From code to passive house building, learn more about performance standards.

In order to meet Canada's climate plan and Quebec 2030 Plan for a Green Economy, many programs will be soon reinforced and will frame the future of construction. From The Canadian National Building Code (CNBC) to the PHIUS standard, there is a whole world in terms of performance and energy savings. 

As a green building design and construction firm, we enjoy helping our clients to maneuver in between these new standards and present to them differences and requirements. 

Today in order to compare these standards, we’ll use a single-family home as an example in our calculation. Therefore we will focus only on the residential part of the code to illustrate our point.

1 - What is the Passive House Building Standard (PH)?

If you missed our latest blog post on the introduction of Passive House standards, feel free to go back here to get a bit of grip on PH principles. Otherwise, please find a quick review here.

 The Passive House standard, Maison Passive in French, originated from Germany and revolves around energy balance. More specifically, it’s the balance between energy gain and losses. The idea is to reduce heat and energy losses while maximizing solar gains in order to reduce the energy input of a heating system. 

But first, let’s go back to the basics. In PH, you need to control five parameters:

• Thermal insulation
• Airtightness
• Thermal bridges
• High-performance glazing
• Heat recovery ventilation

To get your home PHI certified, you need to achieve an ambitious performance target of 15 kWh/m2/yr.

Finally, before starting our comparison process it is necessary to introduce the notion of R-effective compared to the classic R-value. Now we are all set to begin comparing these standards. In order to simplify the comparison, it is a question here of comparing a new construction with a single-family house.

 

2 - Novoclimat, an improved building code?

Novoclimat is a program administered by Transition Énergétique Québec (TEQ), a provincial government agency whose mission is to support, stimulate and promote energy transition, innovation, and efficiency.

This program is intended primarily for developers and residential owners. Its equivalent on the renovation side is the Rénoclimat program.

In order to be eligible and benefit from the available subsidies, the building must meet several requirements. The following table compares these requirements with those of the traditional code and those of the Passive House standard.

A minimum thermal resistance value

These 3 standards require that a minimum thermal resistance value (R-value) be reached. The Novoclimat program requires reaching an R eff> 23.5, or R 29.5 against an R 24.5 for the code. This value of R eff. is more precise when talking about the thermal resistance of an assembly (here, a wall above ground). For the PH standard, reaching the R-value is not a target to be reached but rather a necessary step in order to comply with the permissible energy consumption constraint which is 30 kWh /. (Although no certified home in Canada has walls with a lower R-value, it could be caused to decrease depending on the climatic zone of the project, the sunshine, and the orientation of the house). The value of R 60 nevertheless indicates to us the important gap that exists in order to have a house with low energy consumption.

Blower tests to spot air leakage

Regarding the airtightness of the building envelope, both PH and Novoclimat require a blower test to identify potential air leakage. Not surprisingly, the Novoclimat program and the PH standard are more demanding than the code on that part.

Better performance windows

One of the core elements of a high-performance home is the windows. Unlike the code, the PH standard and the Novoclimat program have understood this well. Thus they require that the windows be certified by PHI and Energy Star respectively. Although similar, these 2 certifications require very different levels of performance, thus justifying the price difference. Indeed, expect to pay double the price of an Energy Star window for a PH certified window.

Finally, obscured by the traditional code, the ventilation systems are framed by the other 2 standards. Here again, the PH standard sets the bar high and requires a heat recovery rate for these systems at 75% compared to 65% for the Novoclimat program. The cost increase is not doubling here but expects around a 40% to 50% increase.

On reading this table, one can quickly notice that the Novoclimat program seems like an improved National Building Code and constitutes the first step towards efficient buildings. This step leads to the PH standard, which is the standard that characterizes a high-performance building.

3 - Which standard for what use?

Novoclimat and Passive House are very different in their application. Although these two standards are on a voluntary basis, the Novoclimat program offers grants for certified projects when the Passive House standard offers a guarantee of performance, durability, and above all a reduction in energy consumption. 

Novoclimat path to certification

The certification method is also different. To be able to benefit from Novoclimat grants, it is necessary to work with a Novoclimat certified contractor. 

The Novoclimat program is an incentive to build smarter, propelled by the government. However, the criteria to be reached are equal to the subsidies offered: in the right direction but insufficient to hope to meet the climate objectives of 2030 and 2050.

Passive House path to certification

Regarding the Passive House standard, to get your home certified, you need to go through a demanding commissioning process. This process starts at the design stage of the project and goes way beyond the delivery stage with a performance assessment.

On the other hand, the PH standard constitutes the best in terms of efficient construction, to such an extent that certain established criteria are not attainable everywhere on the planet. The American entity Passive House Institute United States (PHI US) has also made it its mission to adapt the Passive House philosophy to the North American climate.

4 -Novoclimat vs Passive vs Code, how much does it cost

Finally, some questions are still up in the air and remain unanswered. How does each one of these standards impact our annual energy budget? Is it profitable to invest in more energy-efficient construction building instead of on-code building? How long does it take to get your early investment back?

Here some comparison using our use case of a 2,000 square feet single-family home located in the province of Quebec. 

On-code wall construction detailing

Novoclimat wall construction detailing

Passive House wall construction detailing

Well, there is no surprise to see that Novoclimat is more profitable than a conventional code construction considering also grants offered for this standard. 

Here the comparison between the 3 standards and the amortization of initial costs

Regarding the Passive House building, despite a construction cost 25% higher than a code house, the investment is profitable from the 15th year (20 years compared to a Novoclimat house). The Novoclimat program is, therefore, more financially accessible than the Passive House standard while guaranteeing a house a little more efficient than a code house.

In addition, a Passive House certified project guarantees the use of materials that are not only efficient but also durable and reduce the ecological footprint of the construction. Finally, this type of project with such high-performance standards ensures a much higher resale value than more traditional construction.

Novoclimat, a tiny step in the right direction. Passive House, the most advanced standard in high-performance building.

The Novoclimat program, therefore, constitutes an “improved” code, aiming to slightly increase buildings' performance. It’s accessible and speaks to all, budget-wise. And incentives exist.

On the other side, the Passive House standard is the Holy Grail of high-performance buildings. His 25% additional cost in design and construction is significant but the return on investment is higher. Passive House is a more personal choice for efficiency, sustainability, and comfort. 

Clients are the ones to choose in which direction they want to go as far as performance goes. Personal values, budget, and performance targets are all really important in the process of planning an energy-efficient home. As green building designers and GC, our goal is to balance it all.