We are pleased to announce that building NX is the first existing building retrofit in Canada to achieve the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC’s) Zero Carbon Building – Design certification. Humber achieved the Zero Carbon Building – Design Certification through a holistic approach that includes a complete envelope retrofit that is highly insulated and airtight, including new triple-pane windows. There will also be energy efficiency upgrades to the heating and cooling systems, lighting and a new 25kW Solar PV system in the building.

History of NX Building

Building NX was built in 1989 and was the main entrance to the College’s North Campus and housed the campus’ main library. When the library was relocated to LRC, the five-story building became an area for faculty and public safety offices. The aging building was drafty and inefficient so Humber College’s Energy Efficiency team took on the hard task of transforming it into a retrofit that took the building from one of the campus’ most inefficient, to becoming the most energy efficient building at Humber College and one of the most energy efficient buildings on the continent. Construction for NX commenced in May 2018 and is expected to be complete this year. Guided by Humber College’s 20-year Integrated Energy Master Plan, building NX will see a 70% reduction in energy use that will help reduce the College’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Humber’s Commitment to Sustainability

Retrofits to existing buildings have a very positive impact on fighting climate change. Globally, buildings are responsible for 40% of annual energy consumption and up to 30% of all energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Since buildings last such a long time, there is a huge stock of existing buildings that need to be retrofitted in order for a city to meet its carbon reduction goals. A 2009 report by the UN indicates that the existing building stock represents the most important opportunity to substantially cut GHG emissions however there are some challenges. Building owners often shy away from major renovations due to costs and disruption. Part of the motivation for the NX project was to provide an example to the Canadian design and construction Industry on how to perform deep, net-zero ready, energy efficiency retrofits in Ontario’s climate as well as to encourage similar projects in the future.

You can learn more about the NX building from this case study here. Learn more about Building NX from the press release.