Retrofit Explorer

House Illustration

The Retrofit Explorer is a freely available tool produced as part of Volta Research’s CMHC-funded project . The tool allows the user to explore the application of different retrofit upgrades alone or with other upgrades to a typical house. The user can then see the resulting change in energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and the total cost of ownership, including the annual cost of the loan for the retrofits and utility costs.

The Retrofit Explorer applies the selected retrofit upgrades to a typical two-storey, single-family home in Toronto, built in the 1970s with the below characteristics:

  • 1700 sq ft above ground area
  • 70000 BTU per hour, 78% efficient natural gas furnace with continuous pilot
  • 40-gallon, 55% efficient natural gas water heater with a continuous pilot
  • No air conditioning
  • Double-glazed windows

Instructions:

  • Drag the mouse along any of the vertical category axes to select single or groups of items
  • Click once along any axis that has a selection to deselect it
  • Each line on the chart is updated based on the category selections and represents a retrofit pathway. Each line is also represented in the table underneath the chart.
  • By selecting groups of retrofit upgrades and/or energy, emissions, and cost targets, the user can explore how the pathways that lead meet their needs.

Retrofit upgrade option descriptions

Wall
  • +R12: Add R12 exterior insulation to the existing Base house exterior walls
  • +R20: Add R20 exterior insulation to the existing Base house exterior walls
Ceiling
  • R50: Insulate to R50 in the ceiling or attic of the Base house
Basement (Slab/Wall)
  • R12/R24: Insulate the basement slab to R12 and the walls to R24 in the Base house
Window
  • U-val 1.04: Upgrade all windows in the Base house to U-val 1.04
Door
  • R6.5 Steel: Upgrade all doors in the Base house to R6.5 Steel
ACH Reduction (%)
  • -20%: Reduce the air leakage in the Base house by 20%
  • -50%: Reduce the air leakage in the Base house by 50%
Hot Water
  • NG Tank: Replace the hot water system in the Base house with a high-efficiency natural gas heated water tank
  • Elec Tank: Replace the hot water system in the Base house with an electric resistance heated water tank Install
  • HPWH: Replace the hot water system in the Base house with a hot water heat pump
Generation
  • 2 kW PV: Install a net-metered 2 kW photovoltaic system on the Base house
  • 5 kW PV: Install a net-metered 5 kW photovoltaic system on the Base house
HP/AC System
  • AC SEER 20: Install a 20 SEER high-efficiency air conditioner on the Base house
  • +ASHP: Add a high-efficiency air source heat pump to the Base house that uses the existing heating system as a backup
  • +eASHP: Replace the Base house heating system with a high-efficiency air source heat pump that uses electric resistance heating as a backup to create an electrically heated house