The Province of BC has set the goal for all new buildings to be net zero energy ready by 2032. To achieve this, they introduced the BC Energy Step Code as a phased approach to requiring newly constructed buildings to be increasingly energy efficient. Over time, these requirements will become part of the BC Building Code and the National Building Code of Canada for new buildings.
Colwood takes the next step in requiring energy efficient buildings
The City of Colwood recognizes we are facing a climate emergency, as we experience more extreme weather events such as flooding, sea level rise, heat waves, drought, and wildfires that put people and infrastructure at risk.
We know from the draft Low Carbon Colwood plan that homes are one of the main contributors to our community's greenhouse gas emissions, second only to vehicles, so making new homes more energy efficient is a logical step toward carbon reduction.
On November 28, 2022, Colwood Council voted unanimously to adopt "Low Carbon Step Code Approach" for newly constructed homes in Colwood, coming into effect in the summer of 2023. This means new homes being built will likely need to be heated by electricity rather than fossil fuels such as natural gas.
Considering housing affordability
In 2020, Colwood began consulting with the building community and other stakeholders to understand their perspectives. This has informed the City's approach to Step Code implementation.
Based on input from local heating and cooling experts, the added cost to install a clean energy heat pump rather than a natural gas furnace is estimated at $6,000 to $10,000. That equates to about a 1% increase in construction costs for a typical home being built in Colwood in recent years.
In addition to playing a key role in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, homes heated by clean energy sources such as heat pumps are also expected to result in significant savings for homeowners in operating costs over time.
Learn more
Read more about The BC Energy Step Code in Colwood and about other actions the City of Colwood is taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while preparing for and managing the impacts of our changing climate at: Colwood Council endorses new Draft Low Carbon Resilience Plan
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Media Contact
Sandra Russell, Communications Manager
srussell@colwood.ca
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