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, a measure of how much heating its climate needs, and its winter design temperature, the cold day heating systems are sized for, is −39.2°C. Those figures come from the climate data for Yellowknife in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. 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.
The North Yukon, NWT and Nunavut
What this means in Yellowknife’s climate
Extreme cold and costly energy: envelope first, reliable heat, safe oil tanks, permafrost.
Why it matters here: Deep cold makes insulation gaps and air leaks stand out clearly.
Best timing: October to April, almost any day; avoid strong wind and sun on the walls being scanned.
- Envelope first: seal, insulate, upgrade windows. With the coldest winters we cover and costly fuel, envelope work saves more than equipment changes. Today's new-home minimums here, about R-59 attics and R-22 walls, are good targets. Ask: Ask for a blower door test with a thermal scan, and a list of envelope upgrades ranked by savings.
What else homes in Yellowknife need →
Sources for this climate guide · checked October 26, 2026
- National Building Code of Canada 2020, climate data (NRC)
- Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (ECCC)
- Keeping the Heat In (NRCan)
- Air-Source Heat Pump Sizing and Selection Guide (NRCan)
- Heat pumps, Canada Greener Homes (NRCan)
- Heating and Cooling With a Heat Pump (NRCan)
- Yukon Energy Facts 2024 (Yukon Bureau of Statistics)
- Household heating oil prices, Table 18-10-0001-01 (Statistics Canada)
- Residential electricity rates, April 2026 (ATCO Electric Yukon)
- Residential rate schedule, July 2026 (Naka Power, Yellowknife)
- Rates and riders (Naka Power, Yellowknife)
- Energy profile: Northwest Territories (Canada Energy Regulator)
- Energy profile: Yukon (Canada Energy Regulator)
- Keep Your House on Solid Ground: permafrost guide (Government of the NWT)
- Permafrost in Nunavut: a homeowner's guide (Government of Nunavut)
- Permafrost thaw mapping, Whitehorse area (Yukon University)
- 2024 Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Exposure
- Guide for Radon Measurements in Homes (Health Canada)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2022 (ECCC)
- Canada's top weather stories of 2023 (ECCC)
- Conditions for thermal scans, ASTM C1060 summary (Cx Associates)
NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Yellowknife
In the Northwest Territories, the Arctic Energy Alliance, a non-profit, is the licensed service organization for Yellowknife.
A service organization is a company that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) licenses to deliver EnerGuide evaluations; its registered energy advisors do the home visit. 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.
Is thermal imaging the same as a thermographic inspection?
Yes. Thermography, thermal imaging and infrared scanning all mean reading surface temperatures with an infrared camera.