Whole Building Design

Building for Performance

The Whole Building Design offer provides financial incentives, resources and technical assistance to help building developers:

Identify energy saving strategies early in the design process;
Evaluate alternative design options and make a business case for Whole Building Design; and
Offset any incremental capital costs of the energy-efficient equipment or measures in the proposed high-performance design.

The Whole Building Design offer also includes tools to help building developers and designers prepare a business case that demonstrates the benefits of the investment. Upon completion of the project, you will receive valuable Power Smart recognition for program participation.

The Offer

BC Hydro will assist you through the two phases of Whole Building Design:

We will co-fund an energy study to develop a high-performance design that delivers energy savings compared with a conventional building design.
If the energy efficiency measures in the high-performance design involve added costs, then BC Hydro may also provide incentives to help qualified projects implement the improved design, based on the amount of savings the building will achieve.*

Optional for new multi-unit residential buildings:

Install an ENERGY STAR® package and receive rebates up to $200 per suite.

* Minimum savings criteria apply. Projects are considered qualified once certain guidelines have been met.

Eligibility

The Whole Building Design offer is for new commercial or multi-unit residential buildings projects that are:

At least 50,000 square feet; or
Electricity-intense facilities such as arenas, refrigerated warehouses or grocery stores.

Benefits

The developer, owner, occupants and the entire design team will benefit from participating in the High-Performance Building Program.

Who Benefits	How You Benefit
Building Developers	Enhanced marketability; Faster absorption, higher yields and lower tenant turnover; Recognition for advanced building design; and Enhanced civic and corporate reputation for contributing to healthy community sustainability.
Design Teams	Recognition for high-performance design Ability to meet the growing demand for green designs Enhance civic and corporate reputation for contributing to healthy community sustainability
Owners and Occupants	Lower operating costs; Contribute to lower environmental impacts; Provide a more comfortable and healthy environment for occupants; and Tend to lead to improvements in worker productivity, better student performance in schools and faster patient recovery in health care facilities.

Contact Us

If you are planning to design and build a new commercial building over 50,000 square feet and want to explore opportunities to create a high-performance building, contact us, call 604 453-6400 in the Lower Mainland, 1 866 453-6400 elsewhere in B.C., or speak to your BC Hydro representative for more information.

Last Modified: June 5, 2007