Energy Step Code
A building permit application for new construction must demonstrate compliance with the BC Energy Step Code, a provincial standard that provides an incremental and consistent approach to achieving more energy-efficient buildings.
New requirements July 1, 2021
On December 7, 2020, Council approved a low carbon approach to our implementation of the step code. This means new requirements July 1, 2021.
This table provides a summary of the requirements. For a more in-depth look at the requirements, review our December 7, 2020 staff report to Council.
| Building type | Description | Former requirement | Requirement as of July 1, 2021 * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 9 residential | Single family home, coach house, smaller townhouse | Step 3 | Step 5 OR Step 3 with a low carbon energy system ** |
| Part 3 residential | Larger multi-family and apartment projects | Step 3 ( Step 2 if rezoning is not required) | Step 4 OR Step 3 with a low carbon energy system ** |
| Part 3 commercial | Larger commercial, office, and retail buildings | Step 1 | Step 3 OR Step 2 with a low carbon energy system ** |
| Part 3 commercial | Significant renovations | No requirement | Step 1 |
| Public sector buildings | Schools, libraries, colleges, recreation centres, hospitals, and care centres | No requirement | Step 1 |
* The requirements do not apply to renovations in residential buildings, and are not retroactive
** A low carbon energy system (LCES) is one that uses primarily low carbon energy sources to provide heating, cooling, and hot water for a building, and has a total modelled greenhouse gas intensity of no more than 3kg CO2e/m2/yr
Incentives for Builders
All single family, duplex, and townhouse homes built to the District’s Step Code requirements qualify for minimum rebates of $5,000 to $10,000 per home under the Province’s CleanBC Better Homes New Construction Program, with additional rebates of $4,000 for new homes with no fossil fuel connection. Get more information and to apply.
Training Opportunities
Opportunities are listed on the BC Step Code Events Calendar.
Information for applicants in the District
Download the Step Code information guide for applicants
Required forms
Forms for Part 9 residential buildings
- Design verification report
- Part 9 compliance reports
- Home energy labels - To help raise consumer awareness about home energy performance, we require a home energy label, such as an EnerGuide Rating System label, to be affixed on or near the electrical panel within each dwelling unit.
Forms for Part 3 residential and commercial buildings
- Design verification report
- Part 3 energy design reports
- Energy benchmarking - To better understand the energy performance of buildings in the community, we require applicants to create an Energy Star Portfolio Manager profile of the proposed building(s) and share the property profile with the District prior to occupancy.
For more information on our benchmarking and labeling requirements, download the Step Code information guide for applicants.
More about the BC Energy Step Code
The BC Energy Step Code takes a new, performance-based approach rather than the traditional prescriptive approach.
The BC Energy Step Code does not specify how to construct a building, but identifies a building energy-efficiency target that must be met, and lets the designer/builder, working with an energy advisor, decide how to meet it
How to comply
To comply with the BC Energy Step Code, builders must use energy modelling software and on-site testing to demonstrate that both their design and the constructed building meet the requirements of the BC Energy Step Code.
The new standard empowers builders to pursue innovative, creative, cost-effective solutions, and allows them to incorporate leading-edge technologies as they come available.
Get complete details from the Province of BC
Find helpful industry resources from the Province's Building and Safety Standards Branch
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