OAA Annual Conference: Net-Zero Carbon Approaches for New and Existing Buildings

Earn 1.5 ConEd Learning Hours, 1.5 AIA CES LU credits when attending the Net-Zero Carbon Approaches for New and Existing Buildings at this year’s Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) Annual Conference on May 23-25 in Toronto.

Register for the conference.

Presentation Overview:

The session will present two case study projects that are part of the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) Zero Carbon Building Pilot Program, and compare the proposed design solutions for each. One project is a new building designed to be a certified Passive House, use no fossil fuels and be certified to a LEED Gold standard. Because the project is new construction, the zero carbon strategy can employ a highly efficient Passive House thermal envelope, and plan to utilize electric-based HVAC systems to take advantage of B.C.’s low-carbon grid. The second project is an existing building with a highly efficient geo-loop and ground source heat pump, built in 2009 and certified to a LEED Gold standard. Because the project is an existing building, the zero carbon strategy options are limited by the constraints imposed by the existing thermal envelope and already highly efficient mechanical system, each with significant remaining service life. The new versus existing building implications, available energy efficiency options, local energy emissions factors, onsite generation potential, policy guidance and feasibility limits led to contrasting zero carbon strategies.

Learning Objectives

1. Gain a nuanced understanding of the CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard and its application in new and existing projects.
2. Learn how energy emissions factors guide choice of active building systems.
3. Better understand how technical solutions are limited by feasibility and pragmatism.
4. Learn the design impact of provincial or municipal policy.

Our session will take place on May 24 at 10:30 AM. Register here.