Evolution of energy efficiency requirements in the BC building code /

Evolution of Energy Efficiency Requirements in the BC Building Code Tom-Pierre Frappé-Sénéclauze • Josha MacNab Pembina Institute July 2015 The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions gratefully acknowledges the generous endowment provided by the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Environment in 2008. [...] The 90.1 standard is adopted, by reference, by the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), developed by the International Code Council in the US The IECC applies both to commercial and residential buildings, but is mostly used in the US to set a standard for energy use in residential buildings, while ASHRAE 90.1 is used for commercial and multi-family high rise buildings.vi Canada’s first e [...] Aspects of the building’s energy systems, like sizing of heating equipment, insulation levels and window thermal breaks, were gradually integrated, but mostly for the purpose of ensur- ing building durability and the health and comfort of the occupants. [...] The rest of the savings were to come from other policies, such as provincial and federal energy efficiency regulations for equipment, LiveSmart BC incentives, utility demand-side management plans, and actions taken under the BC Climate Action Plan, such as the instigation of the carbon tax.xvii In September 2012, BC launched a new edition of the provincial building code (BCBC-2012); at its release [...] This advance notice of the next code incre- ment can be very useful in preparing for the higher level of performance required, particularly for manufacturers, who can get a head start in preparing the next line of energy efficient products.xlii As the province advanced energy codes, so did the City of Toronto.