Council makes significant changes to building bylaws

Builders required to use electric heaters in new projects to cut carbon emissions

Vancouver city council has voted to make significant changes to construction bylaws to reduce the use of fossil fuels and require cooling and air filtration in all new large buildings.

The changes are aimed at addressing the climate crisis and meeting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

City staff predict the new bylaws, which council approved last week, will lead to an annual reduction of 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in Vancouver, the equivalent of removing 13,000 gasoline-powered cars from the road.

Under the changes, greenhouse gas emissions in all new multi-family and commercial buildings must be 90 per cent less than under the 2007 rules. That will be accomplished by requiring electric water heaters and either electric heaters or heat pumps in new construction, said Vancouver city spokesman Neal Wells.

All new multi-family buildings will require cooling systems by 2025 and “best practice” (MERV 13) air filtration to protect residents from increasingly common and intense heat waves and fire smoke pollution. MERV 13 captures 85 per cent of fine particulates from vehicle pollution and fire smoke, said Wells.

“I think that the proposals are quite well-crafted in that they strike a good balance between reflecting the urgency of the climate crisis and acknowledging the realities of the property development sector,” said Roberto Pecora, director of programs at the Zero Emissions Building Exchange (Zebx), a local industry hub that helps developers, builders, architects and designers work toward zero-emission buildings.

He said developers and builders working in Vancouver are aware that the city has the most progressive green building regulations in the province and have been able to step up to the requirements as the bylaws are aligned with the plan.

“I don't see why it would be any different with these upcoming bylaw amendments. We have a very competent development, construction and design community in Metro Vancouver that can adapt to these changes,” said Pecora.

The emissions reduction aspects of the proposed changes target space heating and heating water for non-heating applications like showers and washing machines, said Pecora, adding that the bylaws don't target gas range cooking.

“Nonetheless, using gas for cooking has some serious consequences for indoor air quality in homes,” he said. “A much more modern, safe and efficient way to cook is with an induction cooktop.”

Chris Hill, president of B Collective, a design, build and consulting firm, thinks gas stoves will be out of vogue soon. “People feel like they need it right now. It's such an important part of their lifestyle,” he said. “When we are talking about air quality and air filtration though, people are not going to want to burn gas in their house.”

He said while more developers are looking at building homes with electric induction stoves, most people remain keen on gas stoves.

“But those with a climate conscience understand and, as they explore induction, quite often they are happy with the results.”

Hill also applauded the city's move to ensure all new buildings have air filtration and cooling systems, which will include low-income housing, as people on fixed incomes can be more vulnerable to heat waves and pollution.

In what the city says is the first in North America, all new builds will require a reduction of 10 to 20 per cent in so-called embodied carbon building materials, which are the emissions associated with building materials such as concrete, steel and foam insulation.

So, for example, Wells said a company could build less underground parking, use different materials or better concrete mixes.

Hill said there will be a real push to use fewer materials that have a high carbon impact like concrete, replacing them with natural materials like wood, but also taking into account sustainable forestry practice.

Rocky Sethi, COO for Adera Development, agrees, but said there needs to be more government support for providing timber as a carbon-sequestering material.

“We would like to see support from the various levels of government, in particular the province, in supporting mass timber construction,” he said.