Built Green Canada to launch whole-house energy retrofit courses

Oct. 19, 2023 – Built Green Canada, in partnership with Blue House Energy, has launched their Whole-House Energy Retrofit online training course.

The Whole-House Energy Retrofit course builds on industry’s knowledge. It aims to encompass the basement to attic, assessing energy usage and building envelope, air leakage and drafts, insulation levels, heating / cooling problems, and how to identify and address dampness and mold or mildew, which could lead to structural and / or health problems.

The program will aim to help participants understand what a whole-house energy retrofit is, what it’s meant to achieve, what one needs to know when working in the industry, and what to look out for when installing energy efficiency measures in homes—including avoiding unintended consequences of tightening the building envelope.

“Unlike many industries, professional development is a huge challenge for the residential construction industry,” said Blue House Energy Chief Executive Officer, Shawna Henderson, in a press release. “Micro-businesses, those with less than four people on payroll, make up over seventy per cent of the industry. Professional development is expensive, and if you’re a small renovator or a builder, you don’t make money unless you’re on the tools—and so, self-directed, on-demand training bridges that gap.”

The curriculum aligns with Natural Resources Canada’s EnerGuide for Houses and dovetails with Built Green’s Renovation programs that include energy efficiency as a key focus and go on to other critical aspects of sustainable building—indoor air quality, carbon reductions, resiliency, water, and waste management, occupant wellness, and more. And, the program is complementary to the leadership efforts of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association’s and CMHC’s “Get it in Writing” initiative.