The Future of Housing: Net Zero Homes and Heating Systems

What is a ‘Net Zero’ home?

The term Net Zero refers to energy and emissions. From a business standpoint, it means that the amount of emissions produced are balanced out by activities that remove an equivalent amount from the atmosphere. Many large-scale companies are working to attain carbon neutrality, another word for net zero emissions, in response to global warming.

In reference to housing, Net Zero means that the home’s energy production is equivalent to the amount of energy it uses, thus requiring no energy from hydro or gas companies. In comparison to a typical new build, a Net Zero Home can be up to 80% more energy efficient.

What are the Benefits of Having a Net Zero Home?

1. Eco-friendliness: Since your home is producing its own energy, it is no longer burning fossil fuels or consuming electricity. Overall, this reduces your carbon footprint, resulting in cleaner air, improved public health and mitigation of the effects of global warming.

2. Comfort: Net Zero Homes require advanced designing to ensure that the home doesn’t require more energy than it is able to produce. To achieve this, the home must be well-insulated, evenly heated and cooled, and energy efficient. Together, these features help reduce noise, dust and drafts, equating to very comfortable living conditions.

3. Longterm Value: Although there will be upfront costs when building a Net Zero Home, it can save you money in the long-term. Producing your own energy means you no longer have to rely on gas and hydro providers or worry about future energy price escalations. Right off the bat, your utility bills will decrease significantly, saving you money year after year. Additionally, Net Zero homes must be well-built to minimize energy consumption, and as such, they are more durable than conventional homes, having the highest quality windows, insulation, and so on.

4. Potential Rebates: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Green Home offers a partial refund on the cost of mortgage loan insurance. To learn more and to see if you qualify, you can visit their website here. You can also review a directory of Energy Efficiency Programs for renovations and retrofits by visiting the Natural Resources Canada website at this link.

What Kind of HVAC Systems are Used in Net Zero Homes?

Since Net Zero Homes must be powered by their own energy, heating systems must be powered completely by domestically produced electricity rather than gas, oil or hydro. Heat pumps are an energy efficient, electrically powered option for domestic heat. There are two different types of zero emission heat pumps:

1. Ground-Source Heat Pumps: Also referred to as Geothermal Heating, as it extracts heat from the earth to provide domestic heating to a home. Since the temperature below-ground is warmer than the air, it requires less energy to heat than a forced-air system does. Geothermal systems are quite pricey, but they can significantly reduce your monthly heating bill and typically pay for themselves in under 10 years.

2. Air-Source Heat Pumps: Similar to geothermal heat pumps, air-source heat pumps use naturally occurring elements to heat the home. However, where geothermal pumps use heat from the earth, air-source pumps use outdoor air as the heat source and heat sink.

A third option that we foresee increasing in popularity is solar-powered hydronic heating, which uses the sun’s energy collected via solar panels to heat water, which is then circulated through a heat exchanger to provide heating to the home. Solar heat requires no gas, oil or electricity and essentially reduces your heating bill to nothing. Due to the cost savings and environmentally-friendliness of these systems, we anticipate their growth in popularity over the next 10 years.

What Does the Future Look Like in Terms of Energy Efficient Housing and Heating?

In response to the impact of global warming and recent forest fires, Vancouver city council passed a bylaw in July of 2020 stating that all new construction low-rise residential buildings must install zero-emission domestic space and water heating beginning January 1, 2022.

The United Kingdom has also implemented a ban on gas-fired and oil-fired boilers in new construction properties by the year 2025.

Although Ontario has not yet passed a similar bylaw, we believe net zero heating and cooling will become a requirement here eventually, too. We have already seen plans for electric-only vehicles by 2025 and Canada is always moving toward greener options and alternatives.

If you are interested in exploring net zero or energy efficient heating options, send us a message or give us a call.

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