Overview:

Summary: High performing building envelopes reduce heat gain as well as heat loss, lowering energy requirements. Materials commonly used to keep buildings warm in colder months also store heat in warmer months (e.g. concrete, tiles, brick, and stone).

Implementation: Incentivize developers and property owners to incorporate elements for envelope efficiency such as through zoning bonuses or expedited review.

Considerations for Use: This is most applicable to new developments. Improving existing building envelopes is often cost prohibitive, but owners can consider improving insulation and airtightness during major renovations.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  IncentiveFinancial and non-financial incentives to encourage stakeholders to implement heat risk reduction and preparedness solutions, including rebates, tax credits, expedited permitting, development/zoning bonuses, and more.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
  Introducing new or updated zoning/codesIncludes codes, zoning requirements or by-laws pertaining to urban planning and building construction activity.
  No-regrets actions (low cost/low effort but substantial benefit)Interventions that are relatively low-cost and low effort (in terms of requisite dependencies) but have substantial environmental and/or social benefits.
• Intervention Type:
  Buildings and Built Form
• Sectors:
  Buildings

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Property owners
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Decrease in building temperatures, Energy savings

Case Studies:

• Tower Renewal Partnership Toronto (UDF, pg 21)
• Energiesprong in the Netherlands. Model adopted by NSERDA through RetrofitNY (UDF, pg 21)

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  Building
• Authority and Governance:
  City government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Medium-term (3-9 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government, Private developers, Property owners and managers
• Funding Sources:
  private investment, Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Medium
• Public Good:
  Low
• GHG Reduction:
  High
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Save on utilities