You know about Canada’s wish to be emissions free by 2050, and you’re a homeowner. 

You know the time is coming. Net zero for your home is not too far away. 

But where do you start? What do you do?

One way is to ask someone like Stephen Magneron to do an evaluation. He is a Master Energy Advisor (MEA) at Homesol Building Solutions, a CHBA-Qualified Net Zero Energy Advisor, and a CHBA Qualified Trainer. He has worked closely with Lagois Design·Build·Renovate, which achieved the first net zero ready renovation in Ottawa; he has also trained the Lagois team for Advanced Building Science and net zero certification.

What needs to be done to your house to get it to Net Zero?

Stephen says it can be a process that happens in stages as long as there is a definite end goal in mind.

“If it’s piecemeal without knowing where you want to end up,” he explains, “the result might be that it’s not quite right, you have sunk the cost into it, and you can’t undo it.” He adds this is why net zero planning must be part of the initial design stage.

“If you can find a good renovator who has been, and is going to be, around for a long time, we would prefer to work with them as a team,” he says, “rather than having everyone in their own silos.”

“Lagois is fantastic,” he says. “It’s been wonderful working with them and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who’s looking for a company for a net zero renovation, whether it’s all at once or piecemeal, because they’re going to be around for awhile.”

According to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), qualified net zero renovators must successfully complete prescribed training courses as well as be enrolled in the association’s RenoMark® program. The CHBA net zero training courses can only be taken through CHBA qualified net zero service organizations like Homesol and delivered by CHBA qualified net zero trainers like Stephen. 

Lagois Design Build Renovate is certified and qualified accordingly, and also a member of RenoMark®. It’s celebrating its 40th anniversary in business.

“Any renovation companies that have gone through additional training (or any training) are ahead of everyone else,” he says. “It’s pretty rigorous, but if a company has gone through all those steps, it means they plan on doing great work and being around for a long time. We want to work with those companies or at least get other companies to that level.”