Sustainable Buildings Canada selected to lead major sustainability initiatives

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Ontario Construction News staff writer

Sustainable Buildings Canada (SBC) has been chosen by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to spearhead two major multi-year projects aimed at enhancing energy efficiency in the built environment.

“We are honored to have been selected by NRCan to lead these transformative initiatives. Both the Codes Acceleration initiative and the EnergySPRING program are critical to advancing sustainability in Canada and present an exciting opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of Canadians,” said Michael Singleton, executive director at SBC.

Initiatives will focus on new construction and retrofitting existing affordable housing, including the Codes Acceleration Project and the EnergySPRING program.

Under the Codes Acceleration initiative, SBC will offer workshops to support regional building officials in implementing the latest National Energy Codes. Sessions will focus on practical, high-performance solutions that meet new energy requirements for both residential and commercial buildings.

Funded by NRCan’s Codes Acceleration Fund, the program aims to make high energy performance levels achievable and understandable for builders and code officials. Virtual workshops are set to start this year, inviting participation from codes officials and industry stakeholders.

The Codes Acceleration Project will assist building officials across Canada in adopting higher-tier National Building Codes, while the EnergySPRING program is designed to facilitate deep-energy retrofits for Ontario’s social housing and Indigenous communities.

“Codes Acceleration advances eco-system development, awareness, and capacity building on high-performance sustainable national building codes,” said Singleton said. “EnergySPRING scales social and Indigenous housing providers’ ability to deliver low-carbon deep retrofits.

“Both programs are enabling true market transformation towards sustainable, resilient homes in Canada.”

Under the Codes Acceleration initiative, SBC will offer workshops to support regional building officials in implementing the latest National Energy Codes. Sessions will focus on practical, high-performance solutions that meet new energy requirements for both residential and commercial buildings.

Funded by NRCan’s Codes Acceleration Fund, the program aims to make high energy performance levels achievable and understandable for builders and code officials. Virtual workshops are set to start this year, inviting participation from codes officials and industry stakeholders.

The EnergySPRING Market Transformation Program will adapt the internationally recognized Energiesprong model to Ontario’s unique housing needs. The initiative aims to address critical challenges such as electrification, affordability, and resilience against extreme weather, focusing on existing low-rise housing in underserved communities.

Led by the EnergySPRING Market Transformation Advisory Group (EMTAG), the program will engage with market actors across Ontario to build a sustainable supply-chain ecosystem for deep-energy retrofits. By facilitating collaboration with municipal housing providers and other stakeholders, EnergySPRING aims to significantly improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of affordable housing in the region.

“We are pleased to join EMTAG to share national decarbonization insights and support EnergySPRING with complementary research,” said Corey Diamond, executive director of Efficiency Canada.

For more information on the upcoming workshops, visit SBC Codes Acceleration Workshops. To learn more about the EnergySPRING program, visit SBC EnergySPRING.

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