Better Buildings - Resources for Designers, Builders & Residents

Energy and Zero Carbon Step Codes in Richmond

Part 9 Residential Buildings

City of Richmond Regulatory Compliance Options

Energy Step Code requirements for Part 9 building units are defined by Section 9.36.6 of the BC Building Code.

Building Permit application acceptable to the City:

Submitted Jul 1, 2022 to Oct 30, 2023	Submitted on or after Oct 31, 2023
Step 5 ^(a) OR Step 4 ^(b) OR Step 3 ^(b) + LCES^(c)	Step 5 ^(a)(d) + EL-2 OR Step 4 ^(b) + EL-3 OR Step 3 ^(b) + EL-4
(a) Building envelope performance requirement can be achieved using all compliance pathways defined in BCBC. (b) Building envelope performance requirement must be achieved using the TEDI compliance pathway. Natural-gas fueled space heating systems must be modelled as the primary system. (c) See definition of “Low Carbon Building Energy System” for Part 9 buildings on p.40-41 of City of Richmond Bylaw No.7230. (d) Natural-gas fueled space heating systems can be modelled as a "back-up" system.

Zero Carbon Step Code requirements for Part 9 building units (as modelled), are defined by Section 9.37 of the BC Building Code:

EL-2: ≤ 1,050 kg CO2e, OR ≤ 6 kg CO2e/m2 of conditioned floor area AND ≤ 2,400 kg CO2e per housing unit per year.
EL-3: ≤ 440 kg CO2e, OR ≤ 2.5 kg CO2e/m2 of conditioned floor area AND ≤ 800 kg CO2e per housing unit per year.
EL-4: ≤ 265 kg CO2e, OR ≤ 1.5 kg CO2e/m2 of conditioned floor area AND ≤ 500 kg CO2e per housing unit per year.

Table - Greenhouse gas emissions compliance options

Graph - Max GHGs per housing unit Note:
GHG emissions from natural gas space heating and hot water heating are included in the totals above.
Gas stoves and other ancillary uses of natural gas are not affected by these requirements.

Part 3 Buildings

City of Richmond Requirements

Energy Step Code requirements for Part 3 building units are defined by Section 10.2.3 of the BC Building Code.

Effective Date	Jul 1, 2022 to Oct 30, 2023	On or after Oct 31, 2023
Office & Retail Buildings	Step 3 OR Step 2 + LCES^(d)	Step 3 + EL-1 OR Step 2 + EL-2
Residential Wood-frame Low/Mid-Rise	Step 4 OR Step 3 + LCES^(d)	Step 4 + EL-1 OR Step 3 + EL-2
Residential Concrete Towers	Step 3 OR Step 2 + LCES^(d)	Step 3 + EL-1 OR Step 2 + EL-2
Hotels & Motels	Step 3 OR Step 2 + LCES^(d)	Step 4 + EL-1 OR Step 3 + EL-2 OR Step 2 + EL-3
LCES: Low-Carbon Energy System ^(d) See definition of "Low Carbon Building System" on p.40 of City of Richmond Bylaw No. 7230

Zero Carbon Step Code requirements for Part 3 building are defined by Section 10.3 of the BC Building Code.

Table - Max GHGI of the building

Bulletins

Regulation	Reference Bulletins (Provided in PDF format)
Energy Step Code	Requirements at Rezoning and Development Permit Stages (DevApps-13) Part 9 Buildings Overview (Building-37) Part 9 Single Family Dwellings and Duplexes (Building-38) Part 9 Townhouses and Apartments (Building-39) Part 9 Residential Drawings (Air-barrier Details) (Building-43) Part 3 Buildings (Building-40)
Energy Step Code, NECB ASHRAE 90.1	Energy Efficiency Requirements for Part 3 Buildings (Building-48)
High-Performance Incentives	Incentives for New High-Performance Single-Family and Duplex Dwellings (Building-46)

Webinars

Virtual Builders' Breakfasts

Builders' Breakfasts are the City's main venue for connecting with designers, builders, and energy advisors in Richmond.

Upcoming Sessions
We will have our next Builders' Breakfast soon. Contact energysave@richmond.ca for more details.

Previous Sessions

City of Richmond Builders' Breakfast Summer 2023 – Recommended Requirements on Energy Step Code
2022 Step Code Requirements and Incentives	Update on Richmond's Energy Step Code Requirements July 2022 Building Bylaw
2022–2025 Energy Step Code Requirements for Part 9 Buildings \| Workshop #2	Introduction to the Passive House Standard
City of Richmond's High-Performance Incentives	Building to the Passive House Standard
Performance Testing and Labeling of Windows, Doors and Skylights in Canada	Best Practices in Air Barrier Design, Installation and Testing
Exterior Air Barrier and Insulation Strategies	High-Performance, Low-Carbon Mechanical Systems
Integrated Design Process: An Introduction	What Does It Take to Build a High-Performance House?

Building Matters

Building Matters brings you the latest in research on the environmental footprint of buildings, with a focus on implications for policy development and implementation.

Upcoming Sessions
Coming soon.

Previous Sessions

Are Cities Underestimating Their GHG Emissions?	Efficiency First: Europe's Approach to Decarbonizing the Built Environment
Net-Zero Energy Buildings: Will Canada's New Codes Give Us What We Need?	Embodied Emissions of Building to the BC Energy Step Code