Building A Legacy North - Community Energy Association

Support for Step Code Implementation

The Building A Legacy North initiative, a collaboration of Community Energy Association (CEA) and Canadian Home Builders Association (CHBA) of Northern BC supports implementation the BC Energy Step Code in Northern BC through training and support of the building industry and local governments. Find training opportunities, case studies, technical booklets, and program updates in the North. Funding for Building A Legacy North generously provided by BC Hydro.

The video below features the Prince George Hospice Palliative Care Society Dream Home, which was built to Step 3 of the Energy Step Code.

Program Updates

June 2021 update

In the News

Should you be pumped about heat pumps? - Prince George Citizen, May 4, 2022

Regional District Fraser Fort George adopts Step 1 of Step Code for April 1, 2022

Fort St. James homeowners leading the way with energy efficient homes
Caledonia Courier Nov 30, 2021

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Events & Training

Find upcoming events & training.

What is the BC Energy Step Code?

Share this video with your community and clients: https://youtu.be/3J8nP_owhgU

For Industry & Local Government

Webinar Recordings

Step-Up to Step Code Week:

A one-hour session delivered to elected officials by northern-based builders, an energy advisor, and CHBA Northern BC, discussing how they are already succeeding at Step Code’s performance pathway to achieve energy efficient, high performance homes

Recording from April 13

Marketing High Performance, Energy Efficient Homes

Recording from February 24, 2022

Building a House as a System: Achieving Net Zero in Cranbrook, BC

Recording from February 15, 2022

Building a House as a System:

Case-Study-Net-Zero-home.pdf

Residential Solar PV Systems: Demystified

Recording from February 10, 2022

Residential Solar PV Systems Demystified:

CHBAN-Feb-14_22_Sess-PV-Demyst.pdf

Find the NRCan LEEP Planning and Decision Guide for Solar PV

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

Recording from March 10, 2021

Working with an Energy Advisor:
workingwithEA-Final.pdf

Cold Climate Case studies

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

Building A Legacy YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlbW7jHE7jWlFDmoxJrWaybY5UqpYM68z

More Case Study information on the Energy Step Code website

Working with an Energy Advisor

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

3 min Video: What it Takes to Become an Energy Advisor- Building A Legacy

Find a local qualified energy advisor: https://betterhomesbc.ca/ea/

Building Envelope Mock-Up Assemblies: Roof and Wall Technical Booklets

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.

Technical Booklets:
Booklet_CEA_Roof_Assemblies_Final_Version.pdf
Booklet_CEA_Wall_Assemblies_Final_Version.pdf

New Build Incentive Programs

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

BCHydro
https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/business/programs/new-home.html

*check with your energy advisor and building official for any additional local incentives

BC Energy Step Code Resources

Additional resources can be found at: www.energystepcode.ca

Bulletin1-HomeEnergyLabelling-July2018.pdf
Poster_BCSTEPCODE_STEPS_cleanBC_targets.pdf
STEP_BuilderMiniBrochure_v04.pdf
StepCode_Step3_-6_Strategies_poster.pdf

Specifically for Local Government

Northern Step Code Dashboard

Step Code Adopted:

Regional District of Fraser Fort George- Step 1, Part 9 as of April 1, 2022

City of Prince George- Step 1, Part 9 and Part 3 as of September 1, 2022

Council & Board Presentations:

Peace River Regional District: August 11, 2022
Cariboo Regional District: July 8, 2022
Regional District Fraser Fort George: April 28, 2022
Fort St. John: Aug 23, 2021
Dawson Creek: Aug 23, 2022
Prince George: June 14, 2021: view the presentation
Regional District Bulkley-Nechako: May 3, 2021 & April 28, 2022
Vanderhoof: December 2, 2020
Prince Rupert: Nov 25, 2019
Prince George: Oct 2, 2019
Smithers: Aug 30, 2019

Other:

Terrace BCIT workshop: Feb 11, 2020
Kitimat Staff workshop: Oct 1, 2019

Read the Best Practices Guide for Local Governments

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/

Why Notify?

signal to market
build energy advisor capacity
better homes sooner for residents

Step Code Peer Network

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

Building A Legacy Toolkit

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