Within today’s environment of economic stagnation, every 1% increase in domestic energy prices leads around 8,000 households in Scotland to fuel poverty and nearly 25% of the population is experiencing some difficulty in heating their home properly. Operational energy use is having a significant economic impact on households’ daily life. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the delivery of affordable low/zero‐carbon homes in Scotland. In reality, the house‐building industry today has no systematic way to deliver such unconventional homes, despite government introducing targets for enhanced levels of sustainability in housing construction. In order to identify potential barriers that limit the industry’s capacity for the commercialisation of zero carbon homes, this study first explores the status quo of today’s affordable housing production in Scotland and secondly, it extends the scope to a review of successful low/zero‐energy affordable housing developments in Canada. This study concludes with the argument that Scottish homebuilding industry is experiencing the following challenges: an absence of clear definition (or value standards) of housing affordability and zero carbon homes; a relative unfamiliarity with passive energy and environmental design techniques and innovative building materials and systems including renewable energy technologies; and the lack of technical knowledge transfer training activities which often generates extra time and money in the building process. In Canada, the government tends to offer house‐builders and housing manufacturers systematic training in low‐energy housing delivery approaches, such as R2000 or/and Super E® programmes, and defines housing affordability as 32% of a household’s gross monthly income on mortgage principal, interest, taxes, and heating expenses. This paper also underpins the significance of a design charrette being implemented in the delivery of net zero‐energy affordable housing in Canada and suggests methods by which a similar approach could effect a more efficient construction process and a better performing, affordable housing product.

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