Energy modelling and testing for new homes in BC: the energy advisor, the model, the blower door test and the EnerGuide label
A new home in British Columbia proves its Step Code target with two kinds of evidence. Before the permit, an energy advisor builds a computer energy model of the design that shows it meets the step the city requires. During and after construction, the advisor runs a blower door test, which uses a fan to measure how much air leaks through the home's shell. The model is then updated with the measured leakage. Energy advisors also deliver the EnerGuide rating, Natural Resources Canada's label that shows a home's yearly energy use in gigajoules. This chapter explains each step for homes in Burnaby, Surrey, North Vancouver and the rest of BC.
Part of Energy-efficient homes in BC: the Step Code, testing, and heating. Figures re-verified 2026-10-24.
Key takeaways
- Energy advisors are registered through service organizations licensed by Natural Resources Canada and must pass two federal exams.
- The province says the Step Code requires a whole-building energy model before the design is finalized.
- Article 9.36.7.3 requires a multi-point depressurization test under CAN/CGSB-149.10 when airtightness feeds the energy model.
- Mid-construction air testing is not required across BC, but Surrey requires it before the insulation inspection.
- Until the home is tested, the model uses a design airtightness value, under Sentence 9.36.6.5.(9).
- An EnerGuide rating of 0 gigajoules per year means a home produces as much energy as it uses.
Who the energy advisor is
The province's energy advisor page describes energy advisors as third-party consultants who work on Part 9 residential buildings. They are registered by service organizations licensed by Natural Resources Canada, and they deliver federal programs such as the EnerGuide Rating System, ENERGY STAR for New Homes and R-2000. To qualify, an advisor must pass two Natural Resources Canada exams and be registered through a licensed service organization.
The same page says the Step Code requires Part 9 builders to work with an energy advisor or energy modeller to review plans, model energy use, test airtightness, and confirm that both the plans and the finished home meet the step. An energy modeller does similar work but is not tied to a service organization or the EnerGuide system. Every energy advisor is an energy modeller, but not every modeller is an energy advisor.
Advisors need to be on site only for the air tests. The rest of the work happens on plans and in software, so the advisor does not have to live near the project. On larger Part 3 buildings, the province says building envelope consultants and other professionals do the modelling and testing instead.
Bring the energy advisor in while the design can still change. The model can then show the designer what a bigger window or a different wall will do to the result before anyone has drawn the details.
The energy model at permit stage
The province's Step Code page says the code requires a digital whole-building energy model before the design is finalized. Article 9.36.6.4 sets the rules for that model. The software must use calculation methods tested under ANSI/ASHRAE 140, a standard test for building energy software. For Steps 3 to 5, the model must account for the air leakage rate found under Subsection 9.36.7.
The province lists what a model takes into account: the size and shape of the building, the local climate, the effective insulation values of walls, ceilings, windows and doors, and the mechanical systems for comfort and hot water. The City of North Vancouver's Part 9 page names a HOT2000 detailed report as an example of the energy model it asks for; HOT2000 is the software file used in the EnerGuide Rating System.
Until the house is built and tested, the model cannot know the real leakage. Sentence 9.36.6.5.(9) says the model uses a design airtightness value until the airtightness is measured. That design value becomes the target the site crew must reach.
The province publishes a Part 9 compliance checklist, updated January 2025, that gives the building official the information Article 2.2.8.2 of the code requires. It has three stages. The City of North Vancouver asks for the pre-construction checklist and model reports with the permit application, the mid-construction checklist at or before the insulation and vapour barrier inspection, and the as-built checklist and model reports before the final inspection.
The blower door test
A blower door test fits a calibrated fan into an outside door frame and pulls air out of the house to lower the pressure inside. The fan's flow at set pressures shows how much air leaks in through gaps in the shell. Article 9.36.7.3 requires a multi-point depressurization test under CAN/CGSB-149.10, the Canadian standard for this method, whenever airtightness feeds the energy model.
The result is reported in one of three measures in Table 9.36.7.4. ACH50 is the number of times the air in the house is replaced in an hour at 50 pascals of pressure difference. NLA10 is the leakage area per square metre of shell at 10 pascals. NLR50 is the leakage rate per square metre at 50 pascals. The step's Airtightness Level sets the limit in each measure.
The province's Part 9 page describes a Mid-Construction Verification Report, which tests airtightness partway through construction, while gaps can still be reached behind open walls. It states that mid-construction testing is not required across the province and tells builders to check with the local building department. Surrey requires all Part 9 buildings to pass a mid-construction blower door test before the insulation inspection. Surrey's page also states that the province requires every Step Code building to conduct a final airtightness test to receive an occupancy permit.
Run the mid-construction test even where the city does not ask for it. A leak found at a window opening before drywall can be sealed with tape in minutes. After drywall, the same leak means opening finished walls.
The EnerGuide label
The EnerGuide rating is Natural Resources Canada's measure of a home's energy performance. Natural Resources Canada describes it as an estimate of the net energy a house uses in a year, shown in gigajoules per year. Lower is better, and a rating of zero means the home produces as much energy as it uses. The label also shows a reference point: the same house as if built to typical new construction standards.
