Support for Capacity Building and Step Code Implementation
Here you will find training opportunities, case studies, technical booklets, and program updates regarding Step Code in Northern BC. The new construction energy efficiency standard comes into effect province wide with the 2022 BC Building Code update, and we want you to be ready. Funding for this initiative generously provided by BC Hydro.
The Community Energy Association and the Canadian Homebuilders’ Association of Northern BC have been working together to support the building industry and local governments in the implementation of the BC Energy Step Code, which prescribes increased energy-efficiency of new buildings over the next decade. Part of this work involves sharing stories of success. This video features the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society Dream Home, which was built to level three of the Energy Step Code. The dream home is the grand prize of a Prince George house lottery and regularly attracts thousands of visitors and the involvement of many local companies. This makes it a great case study of the Energy Step Code in action.
In the News
Fort St. James homeowners leading the way with energy efficient homes
Caledonia Courier Nov 30, 2021
Program Updates
New Recording Available
Cold Climate Heat Pumps: Mysteries Unraveled
Experts from Edmonton and Northern BC share their experiences and advice about installing and operating heat pumps in cold climates. Long-time builder Peter Amerongen shows a number of net zero homes in Edmonton – both new-builds and retrofits – that feature heat pumps. “These things are heroic,” he says. “They actually can work at -30” and save more energy in cold-weather installations than in a milder climate. Panellists outline critical installation and operational considerations and highlight the importance of an envelope-first approach.
Share this video with your community and clients: https://youtu.be/3J8nP_owhgU
For Builders and Trades
Cold Climate Heat Pumps: Mysteries Unraveled
Recording from December 2, 2021
Associated Links:
CHBA Northern BC chapter: www.chbanorthernbc.ca
Home Performance Contractor Network: http://homeperformance.ca/about-the-network
NRCan toolkit for air source heat pump sizing and selection: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/maps-tools-and-publications/tools/modelling-tools/toolkit-for-air-source-heat-pump-sizing-and-selection/23558
Working with an Energy Advisor
Working with an Energy Advisor:
workingwithEA-Final.pdf
Mechanical System Solutions (3 Part series)
Part 1:
Recording from April 8, 2021
Mechanical Decision Tree:
4.1-HVAC-Mechanical-System-Options.pdf
Part 2:
Recording from May 6, 2021
Part 3:
Recording from June 3, 2021
Enclosure & Airtightness Solutions
Airtightness Sign:
airtight-building-sign-new.pdf
BuildSmart Tailgate on-site airtightness training:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KCaX3_LLo&list=PLlbW7jHE7jWlFDmoxJrWaybY5UqpYM68z&index=11
Step Code Solutions for Northern BC
LEEP Quesnel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAVW9irfPwY
Joe Hart, President, Icon Homes Ltd. shares his lessons learned on building an affordable high-performance home while incorporating the desired features to create maximum comfort. Joe’s bungalow is built to BC Energy Step Code for Part 9 Step 4 with an energy rating of 83 GJ/year.
Fort St. James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAVW9irfPwY
Shay Bulmer and Beau Jackson owners of Northern Homecraft Ltd. discuss the importance of working with an energy advisor and using a good mechanical design to build high performance homes. The home featured in Fort St. James is a CHBA Qualified Net Zero Ready Home and has achieved BC Energy Step Code for Part 9 Step 4.
