Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 25, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - A bold new energy efficiency plan that has some developers up in arms has been passed by Yellowknife city council.

Yellowknife city councillors, including Lydia Bardak and Bob Brooks, vote to employ increased energy efficiency standards for buildings in the capital. The requirements will take effect in 2009. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

Councillors passed a recommendation for new energy efficient building standards for residential and commercial buildings at Monday's council meeting.

"We can't rely on voluntary standards and achieve what we want to achieve," said Coun. Mark Heyck in defence of the standard during an earlier committee meeting.

According to the motion, commercial builders will have until Jan. 1, 2009 to meet the Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP), while residential builders will have until Jan. 1, 2011 to meet the Energy Guide for New Houses (EGNH-80). Both standards are meant to increase the energy efficiency of new buildings, using measures such as more tightly sealed doors and windows, improved insulation and heating, as well as window placement that lets in more light.

According to city documents, an EGNH-80-rated house uses up to 40 per cent less energy than a normal house. For commercial buildings, a 25 per cent reduction in energy use is the target. The ratings are part of the city's Community Energy Plan, designed to decrease the capital's greenhouse gas output substantially.

While Coun. Bob Brooks said he supported the motion, he was concerned the deadline would be too short, given that many 2009 projects are already "on the drawing table."

"This is not a sufficient amount of time," he said.

He moved to have the timeline amended to give commercial builders until 2010 to comply.

His motion was defeated, with only Coun. Lydia Bardak in support.

During a July 16 committee meeting, Coun. David Wind said he also had concerns that the standards would affect the modular home market, what he called "the entry point for new homeowners in our market."

Blair Turner, sales manager with Lethbridge, Alta.'s Regent Home Systems, said his company wasn't sure what their next step would be.

"At this point we have no idea how to respond because we don't know what it means yet."

He said he was still waiting on documentation from council. Regent provides modular homes to new developments at Demelt Crescent and Phase 4 of Niven Lake.

In an earlier interview, Turner said the standards would require the company to re-calibrate their equipment and ship larger, more thickly insulated houses - something that he did not think was financially worth their while. He said other communities are not exerting this kind of pressure towards energy efficiency.

In response, Heyck said developers were "going to have to adapt."

"We may be one of the first communities to do this, but we won't be the last."