Towards Net Zero Renos Case Study Videos

Towards Net Zero Renos Case Series

What does a successful Net Zero renovation actually look like?

Hear directly from the renovators, builders, and homeowners who are making it happen.

The Towards Net Zero Video Library features real-world renovation projects from across Canada, showcasing innovative solutions, hard-earned lessons, and measurable outcomes. From deep envelope retrofits and heat pump installations to solar integration and electrification strategies, these videos provide practical knowledge that can help renovators build expertise, reduce risk, and identify new business opportunities in the growing retrofit market. You'll also hear from homeowners about the motivations behind their renovation decisions, from improving comfort, health, and resilience to reducing energy use, aging in place, and preserving a home they love.

Explore the projects, learn from your peers, and gain a deeper understanding of how high-performance renovations are helping create more comfortable, efficient, and resilient homes across Canada.

All filming was done on-site by either MS2 Productions and CEA. Editing done by MS2, CEA and CHBA National.

Ontario Renovations

How One Ottawa Co-op Is Planning for Net Zero

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Ottawa, Ontario

Project Team:

The Conscious Builder, Renovator
Stephen Magneron, Homesol Building Solutions, Net Zero Energy Advisor
Homesol Building Solutions, CHBA Net Zero Service Organization
Kaeli Van Regan, Housing Manager

"There is net zero and then there's everything in between." For many housing communities, the path to net zero begins with a plan. In this episode of the Towards Net Zero series, residents and housing leaders explore how an established Ottawa housing co-operative can improve comfort, reduce energy consumption, and prepare for a lower-carbon future while preserving the vibrant community that residents have called home for decades. Faced with aging buildings, drafty units, deteriorating building components, and rising concerns about climate resilience, the co-op recognized that simply replacing materials wasn't enough. Instead, the community began developing a roadmap focused on long-term performance, sustainability, and resident well-being. The project examines opportunities to improve airtightness, upgrade windows and cladding, modernize heating and cooling systems, and transition away from fossil fuels through technologies such as heat pumps. It demonstrates how community housing providers can take practical steps toward net zero while balancing financial realities and resident priorities. Urban Community Revival highlights an important lesson from the Towards Net Zero Renovations initiative: achieving net zero is a journey, and developing a thoughtful plan is often the most important first step.

Featured in this Video
Kaeli Van Regan, Housing Manager
Co-op residents and community members

Aging in Place, Living in Comfort | No Stone Unturned

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Ottawa, Ontario

Project Team:

Jeff Hurdis, Lagois Design Build Renovate, Designer & Renovator
Stephen Magneron, Homesol Building Solutions, Net Zero Energy Advisor
Homesol Building Solutions, CHBA Net Zero Service Organization

"As we age, we wanted an energy efficient house, a house that would be economical and environmentally friendly. And by making it net zero, we did that. We made it more comfortable." In this episode of the Towards Net Zero series, discover how a 1950s Ottawa home was transformed into a comfortable, healthy, and high-performance residence designed to support aging in place. The homeowners set out to create a home that would not only reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but also improve accessibility, safety, durability, and long-term comfort. Hear from the renovation team on how they tackled the unique challenges of upgrading an older home while preserving key architectural features. Airtightness improvements, high-performance insulation, advanced ventilation, and a cold-climate heat pump helped dramatically improve comfort, air quality, and efficiency. The project became Ottawa's first Net Zero Ready Renovation through the Towards Net Zero Renovations initiative, demonstrating how existing homes can be adapted to meet the needs of future generations while delivering the benefits of modern building science today.

