Canadian Home Builders Association Central Interior

*Please note, this is a recording of the webinar in November 2023 and was converted to an online recording format. If you attended the webinar and reported for CPD points, you cannot submit this recording of the webinar for CPD, because it would be repeat training.

More and more jurisdictions are implementing Building Energy Performance Standards to help address the poor energy efficiency of buildings—a key contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and overall energy consumption.

The BC Energy Step Code levels are incrementally increasing in municipalities throughout BC, causing builders and designers to explore various ways to increase thermal performance of new homes in BC.

While the BC Energy Step Code may seem restrictive or simply adding costs, it in fact offers increased design flexibility. But to capitalize on the opportunity for short-term and long-term savings, material and assembly selection is the key consideration.

This presentation explores a more comprehensive and integrated approach to building envelope and window energy performance, with a focus on ways to cost-optimize energy-efficiency by using fiberglass windows and fiberglass thermal spacers for exterior insulated walls.

Through a review of the BC Energy Step Code, this presentation will demonstrate how a ‘building-envelope-first’ design approach can help meet emerging Step Code levels as well as offset costs associated with high-performance materials.