2010 Energy Targets

The BC Energy Plan supports reducing electricity
consumption by raising awareness and enhancing the efforts of
utilities, local governments and building industry partners in British
Columbia toward conservation and energy efficiency. The following
policy actions are of particular interest to the building sector and to
ESP:

• Policy action 2:  Ensure a coordinated approach to conservation and efficiency is actively pursued in British Columbia.
• Policy action 5:  Implement Energy Efficiency Standards for Buildings for 2010
• Policy
  action 6:  Undertake a pilot project for energy performance labeling of
  homes and buildings in coordination with local and federal governments,
  First Nations, and industry associations.
• Policy action 7: 
  New provincial public sector buildings will be required to integrate
  environmental design to achieve the highest standards for greenhouse
  gas emission reductions, water conservation and other building
  performance results such as a certified standard.
• Policy action 9:  Increase participation of local governments in the Community Action on Energy Efficiency Program and expand the First Nations and Remote Community Clean Energy Program

> > Read the plan - www.energyplan.gov.bc.ca

Energy Efficient Buildings: A Plan for BC

In
the 2002 Energy Plan, the Province set out to update and expand its
Energy Efficiency Act and work with the building industry, governments
and others to improve energy efficiency in new and existing buildings.
In September 2005, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum
Resources (MEMPR) released its strategy, Energy Efficient Buildings: A Plan for BC. This
strategy will lower energy costs for new and existing buildings by $127
million in 2010 and $474 million in 2020, and reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 2.3 million tonnes in 2020.

The Province
initiated ten policy and market measures in partnership with the
building industry, energy consumer groups, utilities, non-governmental
organizations, and the federal government to address barriers,
including:

• Information, education and capacity building;
• Energy pricing and incentives;
• Voluntary measures; and,
• Energy Efficiency Act amendments for building components and equipment.

The
strategy sets targets for increased energy efficiency in new and
existing buildings across the province and aims to complement and
expand upon local, provincial and federal energy efficiency programs.

2010 Energy Targets

The
strategy raised $15 million from the federal Opportunities Envelope
over two years (until March 31, 2007). Instrumental in MEMPR's
successful bid for federal funding was the leadership demonstrated by
utilities and industry and the provincial government in the form of
energy efficiency expenditures and provincial sales tax exemptions of
$85 million. Also, $20 million was invested for clean energy in First
Nations and remote communities.

MEMPR programs resulting from the strategy include the following:

• Community Action on Energy Efficiency Program (policy support and information for 31 local governments);
• Market transformation program for windows (targeting Energy Star levels by 2009);
• Market transformation program for residential heating systems (Energy Star levels by 2008);
• First Nation and Remote Community Clean Energy program (10 communities);
• Energy Savings Plan (information and incentive program for homeowners, low-income households, strata councils and small commercial buildings);
• Energy
  Performance Design Assistance for New Building Construction (for
  institutional, commercial, industrial and multi-unit residential
  buildings);
• Built Green BC and EnerGuide for New Homes Program (for new low-rise residential buildings);
• BOMA Green Buildings Foundation (for existing commercial and institutional buildings);
• Expansion of Green Buildings BC program (for government, education and health care buildings); and
• A number of industry training programs.

In
partnership with over 70 public and private sector organizations, the
strategy implemented a “market transformation” approach for achieving
energy efficiency targets to create a permanent social shift toward an
energy conserver culture. The strategy will have the following impacts
on the community:

• Reduce consumer energy costs by up to $127 million in 2010 and $474 million in 2020;
• Address energy costs in remote and First Nations communities;
• Create up to 52,000 person-years of skilled employment in BC between 2005 and 2020;
• Inject
  about $2.5 billion into the economy in 2020 ($660 million in 2010),
  with energy savings exceeding those investments by $1.2 billion in 2020;
• Reduce electricity demand by up to 3,400 gigawatt-hours in 2020, equivalent to the demand of 340,000 homes;
• Reduce natural gas and fuel oil demand by up to 22 million gigajoules in 2020, equivalent to the demand of 200,000 homes; and,
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 2.3 million tonnes in 2020, equivalent to the emissions created by 450,000 minivans.