INNOVATION November-December 2016

THE BENEFITS

energy-consumption data, and applied “what if ” scenarios to the model to examine the benefits and costs of six energy-efficiency measures. These measures aligned with the planned building renewals (i.e., cladding and window replacement) to maximise cost-efficiency and went beyond common industry practices for existing building enclosure upgrades. They also allowed for future renewals for HVAC systems. Opting to implement a select group of the proposed measures, the owners chose to implement upgrades specific to the building enclosure: • Adding wall insulation and low-conductivity cladding attachments outside the concrete walls. • Replacing aluminium-framed windows with triple- glazed fibreglass-framed windows. • Improving whole-building airtightness with new windows and a liquid-applied air barrier system.

These building enclosure upgrades targeted an overall 20 percent energy-efficiency improvement, a 32 percent reduction in electricity use, and a 65 percent reduction in perimeter (electric baseboard) space heating. Results of the Retrofit Following the building enclosure upgrades, detailed measurement and verification research was conducted, including sub-metering of many energy and ventilation systems, energy bill tracking, benchmarking, and further calibration of the simulation models. Before the retrofit, The Belmont’s energy consumption was five percent above the median energy use intensity (EUI) compared to a sample of 39 similar multi-unit residential buildings. Post-retrofit, The Belmont’s EUI falls 17 percent below the median. The largest energy savings came from a 62 percent reduction in suite electric space

35

N OV E M B E R /D E C E M B E R 2 016

i n n o v a t i o n