The government of British Columbia has boosted energy efficiency standards to reduce energy costs and reduce pollution.
The Energy Efficiency Standards Regulation sets minimum energy performance standards at the point of sale and manufacture for products that use, control, or impact energy use. These standards are frequently updated to ensure products in the B.C. marketplace continue to improve.
“Through CleanBC, we’re helping to make cleaner choices more affordable for British Columbians,” said Bruce Ralston, B.C.’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “By moving forward with new energy efficiency standards, homes and workplaces throughout the province will benefit from lower energy bills, helping to build a stronger, better B.C.”
The update to the standards regulation will result in the reduction of 52,500 tonnes of CO2 in 2030 – the equivalent to taking 12,750 cars off the road – and will save 1.72 million gigajoules of energy in 2030 – as much as consumed by 16,000 B.C. homes. These changes will save British Columbians $45 million in energy bills per year and will have a net economic benefit of $114 million by 2030.
New and updated standards include those for computers and monitors, residential windows, residential gas boilers and commercial gas boilers. Computers will be required to have improved efficiency while in “idle” mode and computer monitors are to have improved efficiency while in use. The residential window standard is an incremental update to the current standard and can be met by dual-pane vinyl windows. The residential and commercial boiler standards require condensing technology in all new and replacement boilers.
“We’re improving energy efficiency standards for everyday products to reduce emissions and save people money through lower energy bills,” said George Heyman, B.C.’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “These changes will help build a cleaner, better future for people through CleanBC and help us meet our greenhouse gas emission targets by cutting pollution in communities across the province.”
There have been six major amendments to British Columbia’s Energy Efficiency Standards Regulation (EESR) since 2006. Amendment 7 delivers on CleanBC commitments to introduce new energy efficiency standards for space heaters and residential windows.
To learn more about the new amendment to the EESR, click here.
