Re: Sooke politicians won’t step up to energy code anytime soon (Online, Feb. 28)
B.C.’s Energy Step Code is an innovative opt-in regulation that enables local governments to pursue improved levels of performance for new homes and buildings.
Created in collaboration with industry, municipalities, and civil society, it’s the first roadmap to federal and provincial goals mandating all new buildings should meet net-zero energy ready standards by 2030 or 2032.
Net-zero energy ready buildings are so efficient they could produce on-site (or nearby) as much energy as they consume over the course of a year. Think solar panels on the roof or on the canopy of an adjacent parking lot, for example.
Across Canada, energy-efficient homes and buildings are generating multiple benefits: better air quality, reduced mould and moisture, more affordable heating costs, etc. A national energy step code could help accelerate this market transformation.
Tom-Pierre Frappé-Sénéclauze
Pembina Institute