It ain’t easy being green, but it’s even tougher when you’re trying to figure out how green others want you to be.
That’s the dilemma many builders find themselves in this fall following several months in which the province lacked a functioning government and decisions critical to future planning went unmade.
Among the business left untouched was implementation of the B.C. Energy Step Code, which became effective on April 11, 2017, but requires the province’s 162 municipalities to pass bylaws that tell local builders what’s expected of them.
The bylaws can take effect from December 15, 2017, but few if any municipalities have taken action.
“You’ve got municipalities that have been asked to commit to this thing in some way, shape or form and they haven’t been adequately backgrounded yet,” said Ron Rapp, vice-president of construction with Morningstar Homes Ltd. in Coquitlam. “Some municipalities have said, ‘Well, we’re not sure how this is going to work out or how the mechanics are going to fly, so we’re not going to do anything about it.’”
Since the legislation governing the new code is a provincial matter, Rapp said it’s up to staff with the building and safety standards branch within the B.C. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to explain its requirements to municipalities, industry and other stakeholders.
But the new government is still getting up to speed following the election.
“They’re doing their best, and I honestly believe the people involved are sincere in their efforts of trying to make that happen, but there are all kinds of things that bump in the way, not least of which was a provincial election,” Rapp said. “Having a non-government for the better part of three or four months did not help when we were in the middle of a code change.”
Industry largely supports the new code, which provides a framework that will allow municipalities to set local standards that work from a provincial baseline towards a common goal.
Step 1 is a mere improvement over the existing code, while the second step is a 10% improvement in efficiency. Step 3 specifies a 20% improvement and Step 4 is a 40% improvement. Step 5 prepares builders to construct homes that have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2032.
Rather than mandate particular building practices or materials, the code is performance-based. Builders are free to choose how to achieve the performance targets. Home efficiency is measured in the number of kilowatt hours per square metre it requires, the security of its envelope and how airtight it is.
“[It’s] a function of the efficiency of the HVAC [heating, ventilating and air conditioning] equipment, the tightness of the envelope, the degree of insulation … all these different things,” Rapp explained.
A professional designated as a certified energy adviser must sign off on plans that meet performance models; then the final structure is checked with a blower door test costing as much as $1,100.
Rapp said most of the 100 to 250 homes Morningstar builds annually likely meet the first step of the code. Steps 3 and higher are more expensive propositions.
Yet the higher steps will make little difference to Larry Clay, president of Clay Construction Inc. in Langley and incoming chair of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association. Clay completes about 10 houses a year at an average cost of $1.3 million each. Many incorporate features that meet requirements for the R-2000 insulation standard, net zero and even passive ratings.
“It’s hard to say it’s going to cost more because it all depends on what my clients want,” he said. “But if the reference point is a current code-built house to what’s going to be allowed a few years from now, then yeah, you’re going to be looking at a slight increase to achieve that.”
Clay said he thinks the new code will ultimately mean better houses for consumers, but not overnight.
Rapp agrees.
“I don’t believe it’s going to be a slam dunk. I think it’s going to take a year to 24 months to filter in and become part of the daily grind of doing business,” he said.
It should also be a simpler, data-driven standard that will help buyers to know what they’re getting.
“There’s a performance aspect that’s tied to this thing, [so] you either hit those numbers or you don’t,” he said. “It becomes a much more identifiable target rather than trying to estimate how you get there from here.”
