As of Jan. 1, 2022, all new buildings in Kamloops will have meet new energy-efficiency requirements.

Under “Step 2” of the BC Energy Step Code, buildings will have to be 20 per cent more efficient than the requirements in 2018.

Yesterday, Kamloops council approved the timeline for making Step 2 mandatory for “Part 3” buildings. Under the Step Code, buildings fall under either Part 3 or Part 9, and Part 3 includes apartments that are at least four stories high, bars and restaurants, hospitals, jails, high-hazard industrial buildings and any building that is more than 600 square metres (6,459 square feet).

Part 9 of the Step Code includes multi-family or single-family homes, small commercial and industrial buildings and other similar buildings. Kamloops council had already previously approved the timeline for mandating Step 2 of the Step Code for Part 9 buildings, which will also be Jan. 1, 2022.

Kamloops’ building and engineering development manager Jason Dixon says at some point in 2022, the province will make it mandatory for new buildings in southern B.C. to meet Step 2 of the Step Code. He says the province hasn’t picked a date yet, but says Kamloops choosing Jan. 1 will make sure the city is ahead of that.

Dixon says city staff had one-on-one meetings and consultations with members of the building community earlier this year.

“There was a general agreement that one-year advanced notice, because of the scope of the projects, one-year advanced notice would allow industry to align their planning and design process with the regulatory changes of the Energy Step Code, and then avoid having to make changes midstream.”

Kamloops staff say 29 per cent of local greenhouse gas emissions in 2017 came from buildings.