This monthly e-publication provides you with updates on the efforts of the CHBA Net Zero Housing Council (NZC) including announcements of opportunities to get engaged, and information on related events, webinars, and news. We invite CHBA members to submit content for upcoming issues by emailing us.
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In this issue:
- NZC meeting registration now open!
- Hail and basement flooding resilience surveys
- Blog Post: Do Net Zero Homes save you money?
- Upcoming Net Zero Training (Check out the rebates!)
- CSA F280 Whole-house Design Heat Loss and Gain Calculations: Understanding and implementing efficient design principles
- 2025 Residential Energy Efficiency, Resiliency and Sustainability Forum
- Integrated Design Process Facilitation Training
- EnerQUALITY announces new CEO
- Circular Construction Accelerator
- Net Zero Solutions Video Library
- Demonstrate your Leadership: 3 Seats on the Council Still Available!
- News from the Net
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NZC Meeting registration now open!
CHBA's Home Building Week in Canada (association committee/council meetings + national conference) brings together leaders in the residential construction industry across Canada. Connect with others across the country and learn what our Association is working on during five days of informative business sessions and social events. This year’s event will be held in fabulous Victoria, BC from May 11-15, 2025, with the Net Zero Council meeting on Sunday, May 11. Find out who wins the coveted Net Zero Home Awards on Thursday, May 15! Find more information (such as the full schedule ad hotel information) and register here. Also, note that the Fall meetings in Ottawa have changed back to October 20-24 – mark your calendars!
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Hail and basement flooding resilience surveys
MAR 17 @ 5ET DEADLINE
Last year CHBA partnered with the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) to strike the joint Resilient Homes Task Force (RHTF) which focuses on developing practical, evidence-based solutions to make homes more resilient to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, and is aiming to create cost-effective solutions, which CHBA and ICLR will use to train builders, create demand from homeowners, and inform incentives from insurers for resilience upgrades. As part of this effort, the RHTF is conducting builder/renovator surveys to identify barriers and the most effective solutions for protecting homes from high wind, hail, basement flooding, and wildfire. Interested builders and renovators who wish to integrate hail and basement flooding resilience into their next project(s) are being invited to complete the current surveys below. (The high wind survey was conducted in October and the wildfire survey will be conducted shortly.) The purpose of the surveys is to understand which resilience measures may be the most effective, whether builders already routinely apply any resilience measures and if there are alternative measures that are also effective. Please click on the links below to help CHBA and ICLR evaluate these measures (each evaluated with the exact same set of questions about common barriers to implementation such as cost or market availability). For more information, please contact Frank Lohmann.
- Those who build/renovate homes in regions prone to experiencing HAIL, click here.
- Those who build/renovate homes in regions prone to experiencing BASEMENT FLOODING, click here.
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Blog Post: Do Net Zero Homes save you money?
This month we shared a blog post that addresses a major question asked by customers: Can a Net Zero Home really be cost-effective for the average buyer? We asked two builders who prioritize affordability to share with us how builders and homeowners can optimize the financial cost of a Net Zero Home.
Visit our website here to read more of our Net Zero blog posts. You can also find and share all our Net Zero blog posts (geared towards consumers) via our four social media accounts; Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, & Instagram. Be sure to share them using @CHBANetZero and #CHBANetZero to get more exposure! Did you know, the more these blog posts are shared, the more potential homeowners and homebuyers will learn about Net Zero Homes and what our industry is doing to tackle climate change?
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Upcoming Net Zero Training
If you are unable to attend any of the upcoming training sessions or the session is full, please contact one of our Qualified Net Zero Service Organizations and request to be added to their wait list. Click here for all upcoming Net Zero training locations and registration links.
REBATE PROGRAM: To help prepare the industry for future building codes, CHBA has launched a 3-year NRCan funded project called Enabling Tiered Codes – Implementation and Market Preparedness. To support the project objective of building industry competency, CHBA is offering rebates for select Net Zero Training Courses during this project – where indicated below. Rebates are only available to CHBA members who pass the exam.
Offered by Homesol Building Solutions Inc.
Net Zero Renovator Training | Online | Mar 6 & 7 | 12:00 to 4:00 ET
Offered by Green Canada Home Advisors
Advanced Building Science | Online | Mar 11 & 12 | 12:30 to 4:30 ET | Eligible for $330 rebate
Net Zero Builder Training | Online | Mar 19 & 20 | 12:30 to 4:30 ET | Eligible for $330 rebate
Offered by CHBA - British Columbia:
Net Zero Builder Training | Online | May 27 & 29 | 10 to 1 PT
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CSA F280 Whole-house Design Heat Loss and Gain Calculations: Understanding and implementing efficient design principles
MAR 11 | 10:30 TO 5:00 ET | VIRTUAL
Registered EAs delivering the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) will gain the ability to perform precise whole-house heat loss and gain calculations in the retrofit market. Using verified software, EAs can size heating and cooling equipment based primarily on data collected during home energy evaluations, with minimal additional F280-compliant information as needed. Upon completing this course, EAs can offer this service to homeowners and contractors, providing essential calculations that HVAC professionals can use to size heat pumps accurately. Learn more and register here.
