Home Energy Advisors

Flex Home Energy

Building new? Are your plans in Early stage design? Are you looking to establish Step Code benchmarks for your building?

I am committed to energy efficiency, reducing the environment impact of your home and saving you money. Before you start a renovation or new home, let me help you select the most energy efficient options.

Powell River, BC based Flex Home Energy provides Certified Energy Advisory Services for new and existing homes on the Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island.

Flex Home Energy is affiliated with Natural Resources Canada registered Service Organization Enervision and is certified to deliver:

Blower Door Airtightness Tests
Infrared Thermal Imaging
BC Energy Step Code
EnerGuide Ratings
Energy Evaluations
F280-12 Heating+Cooling load calculation
Embodied Carbon

Call us for a free consultation.
604.399.8655

services

Home Energy Modelling

Building new? Plans in early stage design?

Establishing your Step Code target?

Using whole-building performance simulation, energy modelling determines how the home as a system gains and loses energy

Integrated Design Services

Dan Tatham, an Energy Designer, works with builders/homeowners to achieve an integrated design process which will optimize energy performance and lowest cost build by addressing:

Envelope plans/assembly details
Effective insulation (RSI) calculations for each assembly used in the home
Details for areas with significant thermal bridges
Airtightness details demonstrating a continuous air barrier

Airtightness Testing

A Blower Door Test is used to measure a home’s air tightness and will indicate the amount of air leaking through a building’s total enclosure or “skin”.

Existing Homes

Since 2021 I have completed – on the lower and upper Sunshine Coasts – over 275 Energuide evaluations on exsiting homes under the NRCan Greener Homes Grant and Loan Programs.

https://betterhomesbc.ca/get-support/energy-advisors/

I have developed a trusted cadre of builders and designers primarily in PR & Qathet – who come back to me with each new home project. Since 2021 Ii have provided to Powell River, Qathet and lower Sunshine Coast builders Step Code Pre-Construction and As-Built Construction compliance reports and services which include air leakage testiing and on-site inspection and photography for over 120 projects.

New Homes

The BC Energy Step Code requires that all new Part 9 building (residential homes) be compliant https://powellriver.ca/pages/bc-energy-step-code

BC is transitioning to net-zero energy-ready buildings by 2032 and zero-carbon construction by 2030. Key upcoming milestone: Step 4 is mandatory for most new buildings by Jan 1, 2027,

BC Energy Step Code

May 1, 2023:

Lower steps (1 & 2) eliminated where new buildings must be 20% more energy-efficient than 2018 standards.

2024:

Introduction of voluntary Zero Carbon Step Code (EL-2/EL-3).

January 1, 2027:

Mandatory Step 4 for most, and highest Step 5 for some. (NEW HURDLE message to builders – det ready to be compliant to Step 4 in 2027 –

2030:

Target for all new buildings to be zero-carbon.

2032:

All new buildings must be net-zero energy ready.

Local Coastal Info

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BC STEP CODE Energy Efficiency Requirements

The BC Energy Step Code requires Part 9 builders to work with an Energy Advisor to: review plans, model energy consumption, conduct air tightness testing and verify that the as-built home will meet the energy performance requirement of a given step of the BC Energy Step Code.

The BC EnergyStep Code sets performance requirements for new construction and groups them into “steps

City of Powell River

The City of Powell River has adopted a phased approach to implementing the BC Energy Step Code. This initiative will allow builders to gain confidence and knowledge while we transition to the Provincial requirement of adhering to Step 3 by January 1, 2022, Step 4 by 2027, and finally Step 5 by 2032.

Effective January 1, 2021, new Part 9 and Part 3 buildings will be designed and constructed to conform to Step 2, or to Step 1 when installing a low-carbon heating system.

For implementation updates on adoption of BC Energy Step Code in your community

https://energystepcode.ca/implementation_updates/

Rebates and Incentives

City of Powell River Heat Pump Rebates – Up to $8,350 in rebates

https://powellriver.ca/pages/heatpump

CleanBC Better Homes / Efficiency BC

Efficiency BC – BC’s online hub for homeowners and businesses to access information, incentives and support to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in new and existing homes and buildings.

EfficiencyBC incentives are administered by BC Hydro, FortisBC and BC Housing but can be found using the BC Home Energy Coach

BC’s online hub for homeowners and businesses to access information, rebates and support to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in new and existing homes and buildings.

https://betterhomesbc.ca/about-us/

Fortis’ New Home Program terms and conditions

Download PDF from Fortis

BC Hydro

https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/buying-a-home.html

Call us for a free consultation.
604.399.8655

Existing Housing ERS GJ label wtext -Eng

EnerGuide Rating System (ERS)

Energy Advisors are Registered by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to deliver the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) for new and existing homes. Working closely with homeowners, renovators and builders, Energy Advisors provide expertise in home energy efficiency and building science to ensure Step Code compliance.

The EnerGuide Rating System summarizes the energy efficiency of a home and identifies areas where efficiencies can be dramatically improved. An EnerGuide label is the official record of a home’s energy performance.

Seminars/Presentations

Flex Home Energy together with Enervision, a western Canadian leader in home energy compliance, is pleased to offer web-based presentations tailored for building officials, builders, trades and homeowners.

How to work with Energy Advisors
How the BC Step Code works
Air barrier systems and heating systems

If your group would like an online session please CONTACT us.

About Dan Tatham BID, LEED AP

Dan Tatham is a designer and builder with decades of experience. He has worked independently, and with architects, engineers and trades, designing single family homes, renovations and additions, multi-family and resort residential homes in Ottawa, Whistler, Squamish and the Okanagan.

Dan has passed the required Foundation and EnerGuide Rating System Energy Advisor examinations and is in final training and mentoring before being able to submit house files and preform on site evaluations to be registered by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to deliver the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) for new homes and existing homes.