How Yellowknife is built
- Before 1961 3%
- 1961–1990 54%
- 1991–2000 21%
- 2001 or later 22%
When to book in Yellowknife
Yellowknife gets about 7,856 heating degree-days a year and has a winter design temperature of −39.2°C, according to NRCan's HOT2000 climate data for Yellowknife. That gives Yellowknife a long window, roughly late fall to early spring, when the inside-outside difference comfortably exceeds the 10°C an infrared scan needs.
What the camera finds in Yellowknife houses
Of Yellowknife's 5,225 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 3% were built before 1961 and 57% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Older houses are where the camera earns its keep: empty or settled wall cavities, gaps at the top of walls, and cold corners where framing bridges the insulation. Run it with the blower door test depressurizing the house and every leak shows up as a cold streak.
What it costs
Most EnerGuide advisors include an infrared scan with the evaluation, but it isn't required, so confirm when you book. The Arctic Energy Alliance delivers subsidized EnerGuide evaluations: $200 + GST for a single-family existing home.
NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Yellowknife
In the Northwest Territories, the Arctic Energy Alliance, a non-profit, is the licensed service organization for Yellowknife.
Most EnerGuide advisors bring an infrared camera, but it isn't a required part of the evaluation, so confirm when you book. The scan is most useful with the blower door running.
- Arctic Energy Alliance
Thermal imaging inspection in Yellowknife: common questions
When is the best time for a thermal imaging inspection in Yellowknife?
Late fall through early spring, when it is at least 10°C colder outside than inside. Cold, overcast days with no direct sun on the walls give the clearest images.
Can a thermal camera see through walls?
No. It reads surface temperatures. Missing insulation or an air leak shows up because it changes the temperature of the wall or ceiling surface.
Who does thermal imaging in Yellowknife?
Most of the 1 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Yellowknife bring an infrared camera to an EnerGuide evaluation; confirm when you book.