Project Description
When seeking to build a home for themselves and their family in Toronto’s Six Points neighbourhood, Sustainable’s clients were committed to the idea of building “the best home, not the biggest home.” By choosing to build a house that was right-sized for them, they avoided the need to request minor variances from the Committee of Adjustment, and thereby fast-track the municipal approvals process.
This right-sizing saved them both time and money. By choosing to invest their savings into ambitious construction assemblies such as high levels of continuous exterior insulation and optimized air-tightness they were able to further reduce their energy demands for heating and cooling. Operable windows allow for natural cross-ventilation, and planting deciduous shade trees means their home won’t overheat in the summer, but will absorb the sun’s warming rays during the winter.
An air-tight and well-insulated home will require much less energy to heat and cool, which allowed them to consider going all-electric. Instead of a conventional gas-fired furnace which burns fossil fuels to create heat, they selected an electric air-source heat pump which also handles their cooling needs. Instead of a gas-fired boiler, they selected a high-efficiency electric hot water heater; instead of a gas range, an induction cooktop; instead of a conventional range hood, a recirculating one that captures particulate and filters the air; and instead of a conventional clothes dryer, a condensing clothes dryer. Furthermore, they opted to forego a fireplace altogether. In the case of fireplace, furnace, boiler, clothes dryer, and range hood, large penetrations through the building envelope to eject exhaust air (and thereby energy) directly outdoors have been eliminated, improving the home’s overall air-tightness, and thus, energy-efficiency.
Their electricity bill for their first month living in their new home was well below the national average, and included EV charging, which amounts to hundreds of dollars saved on a monthly basis.
This all-electric approach is the best way to achieve our carbon emission targets without compromising our economy, our enjoyment, or our way of life.