May 20, 2008

British Columbia “greens” its building code

John Gracey

staff writer

The British Columbia government is taking steps to make the province a greener place to live.

On April 15, 2008, the minister responsible for housing, Rich Coleman, announced new Building Code requirements that will come into effect on September 5, 2008. Claiming to “green the B.C. Building Code,” these first steps are designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions related to all construction.

“Greening the B.C. Building code will reduce the environmental footprint of buildings and will lower energy bills for British Columbians,” said Coleman.

The new requirements are focused in two key areas: energy and water efficiency.

When the legislation comes into effect, single-family, small multi-family, commercial and industrial buildings will all have new insulation standards to improve energy efficiency.

High-rise multi-family residential buildings and larger industrial, commercial and institutional buildings will also have new insulation standards to improve energy efficiency.

To meet the water efficiency requirements, ultra low-flow toilets (6L) and other water-saving plumbing fixtures and fittings will become mandatory in new construction and renovations.

When it comes to housing, builders can opt out of the insulation requirement by achieving an EnerGuide Rating System rating of 77. The EnerGuide system applies computer software to consider the building as a system, and includes an energy efficiency rating.

Builders will have the choice of combining different building materials and techniques to achieve the EnerGuide rating of 77.

When it comes to high-rise residential buildings and larger commercial buildings, builders must meet the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers 90.1 standard – ASHRAE 90.1. This is an internationally recognized standard for energy efficiency that applies to numerous building components, including the building envelope, heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, water heating, power and lighting.

So what does all this have to do with LEED? Although the new Building Code requirements follow the spirit of LEED, the new Code does not go as far as the LEED standards. For example, LEED considers secondary elements of a building such as landscaping and sewer when assessing a building for LEED status.

As well, LEED buildings are graded based on bronze, silver, gold and platinum ratings. A building that complies with the new Building Code will not necessarily meet these ratings.

However, as Lyle Kuhnert from B.C.’s Office of Housing and Construction Standards points out, the greening of the Building Code is a starting point. The Code “has introduced new objectives. Previously, the Code addressed issues such as health and safety. This is a first step in going beyond traditional Building Code regulations.”

– RCD Digital Media

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