10:40 am - 12:00 pm | Room: Sinatra | Session Chair: Helen Stopps

MURBs

Investigating The Energy Performance Impact Of Post-War Multi-Unit Residential Building Retrofits

Post-war multi-unit residential building renewal retrofits, or Tower Renewal, are one approach to significantly reducing the energy consumption of existing buildings. These retrofits often incorporate envelope renewal, mechanical system upgrades and other miscellaneous energy efficiency upgrades. Despite the prevalence of Tower Renewal in Southern Ontario, few studies have quantified the actual energy improvement associated with this type of retrofit in a large number of buildings over a multi-year timeframe. In this study, we examine the energy consumption of 14 multi-unit residential buildings built between 1965 and 1985 in Southern Ontario. Ten buildings have undergone exterior insulation finishing system (EIFS) over cladding, eight have undergone window and door replacement, and five have had mechanical boiler upgrades. The actual reduction in annual energy consumption resulting from these retrofits was evaluated for each building, accounting for typical weather conditions. Overall, there was an average annual natural gas reduction of 24±11%, with 13 buildings experiencing a statistically significant reduction. On average, the dataset had annual electricity consumption reduction of 11±8%. Twelve of the buildings experienced statistically significant reductions in electricity. In general, this evaluation of actual energy performance before and after Tower Renewal retrofits indicates the feasibility of broad implementation and allow for benchmarking and measuring the success of future innovative retrofit strategies.

Kelsey Eakin, University of Toronto

Kelsey Eakin is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto, with a background in physics. Her research has won numerous awards including the OBEC Graduate scholarship. Kelsey is passionate about research, with a focus on envelope retrofits for multi-unit residential buildings with the goal of improving occupant health, occupant comfort, building climate resilience and building energy efficiency.