Insulate and waterproof exterior foundation walls

Insulating the outside basement walls allowed for damp proofing and
foundation drainage at the same time. Insulation keeps the basement walls
at room temperature protecting the structure, reducing risk of interior
condensation and increasing the comfort level of the basement. Thanks to
our sponsor, Owens Corning who provided the Celfort 200 PINK rigid
insulation boards.

Insulate basement floor

Heat is also lost through the basement floor. In part of the basement, we
removed the concrete floor, created an insulation layer and vapor barrier
between the concrete slab and the ground underneath. The insulation will
keep the warm air in and the vapor barrier will keep unwanted moisture out.
Owens Corning provided the Celfort 200 PINK rigid board insulation.

Install radiant floor heating in the basement

To improve the comfort of the basement we installed radiant floor heating
prior to pouring the new concrete floor. The heat from the floor will radiate
up through the home, reducing the amount of energy required for heating.

In Now House, the radiant floor will be heated by the solar thermal system
mounted on the roof which means the sun will be heating this floor of the
basement.

Insulate the attic and roof

For weight-bearing reasons, it was necessary for us to remove the
homeowners existing metal roof when we discovered there were 3 layers of
asphalt shingles underneath it. We removed the shingles to reduce the
weight on the roof so the solar panels and solar thermal system could be
added.

Once the roof was off, and the shingles removed, we used this opportunity
to insulate the attic from the outside causing less disruption to the
homeowner than doing it from the inside. The roof was also insulated.
Thanks to our sponsor, BASF Canada for providing Now House with their
WALLTITE ECO Insulation/Air Barrier System and its installation. The
foam insulation was sprayed into the attic and sloped roof providing a layer
of continuous insulation which prevents heat loss and cold bridging.

Insulate the exterior walls

The exterior walls are an important part of the homes envelope. Insulating
exterior walls to a higher R-value along with other envelope improvements
will increase the effectiveness of energy-efficiency improvements such as
heating and cooling equipment and new windows. Without good insulation,
these high cost items may not perform as well as expected. A frame was
built on the outside walls of the house and a 5 1/2" continuous layer of
spray foam insulation was added. This will reduce thermal bridging through
wood studs, reduce heat loss, save energy and keep the interior walls
warmer in winter, cooler in summer.

Thanks to our sponsor BASF Canada for providing Now House with
WALLTITE ECO Insulation/Air Barrier System and its installation.

Replace windows
Windows are part of the overall Now House envelope improvement. The
old single pane aluminum windows had little insulation value.

We replaced the old windows to provide better light and airflow and keep
out cold air in winter and hot air in the summer. By enlarging a window in
the south-facing wall, we have improved day lighting in the home (reducing
electricity use) and providing passive solar heat in the winter.

Thanks to our sponsor InLine Fiberglass for providing our new windows.
The windows are injected with an inert gas between the layers to provide
insulation. They are made of Low-E glass low emissivity glass. The glass
has been treated with a microscopic metallic oxide spray that reduces the
amount of UV light passing through the glass.

Replace appliances
Appliances were replaced with new ENERGY STAR rated appliances that
will yield big savings in electricity and water usage. Refrigerators are on all
the time and new ones can cut electricity use by up to 50%.

Thanks to our appliance sponsor Whirlpool Canada, Now House is

equipped with the following ENERGY STAR rated appliances: refrigerator,
range, microwave, and front loading washing machine. In addition,
Whirlpool provided a new range hood and energy efficient clothes dryer.

Replace lighting
We will replace all incandescent light bulbs with energy saving compact
fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). These lights use only one quarter of the
energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and last about eight to ten times
longer. Only 10% of the energy consumed by incandescent bulbs
generates light; the rest just makes the bulb hot.

Reduce phantom loads

Kill switches (think power bar) will be added throughout the home to make
it easy for the homeowner to turn off all computers, small appliances and
MP3 player or cell phone chargers.

Replace faucets with low flow fixtures

These fixtures will reduce the amount of water used in the bathroom and
kitchen.

Saving energy with a new HVAC system

Next to improving insulation, improving a homes heating, ventilation and
air conditioning (HVAC) system can produce the biggest energy reduction
and energy savings.

