EnergieSprong Deep Energy Retrofit transforms 1951 home to net-zero

Source: David Dodge | · GREEN ENERGY FUTURES · | May 25, 2023

The Sandercock family bought a 1951 story-and-a-half home in the beautiful Highlands neighbourhood in Edmonton. 

But they realized very early on that the post-war home was “bleeding a lot of heat” and “a lot energy was being wasted,” says Jim Sandercock.

“In the middle of summer, the second story is way too hot for the kids’ bedroom.

“So they sleep in the basement and then in the wintertime, the basement was way too cold and nobody goes down there.”

With wildly fluctuating energy prices, climate change and challenging severe weather impacts there is growing interest in increasing energy efficiency and taking charge of producing your own energy.

More and more people are considering building new net-zero homes, but what do you do with your old 1951 poorly insulated home?

Bulldozers need not apply

Dr. Jim Sandercock is the chair of the Alternative Energy Program at NAIT in Edmonton, so he knows a thing or two about the benefits of energy efficiency. As they began considering their options Sandercock also wanted to avoid bulldozing their old home.

“It’s got great bones and like a lot of houses that are old, there’s a whole bunch of embodied carbon and a whole bunch of value like hardwood and stuff.”