Deep Energy Retrofits: The Delicate Balance of Envelope and HVAC Choices 

Session Outline:
Selecting Glazing, Roofing, and Façade performance combinations is relatively straightforward.  Filtering the short list of near optimum envelope combinations by construction cost provides the design team a preferred combination.

Selecting Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation performance combinations can be more difficult due to the constraints of existing building systems and geometry.

Re-using ductwork and piping may be a big cost saving, but may limit the available options and overall performance of the economic HVAC choice.

Achieving holistic building performance is often an iterative process where HVAC constraints restart the preferred envelope selection process with new performance targets.

The presentation compares three (3) Deep Energy Retrofit designs with different HVAC solutions and envelope approached achieved similar holistic energy performance.

Presenter

Steve Murray, P.Eng., BECxP

Director, Senior Building Envelope Consultant, Stantec

Steve brings broad experience in new construction, building rehabilitation, and deep energy retrofits, with a focus on high-performance buildings pursuing Passive House and zero-carbon certifications.
He has expertise in prefabricated envelope systems, timber and mass timber buildings, and supporting architects and developers with envelope design, review, and energy enhancement strategies.

Length: 00:45:25

Last Updated: October 21, 2026