In 2024, the climate crisis is reaching a critical threshold. It is having devastating impacts on ecosystems and communities around the world, making the immediate reduction of carbon emissions more urgent than ever. Did you know that buildings are responsible for around 30% of the planet's total greenhouse gas emissions?
Some of these emissions come from the actual construction of buildings, through the production and transport of materials and construction techniques, but the bulk of emissions come from their operation, and therefore from the energy consumed by buildings to function on a daily basis. This is because the vast majority of buildings still consume fossil fuels to power their operating systems.
What can we do to reverse this trend?
It's actually quite simple. By limiting buildings' energy requirements, their carbon emissions will be directly affected. So we need to demand better energy performance standards for our buildings today.
This is exactly what the German Passivhaus standard does. With their near-zero annual energy consumption standard, Passivhaus buildings offer a promising solution for tomorrow's buildings! (Read this article to find out more about the Passivhaus standard).
Although the passive building concept is not new, it is only known to a few enthusiasts in Montreal. Yet in many cities around the world, including some in Canada and several in Europe, these standards have been part of municipal regulations for over 10 years!
In this series of 3 articles, I'll explore the successes of these model cities and then examine Montreal's current policies. I'll also propose concrete strategies to accelerate the adoption of passive buildings in Montreal by mobilizing key players in the field. But let's start at the beginning: let's talk about the objectives we're aiming for and the strategy we've identified to lead us to change the way we approach projects.
Step one: Set ambitious goals
Realizing the importance of the climate crisis, the first step is to set ambitious targets for reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by buildings, and then implement concrete measures to achieve these targets. This is exactly what the City of Vancouver has done. For over 15 years, the city has been drawing up action plans with concrete targets for the coming decades.
For example, the Renewable City Strategy 2015-2050 aims to have the city running on 100% renewable energy by 2050. The Zero Emissions Building Plan, meanwhile, aims to make new buildings carbon neutral by 2030. To achieve these goals, the city has had to establish major strategies to change trends.
Step 2: Establishing a strategy
As previously stated, once targets have been set, it's time to think about how best to achieve them. In Vancouver, Vancouver's Green Buildings Team, led by Sean Pander, looked at how best to transform construction to make reduction targets achievable.
The following question arose:
What's the biggest problem we're trying to solve in the construction sector?
Over the past five decades, with the rapid development of building technologies and systems, the predominant approach has been to construct low-quality buildings and equip them with these technologies to achieve the desired level of comfort. This way of building leads to a high dependency on energy, and what has been observed over time is that the technological complexity of managing these systems and the priorities of occupants or owners do not match up. So we need to transform our way of thinking and move away from total dependence on technology.
This is the thinking that led to the study of passive building standards: reducing our dependence on technology in favor of better design and construction, and thereby reducing our energy needs.
Passivhaus: a well-established international standard
Although little known in Quebec and even less so outside professional circles, the Passivhaus standard, adopted for the moment mainly in Europe, is beginning to gain ground in other parts of the world as a viable solution for combating climate change. It is a rigorous construction standard designed to drastically reduce the energy consumption of buildings while ensuring maximum comfort for their occupants. The system is based on high-performance insulation, optimum air tightness, triple-glazed windows and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. The aim is to create buildings that require very little energy for heating or cooling, thereby significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
It is estimated that there are around 120,000 buildings worldwide built to Passive House Accelerator standards, including around 2,000 in Canada (Passive House Canada).
The industry's view
Obviously, it's a concept that architects love, because they have to use the principles of site, sun, air circulation and good design techniques. They're enthusiastic about taking on the design challenge and giving back to architecture its great value.
Builders are usually equally enthusiastic. Good workers take pride in what they do, and as soon as you can involve them by introducing improved construction methods, such as more efficient jointing techniques or optimized insulation strategies, their commitment becomes palpable. Rather than talking about greenhouse gas emission standards or profit margins, they can recognize the superiority of these methods in contributing to a building of superior quality, above and beyond requirements and standards.
For customers and developers, the stakes are often monetary. It's true that an energy-efficient building is generally more expensive to build than a standard one, so it's important to understand the long-term benefits of this type of construction.
As part of a series of citizen consultations in Scotland to discuss various strategies, the desire to improve the energy performance of buildings naturally arose. It makes sense for everyone, since it is based on building physics principles.
What's more, it has been estimated by the UK Passivhaus Trust that the introduction of a policy requiring the construction of Passivhaus-standard energy-efficient buildings could save an estimated £20 trillion in energy infrastructure costs over the next two decades. And that's not to mention the healthcare savings. Offering improved air quality, quieter indoor environments, enhanced views and natural light, passive projects offer users a better quality of life, leading to reduced absenteeism and a more productive workforce.
So it begs the question: what is the cost of not embracing energy-efficient construction?
The next step?
Having established the crucial importance of reducing the carbon footprint of buildings, it's time to move on from theory to practice. The Passivhaus standard represents a path towards energy-efficient buildings, but its adoption remains a challenge. Find out in my next article how cities around the world have overcome these obstacles through effective incentive strategies and well thought-out policies.
Sources:
Ordre des architectes du Québec (2023). Milieux de vie durables et résilients, vidéo de formation aux membres.
Sarah Lewis and Sean Pander (2024). Policies That Supercharge Progress, Conference at the Reimagine Buildings'24 by Passive House Accelerator.
International Passive House Association. Passive House Legislation & Funding, https://passivehouse-international.org/index.php?page_id=501
About the author:
Kim Cloutier is an experienced architect with a career marked by projects focused on simplicity and sustainability. She is a certified LEED Passive House Designer and Green Associate, demonstrating her commitment to high standards of energy performance and environmental sustainability. Kim aspires to promote healthier living through her projects, with a focus on creating healthy, sustainable environments.
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