Featured in this Video
Jeff Hurdis, Lead Designer & Renovator, Lagois Design Build Renovate
Stephen Magneron, Net Zero Energy Advisor, Homesol Building Solutions
Betty & Bruce, Homeowners
Gary Sharp, Owner, Airtight Home Technologies

Net Zero Ready Revision: Building Science in Action

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: North Gower, Ontario

Project Team:

Philip Coe, Revision Built,Renovator
Dan Cogan, Homesol Building Solutions, Net Zero Energy Advisor
Homesol Building Solutions, CHBA Net Zero Service Organization

"I'm not just going to do an ordinary renovation. I've done that before. I'm going to do it right. This is more about making a difference" - Philip Coe, Homeowner & Owner, Revision Built. In this episode of the Towards Net Zero series, Philip Coe, owner of Revision Built and homeowner of the project, shares how a conventional Ottawa bungalow was transformed into a comfortable, durable, and highly energy-efficient Net Zero Ready home. Driven by a desire to do more than a typical renovation, the project embraced a deep energy retrofit focused on building science, comfort, and long-term performance. The renovation used a chainsaw retrofit approach, adding continuous exterior insulation, dense-pack cellulose insulation, a super airtight building envelope, high-performance windows, a conditioned attic space, a cold-climate heat pump, heat pump water heating, and balanced ventilation. The result is a healthier, quieter, and more comfortable home with dramatically reduced energy consumption. Throughout the project, industry experts explain the importance of airtightness, insulation quality control, ventilation, and building durability. The video highlights how collaboration between renovators, energy advisors, designers, and insulation specialists can help Canada's existing housing stock move toward a lower-carbon future.

Featured in this video
Philip Coe, Homeowner & Owner, Revision Built
Gaetan Cuerrier, Paul Cuerrier Insulation
Dino Mariotti, Igloo Cellulose Inc.
Stephen Magneron, Energy Advisor, Homesol Building Solutions
Dan Cogan, Energy Advisor, Homesol Building Solutions

Transforming a 140-Year-Old Home to Net Zero

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Toronto, Ontario

Project Team:

Aric Bagshaw, NZH Contracting , Renovator
Jacob Marques, A&J Energy Consultants, Net Zero Energy Advisor
ENERQUALITY, CHBA Net Zero Service Organization

In this episode of the Towards Net Zero series, Jarek Stelmach talks about his family’s decision to invest in a home energy retrofit to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their 140 year old home. Aric Bagshaw of NZH Contracting and Alex May of Comfort Build in Toronto ON discussed their techniques and solutions for renovating a tight space in an urban enviroment. Jack Zhou with A&JEC in Toronto ON discussed importance of air tightness and frequent testing of the home to ensure maximum comfort and efficiency for the homeowner.

Urban Toronto Farmhouse with Everyday Savings

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Toronto, Ontario

Project Team:

Mark Friesner + Jorge Silva, Design Distillery Inc., Architect / GC
Toby Smith, Building Knowledge Canada, Energy Advisor
Michael Hopkins, Blackwell, Structural Engineering
Scott Ellis + Sylvie Swarbrick, Firehouse HVAC, Mechanical Design
EnerQuality, CHBA Net Zero Service Organization

In this episode of the Towards Net Zero series, Mark Friesner and Toby Smith talks about the transformation of this urban Toronto home from the 1880's, the care and attention given to it's surrpoundings, and the challenges they observed and tackled with everyday solutions. Mark and Toby share their techniques for handling moisture, brick walls, leaky basements, drafts and heating, showing how they dialed-in this project to not only survive into the future, but fit Mark's desires and comfort for his own life.

From Traditional Renovation to Net Zero Ready

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Ottawa, Ontario

Project Team:

Roy Nandram, RND Construction, Renovator
Stephen Magneron, Homesol Building Solutions, Net Zero Energy Advisor
Homesol Building Solutions, CHBA Net Zero Service Organization

"I think what we do is not rocket science, it's a very methodical and simple process." In this episode of the Towards Net Zero series, Roy Nandram of RND Construction shares how a 1998 home was transformed into a modern Net Zero Ready home through thoughtful planning, smart design decisions, and proven building science principles. The project included a carefully planned addition, a complete exterior redesign, improved wall assemblies, enhanced insulation, and a rebuilt roof optimized for future solar energy production. By upgrading the building envelope and rethinking the home's overall performance, the team was able to dramatically reduce energy consumption while increasing the home's size and functionality. Roy explains the stacked benefits that high-performance renovations deliver; the benefits homeowners notice every day: quieter interiors, improved comfort, and better overall living spaces. The project demonstrates that achieving Net Zero Ready performance doesn't require complicated solutions, just a commitment to doing things right from the start. Featured in this Video: Roy Nandram, Renovator, RND Construction

Can a 170-Year-Old Stone Farmhouse Achieve Net Zero? | Happy Farm Renovation

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Guelph, Ontario

Project Team:

Anke, Homeowner
Toby Smith, Building Knowledge Canada, Energy Advisor
James Savoie, Frontier Design+Build, Renovator
David McCoy, Architect
EnerQuality, CHBA Net Zero Service Organization

Note: Architect David McAuley last name is written incorrectly as David McCoy.

