So for my many friends posting "Thank oil and gas for being able to survive these temperatures:" I don't disagree with you, BUT -- it's no longer the only way. We are nice and cozy here at -40 with NO gas line to the house. This is thanks to a few things: 1/n
#ableg #cdnpoli

1) great insulation: offset double stud walls for a total of 10" of thickness, insulated with dense-packed cellulose
2) an airtight building envelope rated at 0.6 air changes/hour
3) a @DettsonHVAC air-source heat pump coupled to backup electric furnace for very cold days 2/n

4) Venmar heat-recovery ventilator, which brings fresh air in, while recovering most of the heat from exhaust air
5) air-source heat pump hot water tank, that extracts heat from basement air and transfers it to the water
6) solar PV (optional)
7) triple-paned windows
3/n

IMO, retrofitting every existing building to be all-electric just isn't practical or affordable right now. However, our building codes should be modernized ASAP to mandate that ALL new buildings be "netzero-ready."
4/n

Insulation, airtightness, heat pumps where possible, electrical panels/wiring conduits/roof space ready for solar panels, heat recovery systems, triple-paned windows, etc should all be required. This would allow homeowners to go to full net-zero when able.
5/n

Recently announced financing options here in AB that allow you to pay off things like solar PV as an add-on to your property tax make it MUCH easier to "go solar." This is because when you sell the home, the unpaid cost transfers to the new owner.
6/n

And that extra amount on your tax bill is at least partially (maybe fully?) covered by the electrical cost saved by what the PV system generates.
So I encourage everyone in this situation to Google "PACE financing" and your location. It's a huge step forward 7/n

in accessibility of clean energy and efficiency retrofits for your homes. *No money down required!!!*
Yes, we should thank oil and gas for keeping us warm. But it's time to slowly transition away from that, and toward cleaner ways of accomplishing the same things
/fin

P.S. right now at -30 to -40C, the electric furnace is required to raise the house temp by 2 degrees in the mornings. But the heat pump is able to maintain the temp during the day. And ours is a "budget" model. There are much better pumps available on the market.

And I forgot to mention -- the heat pump is an air conditioner in summer, and does a great job cooling the house

Aaaand...there's always got to be one

Everyone who's interested, please check out http://ecosolar.ca  ( @EcoSolarTour). There's a great list of homes on the tour (including us), with a rundown of the different strategies used to improve energy efficiency.
#ableg #cdnpoli

List of prominent #yeg NetZero home builders. Ours was @AugustaHomesCGY (but in Edmonton). A conventional builder who did a great job with our requests. Feel free to add to this list. I don't know them all.
1. Habitat Studios
2. Rosecrest Homes
3. Carbon Busters

4. deWaal Developments
5. Effect Homes
6. Landmark Homes
7. Dolce Vita (conventional, but can do NetZero)

http://ecosolar.ca  has more in the write-ups of each house on the tour this year.

Here's a great explanation of how heat pumps extract heat from ambient air: