CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard to Phase out Combustion

EIN CAGBC New Logo 400

July 25, 2022

The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) introduced the latest version of its Zero Carbon Building – Design Standard, demonstrating a continued commitment to getting more buildings to zero faster. The ZCB-Design v3 Standard prioritizes reductions in carbon emissions and embodied carbon, and encourages energy-efficient design that promotes good grid citizenship.

“These updates to the ZCB-Design Standard are informed by two years of market and project feedback, as well as changing market expectations of operational and embodied carbon emissions,” said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of CAGBC. “Our research shows that the industry needs flexibility in achieving zero carbon. That’s what our standard provides without compromising our target to eliminate carbon emissions from buildings. ”

Phasing out combustion for significant carbon reductions

ZCB-Design v3 offers additional thermal energy demand intensity (TEDI) flexibility to incentivize projects to move away from combustion.
Projects that eliminate combustion for space heating are no longer required to meet a TEDI target. Now design teams can optimize their building enclosures and HVAC design for the best possible returns.

“This change gives projects the freedom to invest project dollars to achieve the greatest impact at the lowest cost ,” said Mark Hutchinson, Vice President of Green Building Programs and Innovation at CAGBC. “For example, projects might choose to invest in a geo-exchange system and completely electrify, rather than invest in additional envelope efficiency but still use air-source heat pumps and backup natural gas.”
ZCB-Design v3 also puts a limit on combustion, preventing it from being used unless the outdoor air temperature is below -10 C. This change ensures electrification of heating is the new default, only stopping at the point of system limitation. Today, all heat pump applications have options available to -10 C, while some go as low as -30 C. By choosing -10 C, the Standard doesn’t prescribe a solution but makes substantial electrification a requirement.

Putting a limit on embodied carbon

The Standard introduces a prerequisite for embodied carbon, with the flexibility to choose between absolute embodied carbon targets or relative improvements over a baseline. The new limit is a critical next step towards CAGBC’s goal of reducing embodied carbon 40% by 2030. CAGBC’s Embodied Carbon: A Primer for Buildings in Canada calculated that embodied carbon could represent as much as 93% of a new building’s cumulative emissions in 2050.

Zero carbon momentum

Collectively, the changes are particularly helpful for smaller buildings and multi-unit residential projects. The changes were guided by the Zero Carbon Steering Committee, supported by an Embodied Carbon Working Group and CAGBC’s Energy and Engineering Technical Advisory Group.

“These changes were designed with an eye to the simplicity/accessibility of the Standard and a clear focus on driving carbon reductions. The intent is to reduce the cost and effort required to achieve the desired outcomes of certification, and to open the Standard to as many projects as possible. I know the changes will remove barriers that some of our clients were facing,” said Doug Webber, Chair of the Zero Carbon Steering Committee and Co-Founder and Principal of Purpose Building. Already, CAGBC is seeing increased interest in this new iteration.

If Canada is to meet its climate targets, every building must be a zero-carbon building. Balancing rigour with flexibility is one way the ZCB standards encourage the transition to zero. A strong business case also helps. CAGBC proved new zero carbon buildings were technically feasible and financially viable with the seminal report Making the Case for Zero Carbon Building. Most recently, CAGBC tackled zero-carbon retrofits with Decarbonizing Canada’s Large Buildings, and demonstrated that every building has a path to zero. As the cost of carbon and the risks of climate change grow, the value of zero-carbon buildings will only increase.

The market is ready for the transition. This month, CAGBC celebrated the 50th building certification under the Zero Carbon Building standards. Across Canada, jurisdictions like Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are implementing aggressive plans to reduce carbon emissions from buildings, and the private sector’s efforts are equally ambitious. Increasingly, projects are using CAGBC’s standards to help map out their approach to decarbonization.

Registration for ZCB-Design v3 is now open.

For more information: cagbc.org/zerocarbon
To download the Standard: cagbc.org/ZCBDesign

Source

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • Guide to the Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1[i], 26th Edition – A Road Map: Section 28 – Motors and Generators

    Guide to the Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1[i], 26th Edition – A Road Map: Section 28 – Motors and Generators

    Rule 28-000 – Scope states that Section 28is a supplementary or amendatory section of the code and provides additional and specific requirements for the installation, wiring methods, conductors, protection, and control of all motors and generators. Read More…

  • Statement by ECAO Executive Director, Graeme Aitken on Tariffs

    Statement by ECAO Executive Director, Graeme Aitken on Tariffs

    February 7, 2025 ECAO posted the following statement from Executive Director, Graeme Aitken on their website regarding potential U.S. Tariffs: For almost 80 years, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Ontario (ECAO) has served and represented the interests of Ontario’s industry-leading, unionized electrical contractors. Over those many decades, ECAO has stepped up during times of challenge… Read More…

  • Rigid PVC Conduit vs. ENT in High-Rise and Multi-Use Applications

    Rigid PVC Conduit vs. ENT in High-Rise and Multi-Use Applications

    February 7, 2025 By Phil Crangi Choosing the right high-rise construction conduit can significantly impact project efficiency and costs. While rigid PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) conduit may have a lower upfront cost, ENT (Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing) offers more significant advantages due to its long-term labor savings and installation efficiency. ENT and fittings form an integrated system… Read More…

  • EFC Tariff Response: Advocating for Free Trade

    EFC Tariff Response: Advocating for Free Trade

    February 7, 2025 STATEMENT FROM CAROL MCGLOGAN, PRESIDENT & CEO, ELECTRO-FEDERATION CANADA ON U.S. TARIFFS Electro-Federation Canada (EFC), representing Canada’s electrical and automation industry, strongly opposes the recent tariffs announced (an subsequently delayed) by President Trump on Canadian imports. These tariffs threaten to disrupt North American supply chains, increase costs for businesses and consumers, and… Read More…


Changing Scene