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Canada

Current Codes

Commercial
Canada Model National Energy Code for Buildings
Country Specific Mandatory
Wednesday, January 1, 1997
Residential
Canada Model National Energy Code for Houses
Country Specific Mandatory
Wednesday, January 1, 1997
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Additional Code Information

Code Adoption & Change Process
Current Plans and Strategies: 

No set schedule, but updates are conducted regularly and can be requested.

Challenges & Barriers: 

 The next MNECB update is scheduled for 2011.

History: 

Check out a summary of the proposed changes to the Model national Energy Code of Canada.

Canada has seven national building codes, and two of them are related to building energy efficiency: the Model National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (MNECB) and the Model National Energy Code for Houses (MNECH). The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC), funded by code sales and the National Research Council (NRC), is responsible for developing and updating six of the model national codes.

The CCBFC prepared both MNECB and MNECH, and NRC first published them in 1997. Hereafter, this report uses the terms MNECB and MNECH to refer to the 1997 versions of the two national model energy codes. NRC, NRCan, the Canadian Electricity Association, and the provincial and territorial ministries of energy funded the research to develop the model code and the supporting software. MNECB and MNECH were heavily influenced by ASHRAE 90.1-1989.

In April 2008, NRC and NRCan announced that they were joining forces to update MNECB. NRCan is providing technical expertise and up to $5 million to support this initiative.

NRC will publish the new energy code in 2012. The new code will complement the next version of the model national construction codes, which are scheduled for publication in 2010 (NRC, 2008).

Source: 2009 PNNL Building Energy Codes Report

Economic Indicators
Government Type: 

a parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a Commonwealth realm

Climate Zone: 

varies from temperate in south to subarctic and arctic in north

Population: 

33,487,208 (July 2009 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 

6.2% (2008 est.)

Construction Activity: 

Total Private Households: 12,437,470
By Type:
          o Detached House: 6,879,965 (55.32%)
          o Apartment w/ 5+ Floors: 1,112,965 (8.95%)
          o Apartment w/ >5 Floors: 2,288,300 (18.4%)
          o Semi-Detached House: 595,615 (4.79%)
          o Row House: 695,145 (5.59%)
          o Duplex: 665,200 (5.35%)
          o Mobile Home: 162,535 (1.31%)       
          o Other Single-Attached: 37,735 (0.3%)
          o Other: 4,282,000 (34.43%)

Source: 2006 Census

GDP Per Capita: 

$39,100 (2008 est.)

Projected GDP Growth: 

0.4% (2008 est.)

Industrial Production Growth: 

-2.8% (2008 est.)

Primary Exports: 

motor vehicles and parts, industrial machinery, aircraft, telecommunications equipment; chemicals, plastics, fertilizers; wood pulp, timber, crude petroleum, natural gas, electricity, aluminum

Primary Imports: 

machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, crude oil, chemicals, electricity, durable consumer goods

Local Resources: 

iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower

Energy Data
Primary Energy Source: 

Petroleum: 32%
Hydro: 25%
Natural Gas: 24% (2006)

Energy Consumption: 

13.95 Quadrillion BTU (2006), produced 19.25 Quadrillion BTU

Energy Snapshot: 

Canada has considerable natural resources and is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of energy. In 2006, Canada produced 19.3 quadrillion British Thermal Units (Btu) of total energy, the fifth-largest amount in the world. Since 1980, Canada’s total energy production has increased by 87 percent, while its total energy consumption has increased by only 44 percent. Almost all of Canada’s energy exports go to the United States, making it the largest source of U.S. energy imports. Canada is consistently among the top sources for U.S. oil imports, and it is the largest source of U.S. natural gas and electricity imports. Recognizing the importance of the energy trade between the two countries, both participate in the North American Energy Working Group, which seeks to improve energy integration and cooperation between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.

Source: EIA

Renewable Trends: 

Canada is the world's second leading generator of hydroelectric electricity.

Climate Concerns
CO2 Emissions: 

614.33 MMT CO2 (2006)

Green Building Initiatives

Local Revision and Codes:
LEED, Canada Green Building Council

National Environmental Milestones and Strategies:
Regulatory Framework for Industrial GHG Emissions

Mandatory Building Energy Code:
1997 Model National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings
1997 Model National Energy Code of Canada for Houses
The 1997 MNECB and MNECH are mandatory for all new buildings and houses and major renovations in Canada.  They set energy efficiency standards for most building elements.

Green Building Rating System:
LEED Canada
Similar to the U.S. green building rating system, LEED Canada is a voluntary building certification program that encourages sustainable design and construction.  It is managed by the Canada Green Building Council.

Based on the current status of building energy codes and policies, as well as potential for energy efficiency, BCAP recommends the following actions.  Also noted are states or countries that successfully employ the suggested action, and may be used as a model.  These suggestions are meant only to show opportunities for energy efficiency.  Please contact BCAP for more information or assistance.

Establish a Code Change and Update Process
Canada already has a current building energy code, as well as national programs in place to help support the code and assist residents and tennants with energy efficiency.  The next step for the CCBFC is to develop an update and change cycle to the MNECB and MNECH.  This will systematically ensure that the code stays current and incorporates the most recent advancements in building science, as opposed to requesting updates.  There have been no new versions of the codes, which were established in 1997.

Model State:
Florida
Florida has a regulatory code update process, managed by the Florida Building Comission (FBC).  Every three years the FBC updates the code in accordance with state guidelines.

Improve Compliance
Canada may also want to consider looking into different compliance methods of their code.  Conducting compliance surveys and adopting different compliance and enforcement models will help ensure that builders follow the code in place.  This will lead to greater energy savings and lower carbon dioxide emissions, and help Canada achieve the goals set out in its energy plan.

For More Information:
Enforcement Models Research Topic Area
The Enforcement Models Research Topic Area provides resources for code enforcement, as well as discussions and connections to other concerned users.

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