This monthly e-publication provides you with updates on the efforts of the CHBA Net Zero Council (NZC) including announcements of opportunities to get engaged, and information on related events and news. Back issues are posted here. We invite CHBA members to submit content for upcoming issues by emailing us.
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In this issue:
- Congratulations 2026 Net Zero Home Award Winners!
- Chasing Net Zero series releases first builder story
- Renovators: Apply by May 29! Opportunity for Project Support and Funding for Renovations Involving Resilience
- Training Rebates: $400 per course!
- Upcoming Net Zero Training
- Real-World Building Science. No fluff. (June 9 in Concord, ON)
- Sharable Blog Post: A Closer Look at Hasler Homes’ Nationally Recognized Net Zero Home
- Canada’s long-awaited new electricity strategy
- Open 24/7: Promote Your Net Zero Solutions in our Virtual Expo Hall!
- News from the Net
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Congratulations 2026 Net Zero Home Award Winners!
Winners for the 2026 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence were announced on May 8 at the Glitter & Groove Awards Gala, the grand finale of CHBA's Home Building Week in Canada, which took place May 4-8 in Quebec City, QC. The award program is highly competitive and draws the top projects from small and large companies from across Canada. This year, 900 entries were submitted into 49 categories that capture the full breadth of market-rate homes for ownership and rental. Entries were judged by nearly 300 industry professionals. You can find all the award winners and finalists along with the image gallery and press releases here. Please join us in congratulating this year's Net Zero Home Award winners!
BEST CUSTOM OR RENOVATED NET ZERO HOME
Hasler Homes Ltd., North Vancouver, BC “Net Zero Lifestyle”
See the award highlight video here and the blog post here
BEST PRODUCTION NET ZERO HOME
Land Ark Construction Ltd., Stittsville, ON “Watercolour Westport”
See the award highlight video here (the blog post is coming next month!)
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Chasing Net Zero series releases first builder story
CHBA’s Chasing Net Zero series, a collaboration with Green Energy Futures, released the first builder story, which is about Watercolour Westport by Land Ark Homes – this years winner of our “Best Production Net Zero Home” award, sponsored by Panasonic! The first video describes how Land Ark Homes navigated a Net Zero/Net Zero Ready walkable community build where no natural gas could be available, and their second video describes some of the “secret sauce” on how they made it happen. New stories in the series will launch every two weeks, so be sure to check our website often to see the videos, and the Green Energy Futures website for the blog posts.
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Renovators: Opportunity for Project Support and Funding for Renovations Involving Resilience
APPLY BY MAY 29!
CHBA and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) are seeking renovators to participate in a Resilient Home Renovation Field Trial focused on reducing risks from high wind, urban flooding, wildfire, and hail. Selected projects will receive expert support including an Integrated Design Process (up to $12,000) plus funding toward resilience upgrades (up to $20,000). Learn more here and by joining the upcoming information session to get clarity on eligibility, timelines, and expectations. Ready to apply? Submit the completed renovator application and homeowner interest forms via email to Brendon Fraser by May 29, 2026. Final projects will be selected by June 12, 2026.
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Training Rebates: $400 per course!
Great news: Training rebates/discounts to help prepare the industry for future building codes are continuing to be offered in 2026! Instructor-led courses are delivered by CHBA Qualified Net Zero Service Organizations and new e-learning options are available 24/7/365 through CHBA. Funding provided by NRCan through CHBA’s Enabling Tiered Codes – Implementation and Market Preparedness project. Learn more and register here.
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Upcoming Net Zero Training
For current information on all Net Zero training courses, course syllabi, rebates, events calendar, and to register for the courses below, visit our website here.
NET ZERO MARKET ADVANTAGE - $400 discount
CHBA self-paced e-learning 24/7/365
ADVANCED BUILDING SCIENCE - Eligible for $400 rebate
CHBA self-paced e-learning 24/7/365
NET ZERO BUILDER - Members eligible for $400 rebate
CHBA self-paced e-learning 24/7/365
CHBA BC: Online June 9 & 11
ENERQUALITY: Guelph, ON June 11
NET ZERO FOR BUILDING OFFICIALS - $400 discount
CHBA self-paced e-learning 24/7/365
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Real-World Building Science. No Fluff.
