On Monday, December 11, 2023, Colwood Council took the first step toward adoption of the BC Zero Carbon Step Code for new construction in 2024.
The BC Energy Step Code is a provincial standard that provides an incremental and consistent approach to achieving more energy-efficient buildings that go beyond the requirements of the base BC Building Code. It does so by establishing a series of measurable, performance-based energy-efficiency requirements for new construction.
The Step Code will become part of the BC Building Code by 2032, and municipalities can take a leadership role by adopting steps to advance the energy efficiency of new homes being built in their community now rather than requiring new home owners to retrofit buildings later, which can be more complex and costly.
Through the Clean BC provincial initiative, new buildings in BC will need to meet the Zero Carbon Step code emissions level 4 (EL-4) by 2030 if not adopted by local governments ahead of that time.
Consultation has been ongoing with representatives of the building industry to incorporate their feedback into Colwood's approach to implementation of BC's Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code.
What types of regulations will this include for new home construction?
The most impactful reductions to emissions in new construction can be made through electrifying home heating and hot water systems. A change to Zero Carbon Step EL-4 means that these systems are required to be electric.
Supporting homeowners to retrofit existing homes
The City is also developing a plan to support residents reducing emissions in existing homes. This approach will also be guided by a retrofit code being developed now by the Province.
Existing buildings contribute substantially to greenhouse gas emissions in BC. In the City of Colwood Climate foundations report, residential buildings alone accounted for 16,057 tonnes of C02 in 2018.
Learn more
Learn more about the steps Colwood is taking to become a climate action leader in the Colwood Climate Action Plan.
Interested in exploring options to improve the energy efficiency of your Colwood home right now? Have a look at the Home Energy Navigator. You'll find information about the process as well as links to rebates, grants and other incentives.
Media Contact
Sandra Russell, Communications Manager
srussell@colwood.ca
Find this release online at www.colwood.ca/News
Subscribe for Colwood news at www.colwood.ca/Subscribe
Follow @CityofColwood on facebook twitter and instagram
