The Pembina Institute’s Reframed Initiative is a research and convening platform focused on identifying whole‑building retrofit solutions and scaling retrofit activity. It brings together expertise from the construction industry, building owners, policymakers, and the financial sector to chart a clear path toward accelerating whole‑building retrofits.
As Canada works to meet rapidly growing electricity demand driven by electrification across buildings, transportation, and industry, there is a growing recognition that buildings must play a far more active role — not simply as energy consumers, but as integral system assets. Whole-building retrofits, energy efficiency, load management, thermal storage, and distributed energy resources offer significant opportunities to reduce peak demand, improve affordability, and support grid modernization while lowering emissions.
Through the Reframed Initiative, we aim to accelerate the adoption of practical retrofit solutions, foster cross-sector collaboration, and advance systems-level thinking — positioning buildings as a foundational pillar of Canada’s electrified, resilient and low-carbon future.
Reframed Initiative
Whole-building retrofits for emissions reduction and resilience
Key Research & Analysis
Reframed Lab
In British Columbia, the Reframed Initiative was led by the Pembina Institute in partnership with Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, and the City of Vancouver, and includes multiple pilot retrofit projects. Working in partnership with BC Housing, we hosted the Reframed Lab, a landmark step towards transforming Canada’s retrofit sector. The Lab aimed to transform how designers approach retrofitting multi-unit residential buildings to reduce emissions and energy waste, improve health and safety, and increase resilience to severe weather events. Our research signals a shift away from business-as-usual upgrades to deep retrofits as the primary pathway to reducing emissions.
Results of the Reframed Lab
The Reframed design teams estimate deep retrofits can cut energy use by up to 90%, which underscores the comprehensive opportunity deep retrofits present for driving down energy demand and cutting utility costs during an affordability crisis.
The design teams also proposed operational carbon emissions reductions ranging between 68% and 99%, a remarkable shift from the standard 3% to 55% reduction achieved when building owners replace systems at end-of-life, further highlighting the transformative potential of deep retrofits.
Next Steps
The Pembina Institute will work with the building owners, their teams, and municipalities to generate case studies for each of the six buildings. The case studies will be standardized to facilitate replicability and highlight replicable aspects even within bespoke solution bundles to streamline future retrofits.
The scope of the scalability of the work that is being undertaken through the Reframed Initiative is significant given that 40% of homes in B.C. and Canada are low-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs). The schematic designs confirmed that energy savings alone cannot pay for the cost of deep retrofits, so through these case studies the Pembina Institute will continue to identify the non-energy benefits, such as building occupant health and insurance cost savings, to provide alternate financing streams.
Reframed Tech Webinar Series
In 2020 the Pembina Institute presented the Reframed Tech Series — webinars on evolving deep retrofit solutions.
Webinar topics
- Embodied carbon & deep retrofits
- Solar panels & deep retrofits
- Climate resilience & deep retrofits
- Heat pumps & deep retrofits
- Prefabricated panels & deep retrofits
Reframed in the News
Beyond Boom and Bust: A Third Way to Transform Canada’s Retrofit Industry
The Energy Mix
December 2025
Officials launch innovative program to address lack of affordable housing: 'Key priorities'
The Cool Down
September 2025
FortisBC completes deep energy retrofit of Manor House in North Vancouver, the first under Reframed Initiative
Energy Manager Canada
August 2025
Need An Air Conditioner? Buy A Heat Pump
Chatelaine
July 2025
Canada’s retrofit momentum hinges on more than just heat pumps
Canada's National Observer
June 2025
From $2,600 to $775: how social housing in Metro Vancouver is changing lives — and fighting climate change
The Narwhal
June 2025
A meta-analysis of the schematic design process of deep retrofit projects
ScienceDirect
December 2024
Floods, fires, hail: Making Canada’s buildings climate-resilient
The Globe and Mail
August 27, 2024
Rising temperatures will require billions to cool aging apartments in Metro Vancouver
Vancouver Sun
August 22, 2024
Contact our Buildings team
Program Director
Kevin Lockhart
c: 416-966-6500
e: kevinl@pembina.org
Media Contact
Sarah Snowdon (Eastern Time)
c: 647-797-9329 ext. 121
e: sarahs@pembina.org
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