Example Standards
These criteria are achieved through intelligent principles of passive design (methods that don’t require mechanical or active intervention such as orientation, window placement, optimizing solar gain) and implementation of the following detailing strategies: reducing thermal bridges, high performance windows, ventilation with heat recovery, quality insulation, airtight construction, heat cycle appropriate vapour control.
The above numbers and strategies are an example of criteria required for PassiveHouse Certification (“PassiveBuilding” or PassiveHaus). This can be extended to achieve NetZero by limiting the total energy consumed on site and providing for local provision of required energy.
As a home-owner or builder, certification may not be required or even under consideration, nor necessarily these levels of performance, but having the tools to evaluate possible geometries in conjunction with different wall assemblies, factoring in material costs, labour costs, and running costs over the life of the building is a powerful tool to have at your disposal.
If a homeowner plans on living in their renovation for 20 yrs and a single thoughtful detail potentially reduces their energy cost by $10000 alone over that 20 yrs, it certainly makes sense to capitalize on that logic wherever possible. By the same token, a heat recovery system is virtually meaningless if the construction detailing is not conceived from the same perspective. A high-efficiency heating system is helpful but limited if the rate of heat loss is no better than mediocre. If the construction is fundamentally flawed, it will require redoing in less than 20 yrs. as opposed to more than 50 yrs. if performance driven. And still more, all of these facts are nothing compared with the immeasurable value of simply living in an uncompromisingly comfortable and healthy environment.
To be sure, the wide range of human activities within a living space, combined with the predispositions of different body types, suggests that no single standard could account for something as subjective as comfort—at least, one would think. And yet, certain patterns of comfort and discomfort are remarkably universal. For example, unless someone is deliberately overdressed indoors when it is -20ºC outside, a typical occupant entering a room with a large plate glass window will often be drawn toward the view. However, upon turning to face the room, they may instinctively retreat a few steps further inside. This habitual motion is a response to the sudden chill felt upon leaving the warmth of central room air and approaching a cold glass surface. The discomfort arises from the temperature differential between the ambient room air and the radiant cold emanating from the window.
In standard Canadian construction, with typical U-values, as little as one square inch of total leakage area can allow approximately 30 litres of water vapor to pass through due to air leakage over a single heating season (assuming an interior temperature of 21ºC at 40% relative humidity). If combined with other design or construction flaws, this moisture can condense within wall cavities, leading to premature decay, mold, rot, or other damaging conditions. These failures are not always due to poor workmanship; just as often, they result from inadequate design or insufficient consideration of localized climatic demands.
Sustainable design addresses these challenges through rigorous best practices—carefully planning, optimizing, and verifying performance at every stage. By integrating building information modelling (BIM) with energy modelling, designers and builders can anticipate and eliminate problems before they arise. This process minimizes surprises for both contractors and clients and leads to buildings that are not only healthier and more comfortable, but also more durable and sustainable.
Above all, true comfort is not a fixed metric, but an outcome—one that thoughtfully combines human needs, climate realities, and intelligent design.
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