CHBA North: https://docs.communityenergy.ca/wp-content/uploads/CaseStudies_CHBANorthernBC.2021FinalReport.pdf
- The Canadian Home Builders’ Northern BC Association covered the costs to the builder for an Energy Advisor (energy modelling, airtightness testing, incentives and labels) for ten projects *travel costs included
- Emphasis to work with builders in a variety of communities (size and location) throughout northern BC
- Two on-site mid-construction blower door test events were well attended by builders, building officials, EAs, designers and tradespersons, before COVID restrictions were enacted
- An online wrap-up event, ‘Step Code Solutions for Northern BC’ in partnership with the Community Energy Association on May 19, 2021, featured the 10 resulting case studies, builders sharing their experiences, and more than 100 registrations
More Case Study information on the Energy Step Code website
There were 4 "Best Practices for Working with an Energy Advisor" sessions held for industry and local government staff through Spring 2021. View the March 10, 2021 recording here: https://building-a-legacy-resources.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/WorkingwithanEA.mp4
PDF Document: Working with an Energy Advisor: Your roadmap to a High Performance Home
Find a local qualified energy advisor: https://betterhomesbc.ca/ea/
CEA partnered with Hamid Design Build (HDB) to construct a set of 10 mobile demonstration wall assemblies, wall to window intersections, 9 roof assemblies, and several below-grade mock-ups, to assist with hands-on education (see the technical booklets links below).
These mobile assemblies, and accompanying booklets, showcase various methods of improving energy efficiency and moisture performances, effective building envelope detailing at window to wall interface, penetrations, as well as steps to improve the long-term performance of the building envelope.
The assemblies represent a wide range of basic code-built to high-performance design and construction. No one assembly is the “correct” one as there are pros and cons of each which are dependent on a myriad of other factors such as location, climate, materials availability, budget, etc.
Technical Booklets:
Booklet_CEA_Roof_Assemblies_Final_Version.pdf
Booklet_CEA_Wall_Assemblies_Final_Version.pdf
CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program (Part 9) – Up to $15K for eligible new homes
See https://betterhomesbc.ca/rebates/cleanbc-new-construction/
CleanBC Commercial Express (Part 3) - https://betterbuildingsbc.ca/incentives/cleanbc-commercial-express-program/
targeted to operators of small and medium-sized businesses with interest in fuel switching
CleanBC GoElectric (Part 9 and Part 3)
https://electricvehicles.bchydro.com/incentives/charger-rebates -
CleanBC Better Buildings – Custom, Custom Lite, New Construction (Part 3)
rebates for home (single family and MURB) and workplace EV charging
FortisBC
https://www.fortisbc.com/rebates/home/new-home-construction?utm_campaign=newhome&utm_source=collateral&utm_content=newhomeew Home Program
Part 3 (and soon large Part 9) FortisBC Commercial New Construction program: https://www.fortisbc.com/cnc
*check with your energy advisor and building official for any additional local incentives
Quick Links
YouTube Channel
Building A Legacy playlist
BC Energy Step Code:
www.energystepcode.ca
BCIT - Zero Energy Buildings
https://commons.bcit.ca/zeroenergybuildings/videos
BC Housing Resources:
Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide
Technical Resources
StepWin: https://stepwin.ca
StepWin is a web-based tool with an intuitive interface for Step Code Evaluation.
Shift: http://shift.opentech.eco
Shift helps building industry participants, investors, and policy makers to:
- understand the changing building codes by city
- identify the changing component landscape
- realize new opportunities
Logos and images are available for your use. Please do not remove credit.
BC Energy Step Code Graphics:
High Performance House Graphic
HighPerformanceHouseGraphic.png
Building A Legacy:
BALlogo.png
BALheader.png
BALfooter.png
BALpresentation-image.png
Building A Legacy Tailgate:
For Local Government
Notified:
City of Terrace Sept 13, 2019
Town of Smithers Sept 4, 2019
City of Prince George Feb 19, 2020
District of Kitimat Nov 6, 2020
To notify, visit: https://energystepcode.ca/notification/
Council Presentations:
City of Prince George: June 14, 2021: view the presentation
Regional District Bulkley-Nechako: May 3, 2021
Vanderhoof: December 2, 2020
Prince Rupert: Nov 25, 2019
Prince George: Oct 2, 2019
Smithers: Aug 30, 2019
Contact us if you would like a council presentation: info@communityenergy.bc.ca
Other:
Terrace BCIT workshop: Feb 11, 2020
Kitimat Staff workshop: Oct 1, 2019
Read the Best Practices Guide for Local Governments
Why Notify?
