Certified Energy Advisor (CEA)

Our licensed energy advisors will provide you with a full report of recommendations to improve your home’s overall comfort and efficiency and help you qualify for rebates..
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Energuide Compliance

Required energy reports for new homes

City of Vancouver – Vancouver Building By Law (VBBL)

Mandatory 3-step process

The 2014 Vancouver Building By-Law includes new requirements and improvements for:

  • Energy efficiency and energy modeling report prior to application;
  • Adaptable housing;
  • Certified Energy Advisor visual verification prior to application, pre drywall, and before final inspection;
  • Building envelope;
  • Mechanical equipment;
  • Livability – health and life safety; and
  • Sprinkler systems

Under the new requirements, our CEAs will guide you through the 3 compliance and documentation stages so that your project get approved and built to code.

1. Pre-Permit Checklist

The City of Vancouver requires this checklist to accompany your building permit application

2. Mid Construction Inspection

CEA verifies energy performance target before insulation inspection can be conducted

3. Final Inspection

CEA must finalize the EnerGuide performance report before occupancy will be granted

British Columbia

NABC 9.36 (Energy Code Compliance)

1. BC Energy Step Code

he BC Energy Step Code is a voluntary roadmap that establishes progressive performance targets

The BC Energy Step Code takes a new, performance-based approach rather than the traditional prescriptive approach. This means the BC Energy Step Code does not specify how to construct a building, but identifies an energy-efficiency target that must be met and lets the designer/builder decide how to meet it. The BC Energy Step Code has four steps for large, complex buildings (referred to as Part 3 buildings in the BC Building Code), and five steps for houses and small buildings (referred to as Part 9 buildings in the Building Code). A key feature of the BC Energy Step Code is that every level of performance (or‘step’) is evaluated using the same tests and metrics. This is intended to create a consistent way of measuring and understanding energy use in all buildings, regardless of their level of performance, and prepare industry for a province-wide performance-based building approach. Higher steps in the BC Energy Step Code represent higher performance targets (i.e., greater energy efficiency), but use the same measurement tools as the lower steps.
2. EnerGuide Label

An EnerGuide label is an official record of your homes energy performance and may help increase its resale value

The EnerGuide standards for new and existing homes look at the energy performance of houses. Certified Energy Advisors use energy modeling and a variety of other methods to calculate the energy consumption of your home. Net Zero Energy Solutions will deliver an evaluation that identifies where improvements can be made to ensure your comfort, health and safety while maintaining the structural integrity of your home. Your energy rating will also allow you to compare your energy efficiency to that of different houses. In addition, NZES will offer recommendations for improvements with results – decreased energy usage, lower utility bills and less environmental impact – that benefit us all.
3. Performance Path Reports as per 9.36.5

In some cases your custom or log home could require performance path reports before building permits are granted

Our CEAs can verify that your home’s design will meet any prescriptive, trade-off, or performance path requirements with regards to the British Columbia Building Code Section 9.36. When it comes to building systems and components, prescriptive measures are generally seen as a minimum level of compliance with the standards prescribed by governing codes and regulations. Through energy modeling, performance path applications help to move beyond base-level compliance to a higher more customized standard. By incorporating performance path techniques in the early stages of design, you can realize significant long-term savings compared to the operations and maintenance costs associated with prescriptive measures.
4. Energy Modelling

Implementing energy models help us to ensure you make informed decisions when it comes to building/renovating your forever home

5. ACH50 Airtightness Test

Employing methods to ensure airtightness within your home can have a positive impact on your health, comfort and wallets

Contact us to schedule your on-site inspections.

Energy efficiency is an ever-changing landscape. EnerSaver Solutions Inc prides itself on being current with the latest changes and compliance standards for today’s market so that you don’t have to.

With our CEA certification through Natural Resources Canada, we offer cutting edge building and energy design solutions that are enhanced by building science expertise. Using computerized energy models and on-site verification, you will receive data-driven analysis along with recommendations you can trust.