Course Description

The Energy Step Code WILL Effect You

Under The Climate Leadership Plan, the Province is implementing policies to meet the 2032 target for all new buildings to be net-zero energy, one of which is the development of the Energy Step Code. Effective December 15, 2017 (as per Section 5 of the Building Act), the Step Code provides municipalities with a consistent provincial standard for energy efficiency, replacing the wide range of existing policies developed by local governments.

What You Will Learn During this Seminar

This seminar brings together a panel of industry leaders from the Province and high-performance building experts who will take a deeper look at the Energy Step Code -- its process and five levels, current research projects underway, including analyzing the potential costs of building to these new levels, anticipated municipal response, and the key technical and performance-based requirements to build homes to higher energy standards.


Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the purpose, levels and enactment of the Energy Step Code
  • Progress through each of the five Steps to develop a deeper understanding of the changing construction details, envelope performance and energy-testing requirements to achieve each level. Includes a review of current energy-equivalent programs
  • Local government readiness and anticipated transition process from current bylaw system to Step Code
  • Learn the results of research projects analyzing current industry capacity and benefit-cost of Step Code
  • Learn from builders who are already building homes to higher energy-performance standards – sharing advice on your energy advisory team, and the anticipated challenges and successes with changing how your company builds homes (crews, trades, suppliers, inspectors/municipalities).


Speakers include:


  • Andrew Pape-Salmon, Building and Safety Standards Branch, Province of BC
  • Zachary May, Building and Safety Standards Branch, Province of BC
  • Norm Connolly, City of New Westminster
  • Einar Halbig, E3 Eco Group
  • Monte Paulsen, RDH Building Science
  • Panel Discussion: High-Performance Homes from a Builders’ Perspective, moderated by BC Hydro



Approved for 5.5 CPD Credits in Relevant Enactments & 0.5 CPD Credits in Construction Technology

Note: If you have already taken this course in person, repeating it online will not qualify for additional CPD points.

You will have 90 days from enrolment date to complete this course.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Chapter 1

    • Before You Get Started

    • Agreement to HAVAN Academic Integrity Policy

    • Presenter PowerPoint Download

    • Introducing the Step Code with Andrew Pape-Salmon, Province of BC
  • 2

    Chapter 2

    • Local Government Readiness, Industry Capacity & Benefit-Cost Analysis with Zachary May, Province of BC, Part 1

    • Local Government Readiness, Industry Capacity & Benefit-Cost Analysis with Zachary May, Province of BC, Part 2
  • 3

    Chapter 3

    • Presenter PowerPoint Download

    • Municipalities' Responses To and Adoptions of the Energy Step Code, and Transition from the Current Bylaws to the ESC with Norm Connolly, City of New Westminster
  • 4

    Chapter 4

    • Presenter PowerPoint Download

    • Energy Step Code: Steps 1-4 with Einar Halbig, E3 Eco Group Inc., Part 1

    • Energy Step Code: Steps 1-4 with Einar Halbig, E3 Eco Group Inc., Part 2
  • 5

    Chapter 5

    • Presenter PowerPoint Download

    • Energy Step Code: Step 5 with Monte Paulsen, RDH Building Science Inc., Part 1
  • 6

    Chapter 6

    • Builders Panel: High Energy Performance Building - Experiences and Tips on Preparing Your Company to Build Better Homes

    • Next Steps for the Industry with Andrew Pape-Salmon

    • Feedback

    • Declaration of Completed Work Assignment

Province of BC, City of New Westminster, E3 Eco Group, RDH Building Science, and more

Andrew-Pape SalmonExecutive Director, Building and Safety Standards BranchProvince of BCZachary MayAssistant Director, Policy and Codes Development, Building and Safety Standards Branch,Province of BC Norm Connolly Community Energy Manager, City of New WestminsterEinar Halbig CEO, E3 Eco Group Inc.Monte Paulsen,Associate, Passive House Specialist,RDH Building Science Inc. Builder Panel:Gurdeep Kainth, Symphony Homes David Adair, Blackfish Homes Justin Garcha, Garcha Properties Moderated by Gary Hamer, BC Hydro