Green Building Principles for Home Retrofits (English)

In this course learners will be introduced to key principles, techniques and concepts relating to green retrofits of residential buildings. This course is entry-level and is designed to be an accessible to a variety of learners who are interested in retrofitting residential buildings for greater efficiency, comfort and resilience. Through this course, learners will be equipped with foundational learning relating to green buildings and residential retrofits required for further training, or employment in the green construction and retrofitting industry.

This training is delivered by Quick Train Canada and developed with the support of the Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2), a pan-Canadian coalition of colleges, cégeps, institutes and polytechnics supporting a climate-focused economic recovery.

Upon completion, learners will be able to: 

• Explain the core principles of green buildings and home retrofitting.
• Describe how residential retrofits contribute to energy efficiency and emissions reduction.
• Identify key occupations and pathways within the skilled trades that may encounter retrofit projects.  
• Explain the value retrofits bring to home and building owners.
• Understand Canada’s sustainability and net-zero targets and their impact on construction.
• Recognize opportunities for further education or career advancement in sustainable building and home retrofits for the skilled trades.
• Accurately describe how green construction techniques and retrofits return value to the building owner. 

This course will be delivered asynchronously and self-paced with content delivered across six modules. Modules are to be taken consecutively, estimations of time required to complete each are provided in brackets:  

• Module 1: Introduction to Green Buildings and Retrofit Fundamentals (2 hours, 30 minutes)
  • Introduce fundamentals of green buildings, define key terms, centre learner in retrofits for residential buildings, explore Canada’s Emission Reduction and Green Building Targets
• Module 2: Planning for Successful Retrofits (4 hours, 30 minutes)
  • Explore key considerations for successful retrofits. Identify funding and incentives across Canada which support residential retrofits.
• Module 3: Examining Retrofits Part 1 - Minor Retrofits (5 hours)
  • Examine low-effort solutions for home retrofitting. Provide insights into impact of low-cost of upgrades.
• Module 4: Examining Retrofits Part 2 - Major Retrofits: Building Envelope, Space Heating & Cooling (6 hours, 30 minutes)
  • Examine key retrofit technologies and techniques across major categories (building envelope, space & water heating, electrification).
• Module 5: Examining Retrofits Part 3 - Major Retrofits: Domestic Hot Water & Home Electrification (3 hours, 15 minutes)
  • Discuss the linkage between extreme weather events and rising home insurance claims, examine technologies and techniques which increase building resilience to a changing environment.
• Module 6: Retrofitting for the Future & Critical Role of Skilled Trades (2 hours, 45 minutes)
  • Reflect upon key principles of green buildings, the impact of residential retrofits and the important role of various skilled trades in meeting Canada’s national targets.