Having explored the significant impact of buildings on greenhouse gas emissions in the first article of this series, I now turn to concrete solutions. The Passivhaus standard presents itself as a promising strategy for minimizing the energy consumption of buildings, but how can we encourage developers to adopt this approach?
This second segment details specific steps that cities could take to encourage adoption of the Passivhaus standard, drawing on successful incentives used in cities such as Vancouver and Brussels. Here, I explore how these incentives, ranging from regulatory changes to flexible zoning policies and targeted subsidies, have been decisive in stimulating builders to adopt more sustainable and energy-efficient building practices.
Step 3: Putting the constructive strategy into practice
1. Regulatory changes: Building code, zoning policy and incentives
Once the strategy has been established, i.e., the achievement of high energy efficiency standards such as the Passivhaus norm, the next step is to draw up an action plan and find incentives to bring this new vision to life on the ground. In the majority of cities that have made the shift to energy-efficient construction, this has resulted in the introduction of new building regulations.
Brief international overview
The regulatory transition began in the late 2000s, when a number of cities took steps to show the way to the construction industry by requiring all their municipal or government projects to meet passive building performance standards. This is the case for a large number of German and Austrian cities, as well as Oslo and Vancouver, to name but a few.
In 2015, Brussels went a step further by requiring all new buildings to meet energy standards close to the passive standard. Several European cities followed suit in the years that followed.
The most recent country to introduce stringent building regulations is Scotland. It's a step up from the municipal level. From January 2025, all new buildings will have to meet a new Scottish version of the Passivhaus standard, which means they will have to be highly energy-efficient and well-ventilated. Like Brussels, Scotland will introduce its own equivalent to the Passivhaus standard, so that it can manage the verification and certification process itself.
These are important steps in the drive to ensure that new buildings are low-carbon and inexpensive to heat for residents.
Canada
Back on Canadian soil, in 2016, British Columbia introduced its new building code to chart a course towards the goal of zero net energy consumption by 2032. Divided into 4 or 5 stages depending on the type of project, it establishes new criteria for the airtightness and energy consumption of buildings. All of this is to be achieved gradually, to enable the industry to adapt to the new policies.
The biggest change is that this new code targets overall energy performance rather than prescriptive requirements (such as R-values), as is the case in the National Building Code (Canada). This makes it necessary to carry out energy modeling of the building in order to assess its performance. This modeling enables us to identify opportunities for improvement and energy savings at a very early stage in the project.
Vancouver's strategy: strong incentives
Following this momentum, the City of Vancouver has reviewed its regulations to encourage project developers to move in this new direction. Changes have been made to offer greater flexibility and certain exemptions as an incentive for energy-efficient construction.
One of the directives contributing to this objective is the Green Rezoning Policy, which stipulates that developers wishing to rezone their property to build a major commercial or residential project must meet Passive House or LEED Gold standards, i.e. aim for the highest levels of the province's energy code.
Other aspects have been to offer greater flexibility in terms of site area, height, setbacks and shape, to name but a few. As a result, a customer wishing to build to passive house standards is not penalized by a reduction in living space due to the construction of thicker walls with more insulation, but can instead benefit from an increase in footprint.
For example, “The Heights”, a 6-storey, 85-unit residential building built in 2017, benefited from a 5% increase in floor area due to its Passivhaus-level energy performance.
For a complete reading of the City of Vancouver's regulatory changes, see section 10.23 of their bylaw and the summary of incentives.
In short, greater power has been given to the director of urban planning to accommodate projects with exemplary energy performance. But how can we ensure that the team in charge of project evaluation at the city understands the importance of these new measures?
2. Employee awareness and education
One of the key points in facilitating the implementation and enforcement of the new zero-emission building regulations has been staff training. Again in Vancouver, more than 100 municipal employees, including plan checkers, zoning planners and building inspectors, have received Passive House training from Passive House Canada. In addition, the city employs two building inspectors who are Passive House certified builders, specifically to work with builders on all new Passivhaus projects since March 1, 2017.
By better understanding the specific requirements of Passivhaus construction, the staff can guide builders through the certification and approval process, reducing regulatory hurdles and encouraging the realization of energy-efficient buildings.
Subsidizing the training of workers in various trades was also put forward to support the adoption of the new standards by local industry.
3. Research & Development
Finally, in order to take stock and work on improving our constructive strategy, it's important to analyze our successes and move the industry in the right direction. It is through research and development of new techniques that we will facilitate the achievement of high performance standards in the realization of our projects, while making the process more accessible.
NearZero research project
Following the adoption in 2016 of the Zero Emission Building Plan, which sets out a phased approach to combating and reducing carbon pollution in Vancouver, moving to zero emissions for most new building types by 2030, the NearZero research project was born. The “Near Zero Emission Building” (NZEB) aims to identify design and construction challenges and innovations for new buildings and major renovations aimed at exemplary energy performance.
The program targets:
Low-energy buildings;
Building projects with a low carbon footprint.
It also seeks to gather as much information as possible on these projects once they have been completed through data collection.
As part of this research program, applicants receive financial support (up to $20,000 or $40,000 depending on the type of project) in return for which they must provide information on how they achieved their carbon reductions or energy savings, and any difficulties they encountered along the way. The program also seeks to collect data on construction costs, energy savings and operational performance to stimulate the development of energy-efficient construction and associated knowledge sharing.
See nearzero.ca for more détails.
Results
With the implementation of these various strategies, the City of Vancouver has now succeeded in reducing its annual production of greenhouse gases by 12% compared to 2007 levels. Although the reduction does not appear to be fast enough to meet the 2030 targets, the city appears to be on track to achieve its building decarbonization objectives, which is an achievement in itself.
A few years after implementing these new measures, the number of buildings achieving passive standards has soared. In 2015, Vancouver had just 1 Passivhaus project; by 2018, the city had more than 2,500 units built or under construction. Today, the number has more than doubled (Vancouver Green Building Committee data).
What about Quebec?
Considering the incentives put in place in various regions to facilitate the adoption of the Passivhaus standard, it becomes pertinent to look at the situation in Quebec and its metropolis. The next article in the series will delve into the history and recent developments of Montreal's environmental policy, from the introduction of Quebec's NovoClimat standard to current ambitions for zero-emission buildings by 2040. I'll examine how Montreal can draw inspiration from international successes to accelerate its ecological transition.
Sources:
Ordre des architectes du Québec (2023). Milieux de vie durables et résilients, vidéo de formation aux membres.
BC Housing (2018). BC Energy Step Code Builder Guide.
Sarah Lewis and Sean Pander (2024). Policies That Supercharge Progress, Conference at the Reimagine Buildings'24 by Passive House Accelerator.
International Passive House Association. Passive House Legislation & Funding, https://passivehouse-international.org/index.php?page_id=501
Andrea Wickham (2020). Simplified and Expanded Zoning and Development Regulations for Passive House Projects, Referral report for the Vancouver City Council.
About the author:
Kim Cloutier is an experienced architect with a career marked by projects focused on simplicity and sustainability. She is a certified LEED Passive House Designer and Green Associate, demonstrating her commitment to high standards of energy performance and environmental sustainability. Kim aspires to promote healthier living through her projects, with a focus on creating healthy, sustainable environments.