Can a 170-year-old stone farmhouse become a high-performance, low-carbon home? In this episode of the Towards Net Zero series, homeowner Anke, architect David McAuley, and energy advisor Toby Smith of Building Knowledge Canada share the story of transforming the historic Happy Farm property in Guelph, Ontario into a Net Zero Ready home. The project demonstrates how deep energy retrofits can dramatically reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions while preserving the character and heritage of an older building. Through careful building science analysis, high-performance insulation, triple-pane windows, heat pumps, and ventilation upgrades, this 1850s-era stone home has been prepared for another generation of comfortable, resilient living. Hear firsthand why Anke chose to undertake this ambitious renovation, the challenges of upgrading century-old stone walls, and the lessons learned along the path toward net zero.

British Columbia Renovations

The Integrated Design Process as a Renovation Roadmap | LEEP10 Ep. 1

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Invermere, British Columbia

Project Team:

thinkBright HOMES
Community Energy Association
Bernhardt Contracting
CityGreen
BC Hydro
NRCan and NRCan LEEP (Local Energy Efficiency Partnerships)

Meredith Hamstead of thinkBright Homes in Invermere BC discussed the Integrated Design Process as a methodology to guide home energy retrofits at scale. The LEEP10 project, a Toward Net Zero pilot, was initiated to explore whether aggregating the development of multiple retrofits plans under a single project, managed by one general contractor and supported by a coordinated team of technical sub-trades could offer a replicable and scalable model, that crucially, is also an attractive business case for builders.

This project pilots an aggregated deep energy retrofit Integrated Design Process for 10 single-family homes in the Invermere/Windermere region, East Kootenay, BC (RDEK).

A home energy retrofit journey: investing wisely for comfort | LEEP10 Ep. 2

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Invermere, British Columbia

Project Team:

thinkBright HOMES
Community Energy Association
Bernhardt Contracting
CityGreen
BC Hydro
NRCan and NRCan LEEP (Local Energy Efficiency Partnerships)

Haru Watanabe talks about his family’s decision to invest in a home energy retrofit to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of their home. The Watanabe’s house was built in 1976 and needed upgrades to improve home comfort in all seasons. The plan for the retrofit included internal (roof) and external (wall) insulation, upgraded triple pane, entry door and ductless ventilation.

A home energy retrofit journey: healthier living through retrofits | LEEP10 Ep. 3

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Invermere, British Columbia

Project Team:

thinkBright HOMES
Community Energy Association
Bernhardt Contracting
CityGreen
BC Hydro
NRCan and NRCan LEEP (Local Energy Efficiency Partnerships)

Heather and Martin Collis explain how what started with a kitchen renovation, turned into a home energy retrofit and how happy they are with the work. The Collis home was built in 1999 and this 2026 project addressed health, comfort and energy efficiency in the home by installing triple pane windows, a new entry door, insulation in the attic and walls and the installation of a 3-head ductless heat pump to provide 100% of the home’s heating capacity and an electric hot water system. In addition, the Collis home had a new HRV system with UV treatment to reduce allergens.

The Integrated Design Process: Better Results, Lower Costs | LEEP10 Ep. 4

Project Information

Towards Net Zero Renovations

Project location: Invermere, British Columbia

Project Team:

thinkBright HOMES
Community Energy Association
Bernhardt Contracting
CityGreen
BC Hydro
NRCan and NRCan LEEP (Local Energy Efficiency Partnerships)

Paul Hamstead of thinkBright Homes discusses the results provided by application of the Integrated Design Process for retrofit projects. Two sets of happy homeowners explain how it feels to live in homes that have undergone a home energy retrofit.