Whole Building Design

Whole Building Design (WBD) offer is designed for commercial, institutional and multi-unit residential new developments or major building retrofits that can save 50,000 kWh*, and are in the early stages of the design process. WBD is a customized building approach that looks at your building as a single, highly integrated system to create a high-performance building at a lower cost.

TIP: The Whole Building Design approach provides the highest levels of capital incentives for new construction projects.

Building for performance

WBD offer provides high levels of financial incentives, resources and technical assistance to help building developers and design team to:

• Identify energy saving strategies early in the design process.
• Evaluate alternative design and cost options to make a business case for implementation.
• Offset a large part of the incremental capital costs of the energy-efficient equipment or measures in the proposed high-performance design.
• Upon completion of the project, you will receive valuable Power Smart recognition for program participation.

The offer

• Energy Study Funding. Funds up to 100% of an energy study to develop a high-performance design that delivers energy savings compared with a conventional building design. BC Hydro will fund 50% for an approved energy study cost and will provide a bonus for the remaining 50% of study cost if half of the savings identified and recommended in the energy study are implemented.
• Capital Incentives. If the energy efficiency measures identified in the study involve added costs, then BC Hydro may also provide capital incentives to help qualified projects implement the improved efficient design. Capital incentives are calculated based on the amount of electrical energy savings the building will achieve.* The higher the percentage of electricity savings achieved, in proportion to predicted conventional building design (baseline), the higher level of capital incentive you will receive based on a multiple tier level of incentives.

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

Eligibility

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

• Potential electricity saving at least 50,000 kWh
• Early in the design process
• Located in BC Hydro service territory