Natural Resources Canada gives a sense of scale. One gigajoule is the energy a typical refrigerator uses in 30 weeks, and the average Canadian household uses 100 gigajoules a year. The label breaks energy use down by source and by use (heating, cooling, ventilation and so on) and shows the home's greenhouse gas emissions.
The rating describes the house under standard conditions for thermostat settings, hot water use and the number of occupants. Natural Resources Canada says owners should not expect the rating to match their utility bills, because households vary and weather changes year to year. A hot tub or pool is left out of the rating and listed on the information sheet as an atypical energy load.
For an existing home, the advisor gathers the data on site with a blower door test, a check of insulation levels, a count of windows and doors, and the ratings of the heating, cooling and water heating equipment. The renovation chapter of this guide covers that evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
What does an energy advisor do on a new home in BC?
An energy advisor reviews the plans, builds the energy model, runs the airtightness tests and confirms that the plans and the finished home meet the required step. The province's energy advisor page lists these four tasks. Advisors are registered through service organizations licensed by Natural Resources Canada.
When should the energy model be done for a new build?
Before the design is final, and before the permit application. The province's Step Code page says the code requires a whole-building energy model before finalizing the design. Starting it during early design lets the model test window sizes and wall choices while they can still change.
What software can be used for a Step Code energy model?
Software whose calculation methods have been tested under ANSI/ASHRAE 140, under Article 9.36.6.4 of the BC Building Code. Energy advisors working in the EnerGuide system use HOT2000, which the City of North Vancouver names as an example. Energy modellers outside that system may use other software that meets the Step Code's requirements.
What is a blower door test?
It is an air leakage test. A calibrated fan in an outside door lowers the air pressure inside the house, and the fan's flow at set pressures shows how much air leaks in. The BC Building Code requires the multi-point method in CAN/CGSB-149.10 when the result feeds the energy model.
Is a mid-construction air test required in BC?
Not across the province. The province's Part 9 page says mid-construction testing is not required everywhere and tells builders to check locally. Surrey requires a mid-construction blower door test on all Part 9 buildings before the insulation inspection, and the City of North Vancouver asks for a mid-construction checklist at that inspection.
What happens to the energy model after the final air test?
The measured air leakage replaces the design value. Sentence 9.36.6.5.(9) of the BC Building Code says the model uses a design airtightness until airtightness is measured. The as-built model and checklist then go to the building official, and the City of North Vancouver asks for them before the final inspection.
What does ACH50 mean on an air test report?
ACH50 means air changes per hour at a pressure difference of 50 pascals. It is how many times the full volume of air in the house would be replaced in an hour at that test pressure. Step 3 allows 2.5, Step 4 allows 1.5 and Step 5 allows 1.0.
What does an EnerGuide rating of zero mean?
It means the house produces as much energy as it uses over a year. Natural Resources Canada describes the rating as an estimate of a home's net yearly energy use in gigajoules, where lower is better. Natural Resources Canada says such homes would generally be highly energy-efficient.
Why does my energy bill not match my EnerGuide rating?
Because the rating uses standard operating conditions for thermostat settings, hot water use and the number of occupants. Natural Resources Canada says owners should not expect bills to match the rating. Real households vary, weather changes from year to year, and loads such as a pool or hot tub are left out.
What is the difference between an energy advisor and an energy modeller?
An energy advisor is registered through a service organization licensed by Natural Resources Canada and can deliver EnerGuide ratings. An energy modeller does similar Step Code work without that registration. The province's page says every energy advisor is an energy modeller, but not every energy modeller is an energy advisor.
What Step Code reports go to the building inspector on a new home?
The province's Part 9 checklist covers three stages: pre-construction, mid-construction and as-built. The City of North Vancouver, for example, asks for the pre-construction checklist with the permit application, the mid-construction checklist at the insulation and vapour barrier inspection, and the as-built checklist and model reports before final inspection.
Go deeper in the Journal
Sources and references
Rate and regulation figures on this page were re-verified on 2026-10-24. Construction cost ranges come from Venture Pacific's own Metro Vancouver projects and are described as such wherever they appear.
- Energy advisors and energy modelsProvince of British Columbia. Page last updated 9 June 2025. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- BC Energy Step CodeProvince of British Columbia. Page last updated 9 June 2025. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- Part 9 buildings: Energy and Zero Carbon Step Code checklist and resourcesProvince of British Columbia. Page last updated 15 January 2026. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- British Columbia Building Code 2024, Book I (General), Revision 2: Division B, Sections 9.32, 9.33, 9.36 and 9.37, and Appendix C, Table C-2Province of British Columbia. Code in effect 8 March 2024. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- BC Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step CodeCity of Surrey. Page modified 22 October 2026. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- BC Energy Step Code for New Buildings: Requirements for Part 9 BuildingsCity of North Vancouver. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- EnerGuide energy efficiency home evaluationsNatural Resources Canada. Page modified 23 December 2024. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- After your EnerGuide home evaluationNatural Resources Canada. Page modified 28 November 2025. Accessed 24 October 2026.
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