The BC Energy Step Code came into force in April 2017. Currently, local governments have the authority to require builders to meet one or more steps. New homes built under the Step Code need to be 20 per cent more energy efficient than the baseline or reference house - that’s Step 3 of 5.
As the Step Code is ramping up, BC Housing has changed their requirements for general contractor/builder license renewal. Starting with licenses that expire 30 Sep 2022, builders have to demonstrate competency in building to Step 3. There’s a 2-year period to get trained up.
To ensure builders are prepared to build to Step 3 of the BC Energy Step Code, BC Housing has laid out 8 modules of competency:
- BC Energy Step Code Overview and Requirements
- Meeting the BC Energy Step Code by Design
- Building Science for the BC Energy Step Code
- Building Envelope Options for the BC Energy Step Code
- Air Barriers for the BC Energy Step Code
- Mechanical Systems for the BC Energy Step Code
- Building Envelope Quality Assurance and Quality Control
- BC Energy Step Code Project Management
If you are already building to Step 3 level, and/or have completed relevant and recognized training, you can get an exemption and focus on specific categories.
Blue House Energy is a Recognized Provider of Training
Key BHE training has been recognized by BC Housing as meeting the requirements for Module 3 (Building Science), Module 4 (Building Envelope Options), and Module 5 (Air Barriers). If you are a registered BC builder and you’ve taken Construction Technology and Built Green Net Zero Energy for New Construction to meet your continuing professional development requirements, BC Housing has deemed that those two courses meet the learning outcomes for Modules 3, 4, and 5.
(If you’ve taken only one of these courses as part of your continuing professional development credits, and would like to take the other, use these links to get a discount: Construction Technology or BG Net Zero Energy. Discount is applied at checkout)
Your certificates of completion meet the prior learning requirements. We will confirm with BC Housing what the process will be to ensure that you get the right credits.
In addition, BHE, with the generous support of BCHousing, is developing three courses to specifically address mandatory training requirements for Module 3 (Building Science), Module 4 (Building Envelope Options), and Module 5 (Air Barriers) for Step 3 in BC. These BC-specific courses will be available in the Fall individually, or as a bundle of any 2 or all 3.
