Cost-effectiveness of increasing airtightness of houses.

Air infiltration through the exterior envelope of a residential building impacts significantly on the heating energy consumption and cost, especially in a cold climate such as Montreal's. Therefore to renovate existing houses to the level of new well-built houses in terms of airtightness will lead to a reduction of the heating energy costs. By considering the life-cycle energy consumption and the initial cost of renovation, and the CO2 tax credits, the paper estimates the cost-effectiveness of this type of renovation. Concludes however that increasing the airtightness of existing houses in Montreal is not always cost-effective.