- signal to market
- build energy advisor capacity
- better homes sooner for residents
There were 3 Deep Dive meetings in 2021 regarding Step Code in the North. Recordings of these meetings are available to Local Government staff through the SCPN website. Email ssedlowsky@communityenergy.bc.ca for access. There are 4 quarterly meetings per year and 4 or more deep dives on a variety of topics each year.
The mandate of the Step Code Peer Network is to support local governments to successfully implement the BC Energy Step Code by bringing local government staff together to support peer learning and knowledge sharing. The purpose of the BC Energy Step Code Local Government Peer Network is to:
- Accelerate local government understanding and adoption of the BC Energy Step Code
- Prepare local governments for successful implementation of the BC Energy Step Code
- Provide a communication channel between local governments and the Energy Step Code Council
The Building A Legacy (BAL) Toolkit, inspired by the successful BC Energy Step Code (ESC) engagement initiative carried out in the East Kootenay region of BC, has been prepared for local governments to assist the implementation of the ESC. In this guidebook you will find a general introduction to ESC, related Provincial and local government context, and a collection of implementation activities for use by municipalities.
On this BAL Toolkit webpage: www.communityenergy.ca/BAL, you will find free webinars, a link to the guidebook, and additional resources and customizable templates for use in your region’s ESC implementation program. This toolkit is applicable to all communities, large and small, seeking to implement ESC for new buildings.
Implementation of the toolkit is about building local capacity. Ideally there is staff support and resources to execute. Additional support and facilitation, can be provided by CEA. See the CEA Building A Legacy webpage for ideas about what might also work in your regional context: https://www.communityenergy.ca/projects/building-a-legacy/. We are happy to answer questions about this guide and or toolkit. To contact CEA directly, email us at info@communityenergy.bc.ca
- The Canadian Home Builders’ Northern BC Association covered the costs to the builder for an Energy Advisor (energy modelling, airtightness testing, incentives and labels) for ten projects *travel costs included
- Emphasis to work with builders in a variety of communities (size and location) throughout northern BC
- Two on-site mid-construction blower door test events were well attended by builders, building officials, EAs, designers and tradespersons, before COVID restrictions were enacted
- An online wrap-up event, ‘Step Code Solutions for Northern BC’ in partnership with the Community Energy Association on May 19, 2021, featured the 10 resulting case studies, builders sharing their experiences, and more than 100 registrations
See the Case Study here: https://docs.communityenergy.ca/wp-content/uploads/CaseStudies_CHBANorthernBC.2021FinalReport.pdf
More Case Study information on the Energy Step Code website
There were 4 "Best Practices for Working with an Energy Advisor" sessions held for industry and local government staff through Spring 2021. View the March 10, 2021 recording here: https://building-a-legacy-resources.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/WorkingwithanEA.mp4
There was a Deep Dive on May 12, 2021 of the Step Code Peer Network specifically addressing compliance and the role of EA in working with local government staff. Please see the Peer Network session for access.
PDF Document: Working with an Energy Advisor: Your roadmap to a High Performance Home
Find a local qualified energy advisor: https://betterhomesbc.ca/ea/
CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program (Part 9) – Up to $15K for eligible new homes
See https://betterhomesbc.ca/rebates/cleanbc-new-construction/
CleanBC Commercial Express (Part 3) - https://betterbuildingsbc.ca/incentives/cleanbc-commercial-express-program/
targeted to operators of small and medium-sized businesses with interest in fuel switching
CleanBC GoElectric (Part 9 and Part 3)
https://electricvehicles.bchydro.com/incentives/charger-rebates -
CleanBC Better Buildings – Custom, Custom Lite, New Construction (Part 3)
rebates for home (single family and MURB) and workplace EV charging
FortisBC
https://www.fortisbc.com/rebates/home/new-home-construction?utm_campaign=newhome&utm_source=collateral&utm_content=newhomeew Home Program
Part 3 (and soon large Part 9) FortisBC Commercial New Construction program: https://www.fortisbc.com/cnc
*check with your energy advisor and building official for any additional local incentives
