This document discusses social housing needs in Nunavut, Canada. It notes that Nunavut has over 30,000 people spread across 26 remote communities with no road connections and housing is a major challenge. Nearly half of the approximately 8,500 dwellings do not meet Canadian standards and there is currently a shortage of 3,000 units. A structural insulated panel system was proposed that provides high insulation values of R-40 walls and R-50 floors and roofs, while allowing for extremely tight construction with negligible air leakage. Modeling showed this solution could reduce annual heating costs by over 40% compared to the existing construction method.

1. Cold Climate Social Housing
- a case study
Jeff Armstrong - DAC International Division
Kott Group

2. • 2 million km2
• 26 communities
• 30,000 people
• Iqaluit - pop: 7,000
• No roads

3. • 2 million km2
The scale of the housing problem...• 26 communities
• 30,000 people
• Iqaluit - pop: 7,000
• No roads
Approximately 8,500 dwellings
80% are public, gov’t staff or rent subsidized housing
Nearly half of all houses are below Canadian housing
standards
Current shortfall of 3,000 units
Average annual new-build - 200 units
Funding committed for 2012 - 2013 - $0.00

4. Health and social impacts...
Average house size - 93 sq. m.
Median number of people in a home is 6
Half of Nunavut’s homes are overcrowded or need serious
repair.
4% of the population does not have a permanent home and
bounce between homes often sleeping in shifts on couches, in
kitchens, dining rooms or hallways
Tuberculosis rate 62 times the Canadian average
Highest birth rate & lowest life expectancy in Canada

5. The bottom line...
“There is a strong correlation between the state of housing in Nunavut and
domestic violence, mental health problems, substance abuse, poor
academic performance, respiratory ailments and the spread of infectious
diseases”
Nunavut 10 year Inuit Housing Action Plan
".…the conditions in far too many Aboriginal communities can only be
described as shameful. This offends our values. It is in our collective interest
to turn the corner. And we must start now."
The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson - Speech from the Throne, February 2, 2004

6. The Challenge
To provide a high performance building enclosure
system that is easy to put up quickly in Northern
conditions at a reasonable cost.

7. Nunavut Housing Corporation
RFP - June 2009

8. Nunavut Housing Corporation
RFP - June 2009
Structure
Thermal Control
Vapour Control
Air Leakage Control

9. Nunavut Housing Corporation
RFP - June 2009
Structure
Thermal Control
Vapour Control
Air Leakage Control

10. Nunavut Housing Corporation
RFP - June 2009
Structural insulated panels
Plywood skins
R - 50 Floor, R - 40 Walls, R - 50 Roof
Air leakage control without caulking or spray foam - 0.5 AC/h
@ 50 Pa

11. Blower Door Testing
R-2000 - 1.5 ac/h@ 50 Pa
PassivHaus - 0.6
Nunavut Housing - 0.5

12. Nunavut Housing Corporation
RFP - June 2009
Structural insulated panels
Plywood skins
R-50 Floor, R-40 Walls, R-50 Roof
Air leakage control without caulking or spray foam - 0.5 AC/h
@ 50 Pa
Capable of being handled by hand or machine
Designed to meet highest wind and snow loads in Nunavut
“Closed Cell” foam (vapour control)
Thick enough to incorporate structural elements

13. Project Timeline
Received RFP - June 26 / 09
Tender closed in Iqaluit - July 17
Tender Award - August 6
D1 erected at Kott Yard - September 14 - 18
D1 erected in Morrisburg - September 21 - 26
Authorization to Proceed - October 30
D2 erected at Kott Yard - December 9 - January 10
Production Starts - January 4
Crates to Port - April 3 - July 15
Total Production: 15,336 panels; 1,420 crates

15. C B A
Grade Crawlspace Insulated floor
1 BUILDING SECTION

16. C B A
Grade Crawlspace Insulated floor
1 BUILDING SECTION

17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 1
CONSTRUCTION
NORTH
A 1
A
B
C

