“Remember, this is not a race,” one interviewee said. “Market transformation is the long game.”
The source recommended anyone considering a performance-based tiered energy code plan ahead and map out the initial years of implementation.
“Take account of political deadlines, such as elections, and major events and milestones when it might be prudent to ‘press pause’ on outreach and engagement or, on the other end, catalyze a lot of interest and engagement,” the source added.
Lesson 9: This is a change-management process
The team knew there would be speed bumps on the road to market transformation, and so they worked to create a pathway for everyone, one interviewee said.
“This is a big market transformation. But if you are honest with all the stakeholders, if you tell them that you are aware that it will be tough for some, and you are still proceeding, then you can get people to come to the table,” added the interviewee.
Lesson 10: Continue to refine and improve the code over time
The 2017 Metrics Report revealed some minor issues and loopholes with the standard. For example, the team discovered, without adjustments, builders in the province’s subarctic northern communities would not be able to reach the net-zero, energy-ready target. The spreadsheets also revealed, in certain circumstances, larger detached homes built to meet the requirements of the BC Energy Step Code could potentially use more energy than those built to minimum code requirements.
The council’s technical subcommittee recommended a series of adjustments to make it easier for builders in the province’s cold northern regions to meet the requirements of the upper steps and to close the loophole described above. After a bit of back and forth, the council agreed on the adjustments and forwarded them to the province, which adopted them in late 2018.
“It is important to build in some flexibility,” one interviewee said. “There is no possible way we can get everything right and that acknowledgement will be important for others.”
Further, it is not just the code’s technical metrics that have evolved and expanded – they are now available for many more building types in all areas of the province. The Energy Step Code Council itself has expanded and welcomed new members. In short, the body is continuing to evolve in response to feedback from within its ranks and the larger stakeholder community.
Market transformation is underway
British Columbia’s ongoing experiment is a vote of confidence in built-environment professionals. It is proving if all industry and local government stakeholders are given clear direction and offered adequate supports, they will step up. They will learn new techniques and strategies, and innovate and optimize costs so they can be ready to deliver on the new requirements before they come into force.
The BC Energy Step Code is steadily building industry capacity to deliver exceptionally energy-efficient buildings. As the sector increases its familiarity and comfort with new practices, the associated incremental construction cost premiums of these buildings will also come down. Eventually, very high-performance homes, offices, stores, and other buildings will not be the ‘boutique’ products they are in British Columbia, and elsewhere in Canada. They will be the norm (This article was adapted from the report Lessons from the BC Energy Step Code: How British Columbia became the first North American jurisdiction to create a regulated pathway to net-zero energy-ready buildings. James Glave and Robyn Wark co-authored the report for the Energy Step Code Council in June 2019 with funding support from BC Hydro and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). It is available free of charge at www.energystepcode.ca. This website has a lot of free resources on thermal breaks, air leakage, best construction practices, and many more topics applicable to every building type in Canada).
As principal of Glave Strategies (glave.com), James Glave provides support to companies, industry associations, organizations, and governments working to grow the low-carbon economy. Glave collaborates with other independent creative professionals to produce resources and campaigns that capture attention and build profile, influence, and support for climate solutions in business and policy-maker audiences. Glave can be reached at james@glave.com.
Robyn Wark is the co-vice-chair of the Energy Step Code Council, and the team lead for the Sustainable Communities Program at BC Hydro (bchydro.com). The program helps create healthy, affordable, and low-carbon communities by partnering with governments and industry associations to develop strategies to increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and transform markets. Wark can be reached at robyn.wark@bchydro.com.
