ENERGY CODE EVOLUTION IN CANADA: Heading To Net Zero Energy Ready

摘要

Canada will soon develop Net Zero Energy Ready and energy codes for existing buildings, the latter called Alterations to Existing Buildings or AEB. In Canada, each Province and Territory develops and publishes its own energy code, based on the national model. Toronto and British Columbia developed their own energy code versions, called Tiered or Step codes, that promote more progressive energy use levels. The inclusion of intensity metrics, often found in advanced codes, can cause confusion amongst designers/builders and inconsistency between provinces particularly for carbon intensity metrics. Can a new-tiered national energy code bring consistency across Canada? Can this code be a starting point in creating the AEB code or will AEB evolve from benchmarking, since it will impact a much larger audience? What compliance path will these codes adopt? Will mandatory reporting be integral to their requirements? Can/will voluntary programs (e.g. LEED) inform these codes? Will AEB codes provide concrete solutions for improvement or resume to stating the minimum requirements for professionals to interpret? Should Carbon intensities be factored into these codes? The authors will analyze these questions in their quest to discover the industry's role in ensuring that the energy codes are effectively adopted/enforced.