Energy Efficiency in Building Codes

Author

Michael Lio, Chris Wanless, Dolly Gerrior

Organization

Consumers Council of Canada (CCC)

Published

2007

Summary

Building legislation during the early 1900s was at best an inconsistent hodgepodge of bylaws set by each municipality in response to regional climate, consumer demand, and industry ability. The release of the first National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) in 1941 was a response to the demands from consumers throughout the early part of the 20th Century for a unified set of model national building standards. Almost 100 years later, Canada faces a remarkably similar situation with no model energy efficient requirements that are referenced within the National Building Code. While Model Energy Codes exist for buildings and for houses, they have never been adopted by the NBCC which forms the basis for provincial regulations across the country. Like the early 1900s, a small minority of provinces and municipalities have adopted varying levels of mandatory efficiency without the benefit of guidance from the national model code. The consumer interest with regards to energy efficiency provisions in building codes has not been well examined in Canada. Consumer representatives on national and provincial code committees have operated largely in a vacuum as this issue is debated. They have not benefited from primary research which examines the consumer opinion in this regard. The National Building Code has established four primary objectives for itself: health, safety, accessibility, and the protection of the building. Building codes are now considered instruments of social policy, which work to achieve national and international goals. The code has been transformed from a necessary document for the modernization of an industry to a comprehensive system for meeting the needs of consumers, builders, and society at large. While all of this may be true, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility remain outside the scope of the National Building Code of Canada despite both being national and international goals.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

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Source: Consumer Policy Research Database