ReCONstruct: Building Energy Retrofit Solutions for Canada / ReCONstruire: Solutions de rénovation énergétique des bâtiments pour le Canada

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The building and construction sectors are responsible for at least 39% of global carbon emissions. The majority of global housing stock that will be inhabited in 2050 already exists (70-90% in Canada) and more than 67% of that building stock was constructed with no energy code in place. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions from building energy retrofits are proven to be cost-effective and can be realized more quickly that reductions in other sectors (Hoicka 2020). A harmonized building energy retrofits initiative provides a timely and compelling opportunity to simultaneously tackle urgent climate change mitigation, clean energy transition, affordable housing, natural resource and economic imperatives. Equally important in the upgrading of the building stock is to address inevitable adaptation and resiliency ultimatums as climate change marches on at a pace we now know to be more aggressive than anticipated. In the face of immense environmental, social and economic challenges exacerbated by the current global health crisis, international agencies, governments, and institutes are calling for considerable and urgent investment into building retrofit measures. However, even with such a substantial investment, structured building energy retrofit platforms, effective business and legislative mechanisms, and overall capacity does not exist for implementation at scale. ReCONstruct will address key conceptual, knowledge, technology gaps to mount a fully functioning Building Energy Retrofit program and substantially contribute to the development of decarbonization pathways for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sectors. The goal of the R&D program is to invent a model 'turn-key' deep energy retrofit process solution capable of meeting large-scale demand. The benefits to Canadians are profound. The direct and indirect benefits are extensive from a more resilient, durable, comfortable, affordable, healthier living environment and communities to fortifying and extending the capacity of the hydroelectric grid, meeting climate change mitigation targets, developing new 'green' markets, high skilled job creation, and national energy security. It could be argued that these are necessities rather than benefits.