Queen Victoria Street.

Net-positive cost of energy

This extremely budget-conscious, resource and energy-efficient, phased addition and deep green retrofit to a century-old, working-class, single-family, Riverdale Pocket home takes advantage of the existing site orientation for natural lighting and shading, and enjoys calming views and breezes from the densely wooded back garden.

In addition to highly-effective insulation, Queen Victoria House makes use of: self-venting, recyclable Galvalume reflective roofing; energy-efficient doors and windows; solar thermal hot water; hybrid hydronic radiant heating strategies; highly-efficient ceiling fans; and optimal re-use of the existing building’s structure to create an urban oasis fit for a 21st-century family.

Reductions in overall energy-demand through conservation, coupled with a solar thermal panel and 5 kW of microFIT-connected solar electric panels on the roof, allow this home to have a net-positive cost of energy - a truly remarkable achievement!

Details

Location: Toronto, ON
Original Construction: 1914
Completion: 2013
Area: 163 m², 1,750 ft²
Project Lead: Paul Dowsett
Energy Use Intensity: Actual: 176 kWh/m²
Total Energy Demand Reduction from Typical: 48%
Air-Tightness: 5.5 ACH
microFIT Capacity: 5 kW
Energy Generation: 4,966 kWh/yr

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