National Energy Code Now Freely Accessible Online

Published on December 07, 2018

In a recent news release from the National Research Council of Canada, it was announced that the latest edition of the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings is now freely accessible online for all Canadians to read.

With this change, it has become the first time that a national building code has been uploaded online with free access for all Canadians, and is set to provide the Federal Government with the possibility of evaluating the benefits of moving towards a freely-accessible efficiency model.

“Through this process, we hope to leverage the information gathered, and compare the results to the experiences of other countries,” said the release.

As an example, the release says that allowing for free access to building codes in Australia has been shown to be linked to formidable gains for the economy and for productivity.

With free access to the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB), Canada looks to build on its commitment to: grow the economy, increase its resilience to climate change, and meet targets for emissions reductions - as laid out in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change.

The NECB has a long-term strategy planned, where it will guide the building industry towards energy efficient designs, technology, and construction practices, through a periodic increase in energy efficiency targets for buildings and homes.  

This long-term strategy will also involve the development of a model code, which will be set to address the energy efficiency of buildings when they undergo renovations.

For Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Natural Resources, Energy efficiency is what he calls the ultimate win-win, as it helps bolster Canada’s economy while also protecting the environment.

“[Energy efficiency] leaves more money in consumers’ pockets and creates quality jobs for Canadians, while reducing pollutants and stimulating innovation in our growing building sector,” said Sohi.

Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, has said that the cost of purchasing building codes has made it harder for small businesses to succeed and grow; which is why access to the National Building Codes is now being made free.

“This will reduce the costs to business, encourage innovation, increase Canadians’ comfort and wellbeing, while reducing pollution,” said Bains.

Home Efficiency Upgrades Improve Affordability

According to a report that was recently released from the Canadian Senate, electricity that is used in Canadian homes and buildings accounts for 17 percent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The burning of fossil fuels for space heating is the largest contributor to this amount. However, by improving your home’s level of energy efficiency, you can contribute to reducing Canada’s amount of yearly greenhouse gas emissions, and also make your home more affordable in the process.

The first step to improving your home’s level of energy efficiency is to contact a building envelope consulting firm, such as BSG, and have a Home Energy Assessment conducted by a Registered Energy Advisor. Through the assessment, you can see just how efficient your home truly is, and an advisor can obtain all the information about your home they need, in order to present you with a list of possible energy saving solutions for you to consider - ranked in order of cost-effectiveness.

By taking advantage of the home renovation rebates that are currently available to both Enbridge and Union Gas customers, you can also see a return on your efficiency-improving investments even sooner.