Fanshawe receives NRCan funding for Kestrel Court Net Zero Energy-Ready retrofit

On behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue, joined representatives from Fanshawe College at the Kestrel Court residence today to announce funding of over $1.3 million from Natural Resources Canada’s Green Infrastructure – Energy Efficient Buildings Program for an ongoing retrofit of the 25-year-old townhouse complex.

The retrofit of the Kestrel Court townhouses will upgrade the building components and the exterior aesthetic. It will also serve as a research study focused on retrofitting residential buildings to reach Net Zero Energy Ready performance—reducing energy use by a minimum of 70 per cent. 

Faculty and students are working together with industry partners on the retrofit. It has provided students with an opportunity to learn about the future of sustainable building technology through a valuable hands-on experience.

“Fanshawe has made a commitment to decrease the College’s impact on the environment through updates to both physical spaces and academic curriculum,” says Fanshawe President Peter Devlin. “To date, 150 Fanshawe students have been involved in various aspects of the project by producing assignments in Building Information Modeling software related to Kestrel Court.”

“The results of this research will have the potential to influence policy on a national level through the Canadian Home Builder’s Association’s Net Zero Council,” says Tom Davis, principal investigator and faculty with Fanshawe’s Donald J. Smith School of Building Technology. “There is an urgent need to renovate existing residential buildings to curb the impact on climate change.”

"The Kestrel Court project offers a unique opportunity to provide a transformative model to reduce carbon emissions from existing low-rise housing throughout Canada," says Alison Ewart, PhD, dean of the College’s Centre for Research and Innovation. "Fanshawe aims to demonstrate the savings to homeowners, industry representatives, building officials, code authorities and policy makers of sustainable retrofit practices. This research will inform new, leading-edge programs at Fanshawe that will be the model across Canada."

“Reducing emissions from buildings is a key part of our efforts to combat climate change,” says the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources. “Our government is pleased to support today’s investment in energy efficiency in Ontario, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower costs to residents and improve building resilience for folks in London. Congratulations to all of those involved.” 

“Today our government announced support for research and development in the buildings sector,” says Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue and Member of Parliament for London North Centre. “These investments will improve energy efficiency, help build more resilient communities, and demonstrate Canadian leadership in addressing climate change.”

For more information about Fanshawe College, please visit Fanshawe's media contact page.