-
can corporate head-
quarters incorporates
integrated glass
walls and skylights
into its design to use
natural light rather
than relying solely on
the high efficiency
electric lighting.

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29. 27WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
I
n my last article I talked about
net zero homes and are we ready.
While we still have a way to go
before this becomes a market real-
ity, it’s fair to say that many builders
are now building high performance
homes, such as the ENERGY STAR
program for new homes.
However, these high performance
homes are very different from homes
built even a few years ago. The chal-
lenge becomes managing customers’
expectations. If you sell your cus-
tomer a high performance home and
there are performance issues, wow,
do you have a problem!
With a tighter envelope and more
insulation, there becomes a greater
need to manage excess moisture and
heat gain. That’s right, heat gain.
Here’s the problem. We are now
building tighter and tighter homes
and our heating loads have fallen
dramatically. The new CSA F280
mechanical guidelines address this
with a comfort delivery system by
using much smaller furnaces that
better meet the needs of today’s high
performance homes.
But what do you do with solar
heat gain from that large patio door,
especially if it faces west? On a
sunny day it’s enough solar gain to
The Trouble With Windows –
Passive Solar Overheating
fromthegroundup
By Dou g Ta rry
Windows with high solar gain can cause overheating in the winter and especially during the summer.
IMAGE:SUSTAINABILITYWORKSHOP.AUTODESK.COM

30. 28 WWW.BETTERBUILDER.CA | ISSUE 14 | SUMMER 2015
overheat the room. I don’t think a
home counts as high performance if
you cook your customers!
So what are the options?
Blinds. Sure, but it’s an added cost
and can lead to the seals breaking
down if the window overheats.
Exterior films. There are aftermar-
ket products, but they typically
void the window warranty and no
sensible builder is going to take
responsibility for this product.
Awnings, overhangs and pergolas.
They can be a great add-on, but
there’s added cost. As a produc-
tion builder, how do you have that
conversation with your customer?
It goes something like this. “I know
I just sold you a high performance
home, but I’ve looked at your win-
dows and I really think you should
spend several thousand dollars
more so that your home doesn’t
overheat.” Good luck with that. I’ve
tried it and it is not pretty.
How about a bigger air conditioner
to deal with that excess load? It’s
called CSA F280 and it’s designed
to right-size your mechanicals. A
larger AC is going to lead to a cold,
clammy home and then you have a
whole new problem.
Or how about we look at the solar
heat gain coefficient (SHGC) for
the windows and patio doors pro-
vided by our window manufacturer,
and order one that is less than 0.3?
SHGC measures how much heat
from the sun is blocked. SHGC is
expressed as a number between 0
and 1. The lower the SHGC, the more
a product is blocking solar heat gain.
This is particularly important dur-
ing the summer cooling season in
hot southern climates (like Southern
Ontario).
Personally I’m a big fan of the
Cardinal LoE 366 offered by my
window supplier North Star. It does
an awesome job of reducing heat
gain, improving performance and
comfort, and it’s really affordable,
maybe $150 for the rear of a home.
And the best part? You don’t cook
your customers. My experience says
it is less costly to include them at
no charge than the cost of a perfor-
mance callback.
Sounds like a pretty good deal,
right? Not so fast. National Resources
Canada (NRCan) does
not like windows with
low SHGC. So what is the
issue? When you look at
using a low solar glass
coating, the energy rating
(ER) for the window is
reduced. NRCan overem-
phasizes ER as a perfor-
mance measurement for
the windows because they
favour solar heat gain for homes as
a method for heating the home. In
programs such as ENERGY STAR,
builders wanting to use low solar
gain windows and patio doors may
have to use the performance method
to do so.
A really simple solution would be
the permitted use of low solar gain
windows and patio doors for high
performance homes such as in the
ENERGY STAR program. Now simple
is not the same as easy, because I
have been asking the folks at NRCan
for this very concept for years. Unfor-
tunately, they are not listening. I am
concerned this will cause us to build
a generation of high performance
homes with performance issues.
Let’s be realistic about energy for
once. Natural gas is cheap and
heating high performance homes is
pretty affordable. On the other hand,
electricity rates are rising and will
continue to rise significantly over
the next decade. The Ontario govern-
ment has a mandate to reduce peak
electricity loads for the province and
this will be reflected by even higher
rates during peak summer hours.
That happens to be the same time
when low solar gain windows provide
the greatest benefit. NRCan’s position
on the use of low solar glass windows
goes directly against the Ontario gov-
ernment’s climate initiative.
Now the game is about to change
significantly with the rollout of the
new HOT2000 modelling program.
This is the ideal time to update the
window tables so the
use of low solar glass is
permissible with specific
orientations in high per-
formance homes. However,
this does not appear to be
the case.
Ironically, NRCan’s own
literature contemplates the
need for low solar glass.
Here’s an excerpt from the
NRCan Consumer’s Guide to Buying
Energy-Efficient Windows and Doors.
“Studies have shown that, for most
of Canada, it is still appropriate to
choose your windows on the basis
of the ER number. Exceptions to this
rule are those few locations where air
conditioning costs are high relative to
the amount spent on space heating.
In these few cases, consider west-fac-
ing windows with a lower solar heat
gain potential.”
And on the NRCan website, their
own test results show that the use
of low SHGC can save customers as
much as $200 annually, and that was
not new data, so the number will
ultimately end up being much higher
as Ontario’s electricity rates con-
tinue to rise.
So, a window that provides greater
comfort, reduces fabric fading and
bleaching of hardwood floors, and
saves the customer money every year!
Using windows with a low solar gain
when it’s needed sounds like a pretty
clear vision to me. BB
Doug Tarry Jr. is director of marketing at
Doug Tarry Homes in St. Thomas, Ont.
fromthegroundup
By Doug Tarry
I don’t think
a home
counts
as high
performance
if you
cook your
customers!

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