This project adapts the Energiesprong panelized retrofit method, introduced to Canada by Peter Amerongen of ReNu Engineering and Retrofit Canada. It uses prefabricated panels with low-carbon wood fiber insulation to improve production efficiency. Demonstrating these panels on three different types of dwellings will impact these buildings and contribute to a broader shift in panelized retrofit projects. The project addresses the high cost, limited awareness, and lack of industry training that hinder adoption of exterior insulation. Wood fiber insulation, a high-performing, carbon-sequestering material, is often seen as too expensive for residential retrofits. Prefabrication techniques help reduce waste, streamline the process, and lower costs. This approach aims to cut both embodied and operational greenhouse gas emissions compared to current practices. Retrofitting structures with exterior insulation will significantly reduce heating and cooling energy consumption and operational emissions. The project also minimizes embodied carbon by using wood fiber, which has a lower carbon footprint than typical insulation materials like EPS. The two demonstration projects will be monitored, with their performance and the installation process documented in a case study to share insights and lessons learned widely.