Having dramatically improved the insulation of the Now House envelope,

the existing heating and cooling system underwent the following changes.

Install an air handler with variable speed motor

The new high efficiency air handler with a variable speed motor will cut
energy costs and improve the comfort level in the home.

Install a heat recovery ventilator

Having reduced the air leakage of the Now House, we needed a ventilation
system to ensure high quality indoor air. A heat recovery ventilator (HRV)
was installed to exhaust cooking smells, humidity and stale air from the
home, and capturing the heat from the air before expelling it. This
recovered heat is then used to warm the fresh air coming into the home.

Install a hot water storage tank

We installed a Latento hot water storage tank thanks to assistance from
Solarnetix. The Latento takes heat from the solar thermal collectors and
stores it until it is distributed to the homes heating and hot water system.
Solar energy can be accumulated for several days meaning hot water from
solar energy may be available even on cloudy days. When there isnt
enough solar energy, the hot water from a tankless water heater will bring
the water in the Latento to the required temperature.

Add a tankless water heater

When there isnt enough solar energy, a tankless water heater will provide
the home with its hot water needs.

Capture heat from grey water

We installed a Power-Pipe thanks to our sponsor RenewABILITY. The
Power-Pipe will capture heat from grey water leaving the shower and
dishwasher, for example, and send the captured heat to the hot water
storage tank.

Now House produces energy onsite from a renewable source

the sun
To become a near zero energy home, Now House must not only be very
energy efficient it must also produce energy.
Just like a typical home, Now House will be connected to and use energy
from the electrical utility. However, unlike typical homes, Now House will
produce energy to send to the utility company.

Annually, zero energy homes produce enough energy to offset the amount
purchased from the utility provider, resulting in a net zero energy bill. This
is the ambition of the Now House retrofit.

Install solar photovoltaic panels

Solar photovoltaic panels (16) were installed on the Now House to convert
sunlight into electricity. Solar power is a renewable form of energy that
produces no pollution or emissions. Thanks to our sponsor Day4Energy for
providing our solar panels. And thanks to EnWise for sourcing this
opportunity for Now House.

Now House will use a grid-connected solar power system. The solar array
is connected to a synchronous inverter that converts electricity to alternate
current that can then be used by the grid. In this case, all PV power will be
fed into the grid for use by other utility customers, and under the OPA
microFit program, the Now House homeowner will earn 80 cents per
kilowatt-hour of production.

Install solar thermal system

Now House will also use the sun to heat water and reduce the need for gas
or electricity to heat water. The Apricus systems will provide hot water for
domestic use and for radiant floor heating system in the basement floor.

Thanks to our sponsor Generation PV, we will enjoy the benefit of two
Apricus solar thermal systems. These are high efficiency, low cost solar hot
water systems that work all year round. Unlike flat-plate collectors, or
evacuated tubes with flat copper foil, the Apricus System uses a cylindrical
collector which takes advantage of the sun all day, not just when its
overhead.
The Now House project has turned a 60-year-old WWII house into a near
zero energy homeone that produces almost as much energy as it uses.

The first Now House is located in Topham Park, Toronto. The home is a
1200 square foot, 1 1/2 storey, detached structure in a community of 200
similar wartime homes. It was built in 1946 from plans available from
CMHC.

The Now House Project is a collaboration of designers, architects,

engineers, homeowners and sustainable building experts led by Lorraine
Gauthier of the design consultancy Work Worth Doing.

Now House is proud to be one of the winners of CMHCs EQuilibrium

Sustainable Housing Demonstration Initiative. It was partially funded by
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Platinum sponsorship by RBC
Royal Bank.

The residents of the first Now House are John Van Dusen, and his 130-
pound bloodhound, Alvin. John got involved when members of the Now
House team were canvassing Topham Park for potential homeowner
participation.

John had already taken measures to make his house more energy efficient.
He had added a new metal roof that had provided improved insulation. He
had an energy efficient furnace installed and was slowly replacing his light
bulbs with compact fluorescents. Johns interest in the environment and his
desire to reduce his energy footprint made him a perfect candidate for the
first Now House retrofit. After engaging in conversation with team member
Harry Mahler about his green efforts and challenges, Now House had
found a home.