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2025 Residential Energy Efficiency, Resiliency and Sustainability Forum
MAR 18-19 | FREDERICTON, NB | REGISTER BY MAR 10
RES CON (Residential Construction Forum) 2025 is the Annual Conference and Builders’ Forum of the CHBA New Brunswick. This year will feature renowned presenters who are experts in their field, covering topics vital to understanding the building science behind residential Net Zero and high-performance construction, and will focus on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Learn more and register here.
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Integrated Design Process Facilitation Training
APR 1-3 | 10:30 TO 4:30 ET | VIRTUAL
The Integrated Design Process (IDP) is a highly collaborative approach to achieving sustainable (low energy, low carbon) practices and outcomes for both new construction and existing homes. It ensures delivery of affordable, durable, healthy homes for Canadians. CACEA is offering an interactive training program designed to provide comprehensive information about the IDP. The program places a strong emphasis on facilitation skills, equipping participants with the tools and techniques needed to lead and effectively guide this crucial process. Learn more and register here.
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EnerQUALITY announces new CEO
On February 24, EnerQUALITY, a CHBA Qualified Net Zero Service Organization who has labelled 82% of the homes in the CHBA Net Zero Home Labelling Program, announced the appointment of Joe Vaccaro as Chief Executive Officer. Joe previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), representing over 4,000 member companies across 29 local home builders’ associations. During his tenure, Joe was instrumental in initiatives aimed at increasing housing supply and affordability in the province. Join us in welcoming Joe back to the CHBA family as he takes the helm at EnerQUALITY at a time when the need for affordable Net Zero Homes is at its greatest. Read more here.
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Circular Construction Accelerator
The Circular Construction Accelerator (CCA) supports businesses in the construction sector to innovate, develop and scale materials, technologies, and practices in the construction sector that follow circular economy principles. The program aims to support participating businesses by enhancing competitiveness, fostering export opportunities and partnership, and driving job creation and revenue growth. The program is open to businesses supporting the built environment in British Columbia that are wanting to integrate circular principles into their products or operations. Learn more here.
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Net Zero Solutions Video Library
CHBA's new Net Zero Solutions video library offers solution providers with exposure to builders and renovators looking for Net Zero Solutions for their projects. By consolidating essential information and best practices, and offering valuable insight, this new webpage empowers our members to showcase their mechanical, envelope, energy, or other innovations. If you would like the opportunity to add your company’s video, please visit our website to learn more
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Demonstrate your Leadership: 3 Seats Still Available!
Join the Net Zero Council and be part of the leadership group working together to accelerate the voluntary adoption of Net Zero Homes in Canada. Currently there are 2 Bronze Sponsor and 1 Academia Members seats still available. Visit chba.ca/nzc to learn about the benefits of Membership and Sponsorship and review the Terms of Reference before submitting an application form to sonja.winkelmann@chba.ca.
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- Net-zero homes are touted as a solution for climate change, but they remain out of reach for most. Housing is an important part of how to address climate change. As Canada pushes to make net-zero homes more affordable, each step forward strengthens communities, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps homeowners save money.
- These Homes Withstood the LA Fires. Architects Explain Why. In Pacific Palisades and Malibu, some houses with fire-resistant designs remained standing amid neighborhoods of destruction.
- California considers letting victims of natural disasters sue oil companies for damages. Oil and gas companies would be liable for damages caused by climate change related disasters in California under legislation introduced by two Democratic lawmakers.
- Scientists sound alarm after collecting unprecedented data from world's oceans: 'The broken records ... have become a broken record'. Water vapor is also a powerful greenhouse gas, and increased heating leads to drying and risk of drought and wildfire. But it also fuels storms of all sorts and leads to risk of flooding. That includes hurricanes and typhoons.
- How U.S. tariffs will have ripple effects on Canada’s solar industry—Is this the beginning of a crisis? As trade tensions escalate, new U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports threaten to disrupt the solar energy market, raising costs, complicating supply chains, and forcing businesses to rethink their strategies in an already competitive industry.
- Alberta coal fiasco unearths billionaire power grab. Alberta’s government recently announced new regulations for renewable energy development. They include restrictions against wind or solar projects in areas with “pristine viewscapes” and farmland that needs protecting. According to the Globe and Mail, that’s reduced investment in new projects — in a province with abundant solar and wind capability and a once-booming industry.
- Building Choices: It’s Time to Require Energy and Carbon Performance Disclosure. This article focuses on Canada’s commercial and institutional buildings, though the principles also apply to the country’s 16 million residential dwellings.
- Why We Need to Reuse Construction Materials. Much is lost when homes are demolished in the name of speed. With careful disassembly, high-quality materials could be used to make something new.
- Mitsubishi and Panasonic recycling precious metals from appliances. Mitsubishi Materials and Panasonic have established a product-material-product loop to recycle copper, gold and silver from discarded home appliances. Their loop to date has reused 8,300 tons of copper, 1.1 tons of gold, and 33 tons of silver.
- ‘It’s Like a Secret’: Why Do the Leguminati Want to Change the Way We Eat? Food production is a big cause of climate breakdown, amounting to about a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Three-fifths of those emissions come from meat production, leading many to argue for a shift towards a plant-based diet.
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The Canadian Home Builders' Association
141 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 500
Ottawa, ON K1P 5J3
communications@chba.ca
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