434 Int. J. Environmental Technology and Management, Vol. 9, No. 4, 2008
Copyright © 2008 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Impact of energy efficiency upgrade retrofits on the
residential energy consumption and Greenhouse
Gas emissions in Canada
Burak Guler* and V. Ismet Ugursal
Dalhousie University,
Halifax, N.S. Canada
E-mail: gulerb@aecl.ca
E-mail: ismet.ugursal@dal.ca
*Corresponding author
Alan S. Fung
Ryerson University,
Toronto, Ont., Canada
E-mail: alanfung@ryerson.ca
Merih Aydinalp-Koksal
Hacettepe University,
Ankara, Turkey
E-mail: aydinalp@hacettepe.edu.tr
Abstract: The impact of various energy efficiency upgrade scenarios on
the annual energy consumption and Greenhouse Gas emissions of the
Canadian housing stock is assessed using the Canadian Residential Energy
End-use Model (CREEM). The energy efficiency upgrade scenarios that are
considered include major retrofits, such as the improvement of the house
envelope by adding insulation, and the replacement of the existing heating
system and appliances by higher efficiency units, as well as minor retrofits,
such as lighting fixture, thermostat, showerhead and aerator upgrades that
reduce energy consumption.
Keywords: residential energy; residential greenhouse gas emissions;
energy modelling; greenhouse gas emission modelling.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Guler, B., Ugursal, V.I.,
Fung, A.S. and Aydinalp-Koksal, M. (2008) ‘Impact of energy efficiency
upgrade retrofits on the residential energy consumption and Greenhouse Gas
emissions in Canada’, Int. J. Environmental Technology and Management,
Vol. 9, No. 4, pp.434–444.
Biographical notes: Burak Guler is a Section Head at Atomic Energy
of Canada Ltd. He holds BSc and MASc Degrees in Mechanical Engineering,
and is currently working towards a Master of Management of Technology
Degree. He has worked in the energy sector in research and development at
Dalhousie University while conducting his master’s studies, and afterwards in
production at Schlumberger, and for the past five years, in field services
at AECL, where he had the opportunity to lead the development of a software