18. Solution
R-40 Walls (12”)
R-50 Floor (14-5/8”)
R-50 Roof (14-5/8”)

19. Critical month ACH (Natural)
Gross Air and Vent. Energy (Mil.BTU) 44.5 4.43 0.50
32.1
Vent. Elec.month ACH (Total) (Mil.BTU)
Critical Load: Heating Hrs 0.486
0.0 0.2561.1
Vent. Elec. Load: Non Htg Hrs (Mil.BTU) 0.0 0.0
Solution
Net Air and Vent. Energy (Mil.BTU)
H2K Modeling - Bruce Gough, Energy Building Group
44.3 16.3
ANNUAL FUEL CONSUMPTION SUMMARY
Hot 2000 Version 10.31 C:DOCUME~1ADMINI~1... 29/10/2009 - 4:46:57 PM Hot 2000 Version 10.31 C:DOCUME~1ADMINI~1... 29/10/2009 - 4:46:57 PM
Oil (Imp. Gal) 810.6 387.5
Electricity (Mil. Btu) Critical month ACH (Natural) 8767.4 4.43 9092.5
0.50
ANNUAL SPACE HEATING SUMMARY
HOUSE DATA HOT2000 Critical month ACH (Total) 0.486 0.256
COMPARISON REPORT Natural Resources CANADA
39523 22648
Version 10.31
Design Heat Loss (Watts) Nunavut-MNECCH Nunavut-SIP
ANNUAL FUEL CONSUMPTION SUMMARY
129.5 63.3
Oil (Imp. Gal) 810.6 387.5
Gross Space Heat Loss (Mil.BTU) Electricity (Mil. Btu) 8767.4 9092.5
MNEC
AIR LEAKAGE AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS
Sensible Occupancy COSTS (Dollars)
ESTIMATED FUEL Heat Gain (Mil. Btu/day)
House Volume (ft3)
Envelope Surface Area (ft2)
15931.0
3949.9
15931.0
3949.9
2.40 2.40
ESTIMATED FUEL COSTS (Dollars)
27.0 24.8
Natural Infiltration Rate (ACH) 0.285 0.032
Oil
Usable Internal Gains (Mil.BTU)
Equivalent Leakage Area (in2) 115.7 13.1
Oil
Electricity
1614.4 1614.4
909.5
834.3
834.3
941.2
Central Ventilation Supply Rate (ACH) 0.040 0.270
Electricity
Usable Internal Gains Fraction (%)
Central Ventilation Exhaust Rate (ACH)
Other Supply Rate (ACH)
0.040
0.000
0.270
0.000
Total
20.9
909.5
ANNUAL SPACE HEATING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
2523.9
39.1
941.2
1775.4
Other Exhaust Rate (ACH) 0.000 0.000 Space Heating Load (Mil.BTU) 93.8 34.1
Usable Solar Gains (Mil.BTU)
Seasonal HRV Efficiency (%) 59.0 57.7 Furnace Input (Mil.BTU) 8.7 111.0 4.4
40.7
Total
Gross Air and Vent. Energy (Mil.BTU) 44.5 32.1 Pilot Light (Mil.BTU)
2523.9 0.0
1775.4
0.0
Usable Solar Gains Fraction (%)
Vent. Elec. Load: Heating Hrs (Mil.BTU)
Vent. Elec. Load: Non Htg Hrs (Mil.BTU)
0.0
0.0
1.1
0.0
Indoor Fans (Mil.BTU)
Heat Pump Input (Mil.BTU) 6.7 0.0
0.0 7.0
0.0
0.0
ANNUAL SPACE HEATING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
Net Air and Vent. Energy (Mil.BTU) 44.3 16.3 Total Input (Mil.BTU) 111.0 40.7
Vent. Electrical Contribution (Mil.BTU) System COP
44.3 9.8 7.5
16.3
Space Heating Load (Mil.BTU) 93.8 34.1
Auxiliary Energy Required (Mil.BTU)
ANNUAL SPACE HEATING SUMMARY
93.8 34.1
Furnace Input (Mil.BTU)
Design Heat Loss (Watts)
Gross Space Heat Loss (Mil.BTU)
39523
129.5
22648
63.3
111.0 40.7
SPACE + DHW ENERGY (Mil.BTU)
Sensible Occupancy Heat Gain (Mil. Btu/day) 2.40 2.40 134.6 65.5
Pilot Light (Mil.BTU)
Usable Internal Gains (Mil.BTU) 27.0 24.8 0.0 0.0
R-2000 SPACE + DHW TARGET (Mil.BTU)
Usable Internal Gains Fraction (%) 20.9
8.7
39.1
4.4 110.2 110.2
Indoor Fans (Mil.BTU)
Usable Solar Gains (Mil.BTU)
Usable Solar Gains Fraction (%) 6.7 7.0 0.0 0.0
Vent. Electrical Contribution (Mil.BTU) 44.3 16.3
Heat Pump Input (Mil.BTU)
Auxiliary Energy Required (Mil.BTU)
SPACE + DHW ENERGY (Mil.BTU)
93.8
134.6
34.1
65.5
0.0 0.0
R-2000 SPACE + DHW TARGET (Mil.BTU) 110.2 110.2
Total Input (Mil.BTU) 111.0 40.7
System COP
ENERGUIDE RATING (0 to 100)
ENERGUIDE RATING (0 to 100) 76.2 86.1 9.876.2 7.5
86.1
Air Change Rate at 50 Pa. 76.2 86.1
Air Change Rate at 50 Pa. 76.2 86.1
Page 1 of 2 Page 2 of 2

