Whereas the Province of British Columbia has set sectoral targets to reduce greenhouse gas GHG emissions by 59 to 64 below 2007 levels by 2030 for buildings and communities, but is so far falling short of those targets with only a 10 reduction achieved in 2020 as reported in the 2022 Climate Change Accountability Report; And whereas encouraging building retrofits and electrification are critical strategies to address health risks associated with overheating in buildings as a result of warming temperatures, and to reduce GHG emissions from the operation of existing buildings, which represent a significant proportion of community emissions for local governments; And whereas the current rate of low-carbon retrofits and the uptake of current CleanBC programs for Part 3 commercial and multi-family buildings are inadequate to meet provincial and local government climate targets and support market development: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province improve the programs available to Part 3 buildings of all types, including increasing the incentive amounts available for feasibility studies and retrofits, addressing key gaps such as in-suite measures for multi-family buildings, and providing enhanced support services to help Part 3 building owners and managers navigate the retrofit process from beginning to end.
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation The Province remains committed to advancing CleanBC policies and programs that promote energy efficiency and emission reduction in buildings, including Part 3 buildings. To achieve our ambitious emission reduction targets, the government currently offers a range of incentive programs that support retrofitting of multi-unit residential buildings MURBs, which are complementary to the utility and federal programs. Due to BCs clean electricity system, CleanBC Better Buildings incentives are primarily focused on fuel-switching from natural gas, propane, or oil to electric heat pumps, and envelope energy efficiency measures in fossil fuel-heated buildings. Capital incentives to encourage fuel-switching i.e. electrification retrofits in medium to large buildings and funding for energy studies are provided through the Custom Program, Custom-Lite Program, Commercial Express Program and Social Housing Incentives Program. These programs focus on upgrades made to the entire building rather than to individual units. Rebates for buildings heated by electricity e.g., baseboards, which is the most common heating fuel source in apartments and condos, are provided by BC Hydro. Rebate values are based on the amount of energy saved from an energy efficiency upgrade and must be cost-effective, as determined by the BC Utilities Commission. BC Hydro has not historically offered rebates for individual condo units heated by electricity because total energy reductions are significantly less than other types of homes with higher energy consumption. However, a recent amendment to the Demand-Side Measures Regulation is expected to enable utilities to increase investment in energy efficiency and electrification programs for MURBs. To make retrofit opportunities more accessible to participants, the Province is exploring the possibility of offering specialized energy coaching services, such as strata energy coaching advisors, to help them navigate the programs and better understand available retrofit opportunities. In 2023, the Province and BC Hydro expanded access to cooling through BC Hydros air conditioning retail rebate offer and through the expansion of the Energy Conservation Assistance Program, which provides free portable air conditioning installations for income-qualified and medically vulnerable individuals. This program will help meet the immediate need for cooling and is available to residents of apartment and condo buildings. In alignment with the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, and to further increase access to cooling, the Province and BC Hydro are also exploring expanded program options for heat pumps in individual apartments and condo units. Options for increasing the uptake of existing offers are also being considered. In addition to provincial and utility rebates, the federal Canada Greener Homes Grant incentivizes energy efficiency upgrades and certain climate resiliency measures e.g., moisture proofing, backup battery power for solar photovoltaic systems, etc.. Low-rise MURBs less than three stories in height and less than 600 m2 in building footprint are eligible for federal rebates for insulation, air sealing, windows and doors, renewable energy, and resiliency measures, but are not eligible for heat pumps. More information on the Canada Greener Homes Grant is available at: https:natural-resources.canada.caenergy-efficiencyhomescanada-greener-h…. URL CleanBC Better Buildings incentives https:www.betterbuildingsbc.caincentive-search-tool