Manitoba lagging on construction codes

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/08/2022 (1166 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After much delay, Canada’s 2020 National Model Construction Code for Buildings was released this spring. Alongside improved standards for structural integrity, safety, health and accessibility, this code guides new buildings toward a higher standard of energy efficiency, a crucial step in addressing climate change.

The 2020 codes present a new paradigm: they set out a range of criteria that includes the minimum standard (Tier 1), along with additional voluntary tiers that offer a progressive series of performance-based steps, culminating in “net-zero ready” buildings, which are so efficient that they can generate all the energy they need themselves if renewable energy equipment such as solar panels are installed.

Performance-based, as opposed to prescriptive, pathways to compliance allow architects and engineers to get creative in how to meet energy-efficiency targets.

A tiered code allows jurisdictions to select a tier that aligns with their energy and carbon-reduction strategies without having to develop their own unique codes. In addition, the higher tiers make it possible for forward-thinking builders and designers to target higher energy performance.

Manitobans should welcome the arrival of the new codes. The Model National Codes are updated every five years, and ensure that our building stock improves over time. Unfortunately, Manitoba never adopted the codes released in 2015/17; we are among the last in Canada to still be using the 2010 codes.

Provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan have benefitted for years from the assurance that newly constructed buildings in their province meet a contemporary standard of energy efficiency.

In May 2021, the government passed the Building and Electrical Permitting Improvement Act, which commits Manitoba to adopting the 2020 National Model Construction Codes within 24 months of release. Although this bill was passed, it was never made law. The government has not offered any explanation for this delay.

There is an urgency to quickly advancing the energy performance of new construction, as buildings last a long time and emit greenhouse gases year after year. Despite the impacts of climate change, buildings will still require heating in the winter, and cooling needs in the summer will increase.

We must ensure the buildings we construct today are highly energy efficient and will not have to be retrofitted in the future to reduce energy costs and emissions. Retrofitting an existing building is more expensive and disruptive than making energy efficiency modifications at the design stage.

A long-standing argument against the adoption of more stringent energy-efficiency standards is that it will increase the cost of buildings, translating into a higher cost of living for homeowners, and higher overhead costs for businesses. This argument fails to appreciate the operational savings in heating and cooling a building over its lifetime far exceed the upfront cost of better insulation and more efficient mechanical equipment.

As the prices of natural gas and electricity continue to increase, this argument gets even weaker. Energy poverty, in which a household spends a disproportionate amount of its income on energy, is increasing across Canada, and more stringent energy codes play an important part in addressing that.

Those who resist more stringent energy codes demonstrate a lack of understanding of the role buildings play in climate action. The status quo must no longer be an option. Although many developers take a progressive approach to energy efficiency, a race-to-the-bottom mentality persists in some sectors.

Concerns about industry readiness are overblown. A partnership involving the Manitoba Environmental Industries Association, RRC Polytech, Efficiency Manitoba, Manitoba Home Builders’ Association, the Manitoba Construction Sector Council, prairieHOUSE Performance and Sustainable Building Manitoba is set to rapidly expand the training of certified energy advisers.

Manitoba’s construction industry has already demonstrated its ability to build to a high standard of energy efficiency. We are home to one of the world’s most efficient office towers (Manitoba Hydro Place) and are a per-capita leader in installation of ground-source heat pumps.

The 2020 energy code represents a critical step toward a sustainable future, but much more is needed for us to do our part in the fight against climate change. Immediate action is needed to decarbonize the entire building sector, including all the buildings that already exist. This is a monumental challenge in and of itself; we need to ensure what we build tomorrow doesn’t make that challenge any tougher.

Sustainable Building Manitoba encourages the province to swiftly adopt the versatile 2020 energy code, and encourages municipalities to show leadership by setting the bar higher and adopting the standards of the higher tiers. Right now the Manitoba government is on track to adopt the 2015/17 codes on Nov. 1, rather than moving directly to the 2020 codes. It is accepting comments on its plans for code adoption until Aug. 16.

Cindy Choy is the chair of Sustainable Building Manitoba, and previously served as director of the Manitoba Green Building Program.