Hamilton East Kiwanis Deep Energy Retrofit Assessment

Hamilton East Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes Inc. (Kiwanis) is a non-profit organization that owns and operates 803 social housing units in the City of Hamilton and the City of Brantford. This project aims to retrofit 156 units in downtown Hamilton. This initiative will assess the building envelope, doors and windows; review mechanical and water systems; review lighting systems; inspect roof and roof insulation; and assess the feasibility for a roof-mounted solar PV installation. Kiwanis will consider over-sizing the solar array to help offset a future new build across the street from the proposed location. The initiative hopes to determine a number of energy conservation measures to determine its retrofit approach, weighing value for money and including payback periods. The initiative will also determine an ongoing measurement and monitoring regime. Critically, Kiwanis will create a communications/engagement plan to inform residents of new building features and how to operate local systems in order to optimize efficiency and comfort. Innovative aspect(s): - The initiative will promote the inclusion of local apprentices in the project to support employment and training in the city. - Kiwanis is responsive to stakeholder concerns: it included a safety audit in response to concerns regarding building quality and comfort, crime, and an ongoing need for community connections and resources. Replicability: - Kiwanis has a large portfolio of aging buildings. It has the opportunity to apply the learnings from this initiative to drive retrofits across its housing stock. - The type of building stock is common for affordable housing. Therefore, this study could be broadly informative for future projects to narrow their scope to common issues. (Project description from original funding application)