Canadians are working hard to deploy innovative technologies that help to fight climate change and reduce costs. In the buildings sector, the Government of Canada is supporting innovation to decarbonize homes and other buildings while creating sustainable jobs and enhancing energy efficiency.
Today, Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced a combined federal investment of over $3 million for partners that are driving innovation for energy efficiency in buildings across British Columbia.
These investments include:
- $1,179,000 for Introba (formerly Integral Group) for a new construction demonstration program which is expected to result in the design and construction of eleven net-zero-energy-ready buildings across British Columbia. Additional support is being provided by the BC Ministry of Energy,
- $750,000 for the University of Victoria to develop, deploy and test an online platform to optimize design solutions for net-zero-energy-ready and high-performance buildings.
- $720,000 for the British Columbia Housing Management Commission to support a web-based database, thermalenvelope.ca, to reduce energy use in buildings by accurately calculating and reducing heat waste.
- $217,500 for QuadReal Property Group Limited Partnership to conduct a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study of a deep energy retrofit of a multi-unit high-rise residential building in Burnaby, British Columbia.
- $139,250 for the Greater Victoria Housing Society, and in partnership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, to undertake a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study to identify cost-effective deep energy retrofit solutions for Sitkum Terrace, an affordable senior's multi-unit residential building in Victoria.
Federal funding is provided through the Green Infrastructure - Energy Efficient Buildings Program. This program supports improvements in the design, renovation and construction of homes and buildings. The government is advancing the development and implementation of building codes for existing buildings and new net-zero-energy-ready buildings through research, development and demonstration projects across the nation.
Investments like these are helping Canadians in line with the upcoming Canada Green Buildings Strategy. Minister Wilkinson launched consultations on the strategy in 2022, which seeks to accelerate deep building retrofits, enhance building climate resilience, transform space and water heating, and build net-zero and climate-resilient buildings from the start, as Canada advances to a net-zero future by 2050.
