Operational and Embodied Carbon Impacts on
Canadian Homes
Canada’s transition to net zero will require homes that perform efficiently over their entire life cycle. While mechanical systems can be upgraded over time, improvements to insulation and airtightness are far more difficult and disruptive once a home is built.
This study, prepared by Building Knowledge Canada for NAIMA Canada, evaluates an “insulation first” approach to decarbonization by comparing NBC 2020 Tier 1 homes with scenarios that incorporate Tier 5 insulation and airtightness levels. Five residential archetypes were assessed in Ottawa and Edmonton to examine both operational and embodied carbon impacts.
Key Findings
The results show that higher insulation levels significantly reduce operational carbon emissions, while the additional embodied carbon associated with these upgrades is offset within approximately three to five years. Across all archetypes studied, the findings suggest that prioritizing the building envelope during construction can deliver meaningful long-term emissions reductions while avoiding costly and disruptive retrofits later in a building’s life.
Explore the assessment to see how prioritizing insulation and airtightness can support long-term emissions reductions and help future-proof Canada’s housing stock.
