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The Importance of Whole House Energy Retrofits in Canada

Shawna HendersonOctober 20, 2023

As the demand for housing continues to grow, it is more important than ever to prioritize energy efficiency and sustainability in residential construction and renovation. Whole house energy retrofits play a crucial role in meeting these goals, while also addressing the need for resiliency in the face of climate change and upcoming regulatory changes.

Energy Advisor: What's the Investment?

Shawna HendersonAugust 10, 2021

There’s a lot to know when it comes to being an energy advisor. When Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan made the Greener Homes Initiative announcement back in May, he mentioned that a person already in the industry could get trained in a week. While that’s technically true, it’s not real...

Energy Advisor: What's the Business Case?

Shawna HendersonJune 24, 2021

Blue House Energy is inundated w/requests from folks interested in becoming an Energy Advisor.  We’re not complaining!  No, no, no, we’re super excited to answer all of your questions. So this is the first in a series on the business of being an EA, reflecting some of the common questions...

A Primer on Climate Zones for Home Construction in Canada

Shawna HendersonMay 19, 2021

By designing for the future and retrofitting with climate in mind, buildings can be made more resilient and better equipped to handle changing temperature regimes. By taking a holistic approach and considering factors such as climate types, average temperatures, and precipitation, we can ensure that our buildings are not only code-compliant but also energy-efficient and comfortable for their occupants.

RaterFest! 2016

Shawna HendersonAugust 31, 2016

We're excited. Shawna's leading a session at EnergyLogic's un-conference, RaterFest, this year (Sep 15-18). She gets to talk about her favorite subject: the knowledge gap.Its been a constant thread through the last couple of decades: leaps and bounds in the understanding of building science, leading to a bunch of well-trained...

The Three Videos BC Builders Need to Watch!

Shawna HendersonMarch 23, 2016

As of October 2015, the HPO beefed up the licensing process for builders. New applicants must meet certain competency requirements and existing builders will have to hit a level of continuing professional development (CPD) credits to maintain their good standing. The new requirements are being phased in over a 15...

Competency-based Training Levels Explained

Shawna HendersonMarch 01, 2016

Competency-based training is learner‑focused, and lends itself to independent study, allowing learners to study at their own pace, reviewing or practising challenging learning outcomes as they need, and moving quickly through the competencies in which they are more adept. In an earlier post, the four levels of complexity were outlined. These levels measure the student’s depth of knowledge.

What is Competency Training?

Shawna HendersonJanuary 13, 2016

Competency-Based Training is a way to teach concrete skills. Every individual skill or learning outcome (the competency), while part of a larger educational or training goal, is a single learning unit, to be worked on one at a time. The level of competency is determined by the organization requiring the...

All Quiet on the Eastern Coast

Shawna HendersonNovember 02, 2015

What have we been doing for the past six months? We've been busy. Too busy. Insanely busy. To busy to even write a blog post. Nose to the grindstone, head down, fingers to the bone. Meeting monster deadlines!!! Developing new courses!!! And we're nearly ready to let 'em loose on...

Our Training just got more affordable

Shawna HendersonJanuary 13, 2015

Hey 2015! Here at Blue House Energy, we've a big thanks to everyone who took our Building Science Basics online course in 2014. We've been praised us to the skies <blush> for the quality of our work. We want to give more folks access to affordable, on-demand training. So, our...