Passive Design Toolkit

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Best practices for energy efficiency in new buildings

Traditionally, buildings are hard on the environment. Construction uses natural resources and tends to create waste and significant GHG emissions. Green buildings minimize their impact on the environment because they utilize fewer resources and are designed with ongoing efficiency in mind. A green building delivers maximum efficiency and comfort with a lower overall life cycle cost than a conventional building. As a result, building green has emerged as a practice that can strengthen and diversify a region's economy.

Passive design is an approach that uses the building architecture to minimize energy consumption and improve thermal comfort in new buildings. The primary objective is to reduce or eliminate the need for active mechanical systems used to heat, cool, and ventilate.

BC Hydro Power Smart and the City of Vancouver have teamed up on the development of two passive design resources for new buildings. The tool kits provide best practices for energy efficiency and sustainable construction in new homes [PDF, 170 Mb] and larger buildings [PDF, 259 Mb].

The City of Vancouver's Passive Design Program aims to not only educate City staff and the development community about green building techniques but also to align regulations and bylaws making it easier to design and construct green buildings. The City also plans to incorporate passive design requirements into new and existing land-use policies including design guides for development permits and rezoning.

By leveraging the natural environment, buildings that incorporate passive design can:

• Improve occupant comfort and the quality of the interior environment;
• Help reduce electricity bills;
• Reduce GHGs associated with day-to-day use and maintenance; and
• Make alternative energy systems viable.

The City of Vancouver and BC Hydro Power Smart anticipate the Passive Design Toolkits could result in significant energy savings and help to reduce GHG emissions associated with new buildings. This work is supportive of the City's goal to become the greenest city in North America and BC Hydro's commitment to promoting energy conservation.