Municipal Affairs
Transportation and Works
Environment and Conservation
August 15, 2011
Province Leads by Example with Sustainable Building Policy
Recognizing the important link between energy and the environment, the Provincial Government has developed a sustainable building policy that will reduce energy consumption, improve energy efficiency and protect the environment in Newfoundland and Labrador.
“In the Energy Plan, our government committed to lead by example, and implement a policy to ensure that provincially-funded buildings consume less energy and use energy more wisely,” said the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Natural Resources. “New buildings and major renovations falling within the scope of the policy will be built to energy-efficient standards, and will support the conservation of energy and reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.”
The policy, Build Better Buildings, applies to the construction of new
buildings and major renovations and extensions that receive capital
construction funding from the Provincial Government. The policy is being
implemented by several Provincial Government departments and agencies that
provide funding.
“As we build upon our municipal infrastructure capacity in Newfoundland and Labrador, we must ensure we take into consideration the impact this has upon our environment,” said the Honourable Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “This policy is extremely important for our entire province and I look forward to working with our municipal leaders to ensure these environmentally-conscious standards, along with lower operating costs, are understood and embraced.”
Projects that fall within the scope of Build Better Buildings must exceed the current Model National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (MNECB) by 25 per cent. Where practical, projects must register with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program and strive to achieve a LEED Silver Standard.
“We have been applying LEED principles to several of our recent major projects to ensure that our provincially-funded buildings are becoming more energy efficient,” said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works. “As we continue to lead the way in energy-efficient building construction, it is our goal that industry will follow, leading to reduced energy consumption and ultimately, to a cleaner and greener Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Measures to encourage energy efficiency and conservation in Newfoundland and Labrador support the Provincial Government’s efforts to increase awareness and opportunities to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and pollution.
“Whenever we implement measures to reduce our energy consumption and improve energy efficiency, we are taking steps to preserve our environment,” said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Environment and Conservation. “The development of a sustainable building policy for provincially-funded buildings speaks to our commitment to green actions as a government, and I am delighted we are moving forward with this initiative.”
The policy can be viewed online at www.gov.nl.ca/nr/publications/energy/betterbuildingspolicy.pdf.
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Media contacts:
| Heather Maclean Director of Communications Department of Natural Resources 709-729-5282, 697-4137 heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca |
Roger Scaplen Director of Communications Department of Transportation and Works 709-729-3015, 697-5267 rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca |
| Ken Morrissey Director of Communications Department of Municipal Affairs 709-729-1983, 685-6612 kenmorrissey@gov.nl.ca |
Melony O’Neill Director of Communications Department of Environment and Conservation 709-729-2575, 689-0928 moneill@gov.nl.ca |
BACKGROUNDER
Build Better Buildings
A Sustainable Buildings Policy for
Projects Funded by the Provincial Government
Scope
Build Better Buildings (BBB) applies to all new buildings and major
renovations and/or extensions to existing buildings receiving any level of
capital construction funding from the Provincial Government, Crown
corporations or agencies where:
- The area of a new building or extension to an existing building is 600 square metres (6,458 square feet) or more; or
- The cost of renovations and/or extensions to an existing building (600 square metres or more) exceeds 50 per cent of the cost of a new building of equivalent size and function.
Building projects receiving funding from the Provincial Government or built by Provincial Government corporations or agencies that do not fall within the scope of BBB are expected to adhere to BBB to the greatest extent practical.
Requirements
1997 Model National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (MNECB)
Projects within the scope of the BBB must exceed the 1997 Model National
Energy Code of Canada for Buildings by 25 per cent.
The MNECB was introduced by the National Research Council in 1997 to establish construction standards for building components and features that affect energy efficiency in buildings. The MNECB takes a number of regional differences into account including construction costs, climate, and fuel types and costs.
Exceeding the current MNECB by 25 per cent typically requires improved insulation in walls and roofs, improved efficiency in windows, lighting and HVAC systems, and improved heat recovery.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program
Where practical, projects within the scope of BBB must register with
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Canada and strive to
achieve a minimum of LEED Silver certification under the appropriate LEED
rating system. LEED is administered in Canada through the Canada Green
Building Council (CaGBC) and is a market-based rating system that provides
third-party verification of green buildings. LEED has become the most
recognized green building rating system in North America with thousands of
projects registered with, and certified through the program.
As part of meeting this requirement, proponents are encouraged to collaborate with all stakeholders associated with, and affected by the project.
2011 08 15 10:45 a.m.