CRU

Thirty years of innovation in Canadian housing technology has made today's new homes 66%

more energy e�cient than those built in the 1970s. This progress was made possible by govern-

ment researchers, manufacturers and home builders partnering to provide Canadians with

more e�cient, durable, and comfortable homes. Today, Canada is reinvesting in success to

bring Net-Zero Energy Homes - which produce produce as much energy as they use each year -

into reality. But many challenges remain before the Net-Zero promise can be realized. These

homes can be complicated to operate, unreliable and expensive, often relying on advanced

technologies designed in by innovative home-builders but which challenge the operating capa-

bilities of home-owners .

This lecture will discuss lessons learned from recent Net-Zero �eld trials and demonstration

projects. It will examine how Net-Zero design concepts, technologies and rating procedures are

evolving to meet exacting speci�cations and expectations. The presentation will explore signi�-

cance of Net-Zero homes for the Canadian housing stock - for both the �ve-million homes we

will build in the next forty years, and the 12 million homes we already live in today.

Alex Ferguson is a research o�cer in the Housing R&D team with the CanmetENERGY laborato-

ries at Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa. Alex joined the Building Simulation R&D team in

2003; his current research combines computer optimization methods with industry consultation and engagement to adapt

new technologies and design approaches to industry needs. Alex studied Mechanical Engineering at Dalhousie University

earning his Bachelor's degree in 2000 and his Master's degree in 2003.

November 26, 20135:45 - 6:00 pm ・ Meet the Speaker6:00 - 6:30 pm ・ Presentation6:30 - 7:30 pm ・ Q & A and Discussion

2017 Dunton Tower

Carleton University

Alex FergusonResearch O�cer

Housing, Buildings, and

Communities

Natural Resources Canada

GETTING TO ZERO:Progress Towards Low-Energy

Housing in Canada