Assessing Homes for Deep Energy Retrofits

This training provides an in-depth exploration of topics such as building science, the impact of climate change on homes, evaluating existing buildings, and planning and executing a deep energy retrofit. Participants will learn best practices for retrofitting, avoid common pitfalls, and analyze real-world case studies of successful projects. There is no pre-requisite for the first course.

Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program.

By the end of this training, learners will be able to:

• Define deep energy retrofit, the purpose, and the benefits associated with them.
• Relate key aspects and benefits of deep energy retrofits to homeowner priorities and renovation objectives.
• Analyze building science principles involved with deep energy retrofits, and problems that can arise when retrofits are done incorrectly.
• Conduct an initial assessment of an existing home and utilize information gathered from an energy audit to determine the ideal path to net zero levels of performance through a deep energy retrofit.
• Implement standard construction management procedures to effectively oversee the execution of a deep energy retrofit.
• Apply building science principles to the execution and detailing of a deep energy retrofit.
• Utilize key commissioning methods to verify the proper performance of a completed deep energy retrofit.

SAIT Deep Energy Retrofit courses support Alberta’s and Canada’s climate goals by preparing professionals to deliver deep energy retrofits that lead to major reductions in home energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Alberta needs to retrofit about 63,500 homes per year to stay on track for net-zero, so it’s critical to have enough skilled people who can do this work (Pembina Institute, 2023). Professionals who complete this type of training will be able to deliver retrofits that typically cut energy use by at least 50% and can reduce emissions by up to 100%, which is much greater than what standard renovations achieve according to the Natural Resources Canada data (2023)

• Residential Building Science Fundamentals
• Residential Deep Energy Retrofit Fundamentals