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Resources for developers to build energy-efficient buildings

As a leader in energy management, we can help building owners, developers and the design industry create high-performance, energy-efficient buildings by providing resources and technical assistance.
 

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Building envelope thermal bridging (BETB) guide

This guide explores how the building industry in B.C. can meet the challenges of reducing energy use in buildings, in part by effectively accounting for the impact of thermal bridging.

Version 1.6 adds 26 new details and 95 new scenarios of generic details and assemblies. The updated version includes new assemblies such as precast-concrete, wood-framed, and roofing systems. Details have been also been added for mitigating thermal bridges at interface details, including the window to wall transition, intermediate floors, roof penetrations, and base of wall details at foundations.

BETB Version 1.5 is the third of four major expansions of the BETB catalogue and part of a larger project to transform the BETB Guide into a Canada-wide resource.

This project includes an easy-to-use, web-based database to support industry fully recognizing the impact of thermal bridging in energy codes and in practice. When completed, the expanded BETB database and web-application will be applicable to all Canadian climates, current construction practice and energy codes and construction types. The database will also include details and systems that are needed to meet future requirements for net-zero buildings.

This version adds 33 new details and 165 new scenarios of generic details and assemblies. A summary of the additional details follows.

Many new assemblies have been added to this the database including steel-framed, precast-concrete, wood-framed, mass timber, and low sloped roofing systems. Details have been added for mitigating thermal bridges at interface details including the window to wall, roof to wall, intermediate floors, and interior wall intersections. Additional insulation scenarios have been added to walls and roofs from previous versions of the BETB guide so that there are solutions for all of Canada’s climates zones and net-zero buildings.

BETB Version 1.4 is the second of four major expansions of the BETB catalogue and part of a larger project to transform the BETB Guide into a Canada-wide resource.

This project will develop an easy-to-use, web-based database to support industry, fully recognizing the impact of thermal bridging in energy codes and in practice. When completed, the expanded BETB database and web-application will be applicable to all Canadian climates, current construction practices and energy codes, and construction types. The database will also include details and systems that are needed to meet future requirements for net-zero buildings.

This version adds 60 new details and 619 new scenarios that include generic and proprietary details and assemblies.

Summary of the additions:

Many new assemblies have been added to the database including steel-framed, precast-concrete, wood-framed, mass timber, balconies, and roofing systems. Details have been added for mitigating thermal bridges at interface details including the window to wall, roof to wall, concrete balconies, beam penetrations, and intermediate floors. Additional insulation scenarios have been added to walls and roofs to provide solutions for all of Canada’s climates zones and net-zero buildings. Examples of new assemblies and details for net-zero buildings include sloped metal roofs, double framed wood-framed walls, highly insulated steel-framed walls, mass timber, and increased mitigation of thermal bridging at balconies, parapets, and beam penetrations.

BETB Version 1.3 is the first of four major expansions of the BETB catalogue and part of a larger project to transform the BETB Guide into a Canada-wide resource.

This project will develop an easy-to-use, web-based database to support industry fully recognizing the impact of thermal bridging in energy codes and in practice. When completed, the expanded BETB database and web-application called thermal.ly will be applicable to all Canadian climates, current construction practice and energy codes and construction types. The database will also include details and systems that are needed to meet future requirements for net-zero buildings.

This version adds 99 new details and 363 new scenarios that include generic and proprietary details and assemblies. A summary of the additional details follows. Many new assemblies have been added to this the database including window-wall, curtain wall, steel-framed, precast-concrete, wood-framed, mass timber, steel balconies, and roofing systems.

Details have been added for mitigating thermal bridges at interface details including the window to wall, roof to wall, concrete balconies, roof anchors, brick veneer shelf angles, intermediate floors, and at-grade interfaces.

Additional insulation scenarios have been added to walls and roofs from previous versions of the BETB guide to provide solutions for all of Canada's climates zones and net-zero buildings. Examples of new assemblies for net-zero buildings include highly insulated precast concrete sandwich panels, double framed wood-framed walls, highly insulated steel-framed walls, and increased mitigation of thermal bridging at concrete and steel balconies.

Refer to the original version of the BETB Guide released in 2014 for sections related to energy savings and cost benefit analysis (Part 2) and market transformation (Part 3: Significance, Insights, and Next Steps). These documents are still relevant to current realities, but are not materials that need to be referenced in everyday practice and have not been updated since the original version of the BETB Guide.

The BETB Guide V 1.2 expands the thermal performance catalogue (Appendix A and B) with additional data for a number of newly analyzed assemblies and details. This includes more cladding attachment systems, window interfaces, precast concrete interfaces, wood frame and brick veneer walls and other thermal mitigation systems. This version also has updates to some previous values. All new data sheets have been added in sequentially so all detail reference numbers from V1.1 are still valid.

Refer to the original version of the BETB Guide released in 2014 for sections related to energy savings and cost benefit analysis (Part 2) and market transformation (Part 3: Significance, Insights, and Next Steps). These documents are still relevant to current realities but are not materials that need to be referenced in everyday practice and have not been updated since the original version of the BETB Guide.

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