Offers manufacturers, public utilities and housing technology companies unique, real-life, fully monitored whole-house testing environments
Launched in 1998 as a partnership between the National Research Council Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) supports innovation in the construction and energy sectors. The facility offers unique, whole-house, fully-monitored testing environments for research and development, demonstration and performance validation of advanced residential and grid technologies in order to accelerate their acceptance in the marketplace.
The CCHT team is comprised of qualified research officers, engineers and technicians to deliver results and expert advice to guide the development of innovative concepts and technologies and validate their performance. The CCHT staff works with clients to design projects most suited to meet their goals, needs and budget. The team will help develop and validate innovative housing products and systems that keep pace with market needs.
Research and technical staff expertise will identify and quantify collateral benefits such as occupancy comfort and improved indoor air quality. Computer simulation can be used to extend field trial results to a full year analysis or differing climate zones. The research centre also performs model-based testing and validation of new concepts and design improvements.
- Whole-house side-by-side comparative performance testing of innovative technologies and control strategies
- Long term performance testing and demonstration
- Nanogrid, smart grid and V2X (vehicle-to-home/grid/building) testing and demonstration
- Energy modelling to extend results in time and by location
- Assessment of collateral benefits, such as occupancy comfort and improved indoor air quality
- Development and validation of testing methods to accommodate innovative technologies
- Real-life testing environments that accelerate time to market by closing the gap between lab and field testing
- Access to the Flexhousing TM home design demonstrative unit which showcases how space can be adapted to an occupant’s changing needs
- Automotive
- Clean technology
- Construction (including building, civil engineering, specialty trades)
- Consumer durables
- Energy
- Environmental technologies and related services
- Information and communication technologies and media
- Manufacturing and processing
- Professional and technical services (including legal services, architecture, engineering)
- Utilities
Specialized labs and equipment
| Specialized lab | Equipment | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-detached Twin Test House | Semi-detached twin unit homes | Semi-detached twin units (~1700 sq. ft.) built in 2017, suitable for whole-house comparative performance assessments |
| Semi-detached Twin Test House | 250+ sensors | Provide measurements of temperature, relative humidity, air flow and pressure throughout the houses |
| Semi-detached Twin Test House | 70 electrical, gas, and water metering points | Used for electrical, gas and water consumption measurement |
| Semi-detached Twin Test House | Nanogrid (photovoltaics (PV), storage, and control) |
|
| Twin Test House | Single-detached twin houses | Single-detached twin houses (~2100 sq. ft.) built in 1998 for whole-house side-by-side comparative performance assessment |
| Twin Test House | 30 electrical, gas and water metering points | Used for electrical, gas and water consumption measurement |
| Twin Test House | 250+ sensors | Provide measurements of temperature, relative humidity, air flow and pressure throughout the houses |
| Multi-Unit Test House | Multi-unit townhome | Multi-unit townhome (~ 1500 sq. ft.) ideal for long-term testing, demonstration and validation |
| Multi-Unit Test House | Temperature and relative humidity (RH) sensors | Measure temperature and relative humidity |
| Multi-Unit Test House | Electrical and gas metering | Provides measurement of electrical, gas and water consumption |
| Multi-Unit Test House | Nanogrid (photovoltaics (PV), storage, and control) |
|
| Multi-Unit Test House | V2X infrastructure | Bi-directional electric vehicle charger with metering and controls |
| Microgrid Testbed | Microgrid Testbed with electrical and mechanical bays | Used for generation, storage, distribution, and grid energy management testing and validation |
Private and public sector research partners
- Natural Resources Canada
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, FlexhousingTM Checklist – Homes that Adapt to Life’s Changes | https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sf/project/cmhc/pubsandreports/pdf/61943.pdf?rev=f878a1d2-d51b-43a5-… |