JUNE 9 | CONCORD, ON | FREE
Pull up a stool, grab a drink and some food, and get straight answers from Dr. John Straube. Join residential builders and contractors for a relaxed, in-person conversation focused on what actually matters on site - durability, enclosure, and performance - without the jargon or endless theory. This isn’t a seminar. It’s a discussion. This is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and connect with peers - followed by casual networking, and lunch is included. Limited Seats Available! Register here. For more details on this event and other locations, please visit Owens Corning’s website
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Sharable Blog Post: A Closer Look at Hasler Homes’ Nationally Recognized Net Zero Home
This month we interviewed the winner of the 2026 Best Custom or Renovated Net Zero Home award and learned about how he took his 15 years of high-performance building experience and applied it to a project that was both deeply personal and technically ambitious. Check out the post here!
Be sure to share using @CHBANetZero and #CHBANetZero so that more homeowners and homebuyers will learn about Net Zero Homes! 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 social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Canada's long-awaited new electricity strategy
On May 14 Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled Canada’s long-awaited new electricity strategy with a focus on lowering electricity costs. Electricity is the clear solution to Canada’s energy security, affordability, and competitiveness, and the new strategy looks to double Canada’s electricity grid capacity by 2050 and would adjust the clean electricity regulations to provide more flexibility to allow natural gas to play a larger role in building the grid. Read the article here, the PMO news release here, and find the new National Electricity Strategy here.
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Batteries are now more cheaply and reliably providing peak power
In Queensland, Australia, fossil gas power plants have long been kept alive and solvent by the fact that they provide almost all the energy peaks. However, alongside the rapid growth of renewables in the state has come rapid growth in batteries, which are now more cheaply and reliably providing that peak power. Check out the graphic here. This change occurred over two years. The same changes are coming to grids everywhere. More data can be found here.
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Open 24/7: Promote Your Net Zero Solutions in our Virtual Expo Hall!
CHBA's Net Zero Virtual Expo Hall offers solution providers with 24/7/365 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. Learn more and apply here!
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Follow us on our LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X accounts @CHBANetZero! See below for recent articles of interest.
- Harold Orr To Receive Saskatchewan Order of Merit. The father of energy-efficient housing and building science who established Saskatchewan as a global leader receives the provinces highest honour.
- Scientists have scrapped the worst‑case climate scenario – because action is making a difference
- ‘Not normal’: On one April day, all of the planet’s top 50 hottest cities were in a single country - India
- Canada Greener Homes Program is coming back. But first, let’s discuss what went wrong last time
- Canadian flood risk portal doesn’t work yet and doesn’t consider climate change. Flood risk being mapped too slowly to help Canadians adapt to climate change: environment commissioner
- As the U.S. starves it of oil, Cuba is pulling off one of the fastest solar revolutions on the planet — with China’s help
- 14 Liberal MPs pen letter to Carney raising concerns over environmental backslide
- What could a supercharged El Nino mean for Canada? A rapidly warming planet due to human-caused climate change is set to amplify what forecasters say could be a supercharged El Nino, spelling possible hot and dry conditions to come for parts of Canada.
- The American epoch of oil is collapsing. What comes next could be ugly. China is dominating the energy transition with astonishing results, while fossil fuel fascists in the US try to turn back the clock.
- Why Michigan is emerging as one of America’s worst-hit climate states. The state saw 33 tornadoes last year and severe flooding as researchers say links to climate change are undeniable.
- UN’s climate crisis vote shows political momentum is growing, say experts. Resolution backed by 141 states hailed as ‘new chapter’ that could improve climate diplomacy and litigation efforts.
- Province, feds join the fight to save Vancouver's gas ban
- Ontario completes one of Canada’s largest battery storage projects in Napanee - enough to power a quarter of a million homes for up to four hours during periods of peak demand.
- Transition away from fossil fuels? Here’s how Canada is doing so far. Though Canada recently joined nearly 60 other nations for the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, Ottawa is a laggard in its efforts to transition away from fossil fuels. In fact, according to the 73rd edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy, Canada is transitioning into more fossil fuels, rather than away from them. Though the country first promised to reduce its emissions 35 years ago, it is actually burning 34 per cent more fossil fuels each year, the data shows.
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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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