As of January 2018, the EnerGuide Rating System Version 15 (ERS v15) for New Homes certification is allowed as a compliance path for 9.36 modeling in Alberta. This is great news as it streamlines the energy code verification process and lowers the overall cost to builders who are considering to include blower door testing and ERS labeling of their homes.
Some of the advantages of allowing ERS v15 as Compliance Path modeling include:
- only one energy model is required
- simplified calculations
- lower overall cost to builders
- air leakage verification
- certified NRCan energy label included in the process
- third-party verification of the home’s energy efficiency
Up until now, builders who followed the performance path have been required to complete extensive manual calculations and multiple engineering models to prove compliance to the various authorities. With this recent announcement, we can now complete the models in a shorter time-frame, therefore reducing the energy modeling costs to builders.
Under this path, a blower door test is now required to be completed by an ERS v15 registered energy advisor, which provides third-party verification of the energy efficiency of the building. Builders will receive a government certified EnerGuide label that should be displayed at the house and used as a home’s selling feature to validate the home’s energy efficiency. This is also good news for prospective homebuyers as they can now easily compare the energy efficiency ratings of their potential new home.
If you are a builder who is already building above code, then this will also make it easy for your customers to possibly qualify for the CMHC mortgage insurance rebate.
Our team of energy consultants will work with you to achieve 9.36 compliance, contact us to discuss which compliance path is the best option for you.
To download the STANDATA Code Variance, click this link.