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This paper presents the methodology developed to identify the least cost specifications in residential new housing constructions to achieve improved energy efficiency standards, including the "EnerGuide 80," which is a requirement of the 2012 Ontario Building Code (OBC) and beyond, ultimately reaching the net zero energy (NZE) level. The proposed methodology considers the initial capital cost and the life cycle cost implications of achieving such standards while maintaining an adequate level of thermal comfort. The results showed that, based on the life cycle cost analysis of 30 years, the combination of least cost upgrades includes improved thermal resistance in the building envelope components (ceiling, both above and below-grade walls, floors, and basement slab) and installation of the most efficient heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, resulting in 25% reduction in the estimated annual space and domestic hot water (DHW) energy consumption, while achieving the EnerGuide Rating of 82, thereby meeting the requirements of the 2012 OBC. With the installation of a photovoltaic (PV) system, the estimated profit of up to $70,038 could be achieved through Ontario's micro Feed-in Tariff (FIT) program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the overview of the currently practiced new housing constructions in Ontario based on a survey to local homebuilders in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which was conducted as part of the proposed methodology to determine the suitability of the potential optimal upgrades considered for the analysis. Also presented in this paper is the economic feasibility study of the identified optimal upgrades from the survey for the selected cities in Ontario with varying climatic conditions. Based on the results of the survey, it was concluded that the participant builders have already implemented or considered for implementation some of the advanced technologies into their current building practices to achieve the energy performance level that exceeded the minimum requirements as specified by the existing Ontario Building Code (OBC). Furthermore, the results of the economic feasibility study showed that, based on the life cycle analysis of 30 years, the combination of optimal upgrades comprised of increasing the thermal resistance of the building envelope components, and installations of the most energy-efficient heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system could achieve up to 31% reduction in both the estimated total annual energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in comparison to the same building configuration, but built in accordance with the OBC, and without the implementation of the identified optimal upgrades. Furthermore, with the installation of a residential photovoltaic (PV) system combined with these upgrades, the estimated total profit of up to $89,035 could be achieved through Ontario's micro Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program, allowing a homeowner to pay for the installation of additional upgrade(s) to further improve the energy efficiency level of a home, ultimately reaching the net zero energy status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]