Net Zero Energy Ready Challenge
Application intake is now closed. Please check back for further details or contact nzer@betterbuildingsbc.ca for more information.
The Net-Zero Energy-Ready Challenge is a provincial incentive program and juried competition designed to support, promote and celebrate the design and construction of net-zero energy-ready buildings. The program provides incentives to builders and developers of multi-family, commercial, and institutional buildings that are designed to achieve the top tier of the BC Energy Step Code. Those targeting the Passive House Institute’s Passive House standard are also eligible to apply. The Province will celebrate the successful applicants as leaders and showcase the projects that ultimately emerge from the program as leading examples of innovative, energy-efficient designs.
Benefits
Successful applicants will be celebrated as leaders in innovative building design in British Columbia and showcased to their industry peers and the public as best practices in energy efficient design. Successful applicants will be recognized as leaders in energy efficient construction and will be presented with an award.
Program Eligibility
To be eligible for the Net-Zero Energy-Ready Challenge, a project must meet all the following criteria:
- The project is located in the province of British Columbia;
- The project is a new Part 3 construction project or a major building renovation of a Part 3 building;
- An application (e.g. Rezoning, Development Permit) has been submitted to a municipality, and/or the project owner, or an affiliate of the project owner, has secured title to the lands for the project in question or has entered into a binding agreement for the purchase of the lands for the project in question;
- The project has not yet received a Building Permit.
(BC Hydro) Major Building Renovations are defined as one of the following for which requires a building permits and certified buildings plans by a licensed professional.
- Change of use and reconstruction of an existing building space or space within; or
- Change Construction work of a nature requiring the building or space within to be out of service for at least 30 consecutive days; or
- The renovations are worth at least 50% of the existing building’s value and impact the building envelope.
Program Structure
The Program offers two sets of financial incentives for net-zero energy-ready buildings: a Design Incentive and a Net-Zero Energy-Ready (NZER) Incentive.
Participants that make it through the first round of evaluation will receive the Design Incentive to help offset the additional costs currently associated with designing a net-zero energy-ready building. The Program has established a sliding scale of Design Incentives (to a maximum of $40,000), based on total building floor area:
| Building Area | Incentive Amount |
| Under 5,000m2 | · $3.50/m2 |
| 5,000m2 – 9,999m2 (per additional m2) | · $1.60/m2 |
| 10,000m2 – 24,999m2 (per additional m2) | · $0.80/m2 |
| Over 25,000m2 (per additional m2) | · $0.40/m2 |
Participants who receive a Design Incentive will be required to submit a full Program Application, which will consist of the following elements:
- An energy modeling report for the project
- Project energy modelling output files and supporting documentation
- A project airtightness testing plan
- A project costing report
- A measurement and verification plan
- Project drawings and renderings.
Applications will be subject to review. Successful Applicants will receive the NZER Incentive to help offset the incremental capital cost associated with net-zero energy-ready building construction. The Program has established a sliding scale of NZER Incentives based on building type, as per the following schedule:
| Building Type | NZER Incentive Amount |
| Low-Rise multi-family residential | · $60/m2 to a maximum of $100,000 |
| High-Rise multi-family residential | · $80/m2 to a maximum of $350,000 |
| Office | · $10/m2 to a maximum of $250,000 |
| Retail | · $40/m2 to a maximum of $175,000 |
| Institutional | · $25/m2 to a maximum of $350,000 |
Projects that make significant use of wood products in their design and construction may be eligible for targeted incentive funds, made available to the Program by Forestry Innovation Investment.
Winning Applicants Selected!
Since the competition was announced in October 2018, 51 expressions of interest were submitted, naming more than 170 different organizations as proponents, suppliers or partners. In January 2019, 16 of those projects were selected as winners of the design incentive portion of the NZERC. The winners were then asked to submit more detailed applications for the construction incentive portion of the competition.
Of those that submitted applications for the construction incentive portion, 11 winners were selected to receive the final NZER Incentive. Winning applicants are as follows:
- Corvette Landing, Esquimalt, Standing Stone Developments
- The Narrows, Vancouver, 51565 BC Ltd
- Vanness, Vancouver, Community Land Trust
- OSO, Golden, Viddora Developments
- 825 Pacific, Vancouver, Grosvenor Americas
- UVic Student Housing/Dining, Victoria, University of Victoria
- Skeena Residence, Kelowna, UBC Properties Trust
- SFU Parcel 21, Burnaby, SFU Community Trust
- 2150 Keith Drive, Vancouver, Bentall Kennedy
- Peatt Commons Phase 2, Langford, Peatt Commons Inc.
- Carrington View – Building A, Kelowna, Highstreet Ventures
Program Documents
All documentation must be submitted to nzer@betterbuildingsbc.ca.
- Program Manual (Manual was updated November 16, 2018)
- Appendix A: EOI (Form was updated November 26, 2018)
- Appendix B: Program Application (Excel)
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Program
Who administers The Net Zero Energy Ready Challenge?
Integral Group Consulting (BC) LLP administers the program. The program was developed and funded by the Province of British Columbia, as represented by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Additional funding has been provided by Forestry Innovation Investment.
How do I submit my Expression of Interest and/or Program Application?
The application intake is now closed For further information please send inquiries to nzer@betterbuildingsbc.ca.
About Net-Zero Energy-Ready Buildings
What is a net-zero energy-ready building?
Net-zero energy buildings produce as much clean energy as they consume. They are up to 80 percent more energy efficient than a typical new building, and use on-site (or near-site) renewable energy systems to produce the remaining energy they need. A net-zero energy ready building is one that has been designed and built to a level of performance such that it could, with the addition of solar panels or other renewable energy technologies, achieve net-zero energy performance.
What is the BC Energy Step Code?
The BC Energy Step Code is an optional compliance path in the BC Building Code that local governments may use, if they wish, to incentivize or require a level of energy efficiency in new construction that goes above and beyond the requirements of the BC Building Code. Builders may voluntarily use the BC Energy Step Code as a new compliance path for meeting the energy-efficiency requirements of the BC Building Code. For more information on the BC Energy Step Code, visit energystepcode.ca.
What is the Passive House standard?
Passive House is a rigorous, voluntary standard for improving building energy efficiency. Passive House buildings require very little energy for space heating or cooling while providing comfortable temperatures year-round. For a building to be considered a Passive House, it must meet specific performance thresholds in space heating demand, space cooling demand, primary energy demand, and airtightness. Buildings that achieve the Passive House standard are considered on par with a new-zero energy-ready building. For more information on the Passive House standard, visit passivehousecanada.com.