20. Solution
Expanded Polystyrene core with plywood skins
Skins glued to core with urethane to provide
vapour control
Peel & stick on panel joints for air leakage
control
Nascor i-joist splines
All panels thermally broken

21. Solution
Expanded Polystyrene core with plywood skins
Skins glued to core with urethane to provide
vapour control
Peel & stick on panel joints for air leakage
control
Nascor i-joist splines
All panels thermally broken
Soft foam gaskets at panel joints

22. Solution
Expanded Polystyrene core with plywood skins
Skins glued to core with urethane to provide
vapour control
Peel & stick on panel joints for air leakage
control
Nascor i-joist splines
All panels thermally broken
Soft foam gaskets at panel joints
Construction Guide & Training DVD - with
Inuktitut Translation

23. D1 Morrisburg

24. D1 Morrisburg

25. D1 Morrisburg

26. D1 Results
Floor complete in 3.5 hrs. - 5 man crew
Complete shell of house erected and tested for air
leakage in 4.5 days

27. D2 Kott Yard

28. D2 Blower Door Results
R-2000 - 1.5 AC/h @ 50 Pa
Client Spec - 0.5
D1 - 0.67
D2 - #1 - 0.21
D2 - #2 - 0.19

29. Training Team

30. 113 units
29 units

34. On-site construction started August 15 - 2010
115 house shells erected by December 20 - 2010

35. Pangnirtung - Nov. 27, 2010

38. Loading...
December 14 & 15
2010
Igloolik
Baffin
Island
Repulse
Bay
Coral
Rankin Harbor Iqaluit
Inlet
Arviat
Hudson
Bay
©2011 Google - Map data ©2011 Europa Technologies, Google -

39. December 14 & 15
2010

40. Field Notes:
21 houses inspected
Working Conditions - minus 40 deg. C / dark
Some foundations off level
Some walls installed off plumb
Some panels not pulled completely together

42. Field Notes:
21 houses inspected
Working Conditions - minus 40 deg. C / dark
Some foundations off level
Some walls installed off plumb
Some panels not pulled completely together
Thermal imaging indicates open joints still
perform well
Air leakage control much better than required

43. What about costs?
Slightly more than stick-built
Unfamiliarity with SIPs = higher labour pricing
Underutilized local labour
Buildings will be monitored to confirm heating
cost savings
Turnkey = lower price
System refinements & manufacturing
efficiencies = lower price

44. Multi-unit Arctic SIP houses

45. Questions?
jeff@dac.ca