During the 2020 winter I had the privilege of working with the residential energy assessment team in Whitehorse, Yukon. The city of Whitehorse adopted aggressive energy efficiency standards for newly constructed homes in recent years. For example, the city requires a minimum of R28 insulation in the walls, R60 insulation in the ceiling and 1.5 air changes per hour in a 50 Pascal depressurization test. For comparison, the standard pink insulation that fits in a 2×6 wall has an R-value 19 ft2-hr-oF/btu, and many homes have four or more air changes per hour in a depressurization test. In addition to the municipality’s energy efficiency standards, the territory offers up to $10,000 rebates for new homes and retrofit projects that go beyond the standard. The territory and city are all but guaranteeing that they will have one of the most efficient building stocks in the region.
The city and territory rely on certified energy assessors to determine which homes satisfy the building codes and qualify for rebates. In order to contribute to the effort, I completed Natural Resources Canada’s Foundation Level and Home Energy Assessment exams. I then completed 10 energy assessments in a variety of homes throughout Whitehorse with mentorship from local energy leader Craig Olsen. The energy assessments include a blower door test, measurement of all exterior walls and windows, documentation of all heat sources, modeling of the house using Hot2000, and distribution of a final report summarizing the energy rating for the house. Inspection forms were also completed and returned to the city as needed.