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Energy Efficiency in the Agri-Food Industry

Since December 2021, all new constructions (new plant or expansion) must comply with the new chapter “Building Energy Efficiency” contained in the Quebec Construction Code, from which few constructions can be exempt.

The result of a collaboration between the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) and Transition Énergétique Québec (TEQ), the new chapter1, Building Energy Efficiency, of the Quebec Construction Code, replaces rules that have been in place since… 1983!

It is an adaptation of the 2015 National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) to the energy context of Quebec, a province where electricity is more affordable and where fossil fuels are used much less for heating than elsewhere in the country. The provisions concerning the building envelope, lighting and building mechanics are much more detailed in this new regulation than in the previous one.

National Energy Code of Canada

Energy codes are recognized worldwide as one of the most effective tools for promoting building energy efficiency. In Canada, the NECB was developed as part of a commitment to improve the energy efficiency of Canadian buildings and reduce GHG emissions.

Energy savings through code compliance

Complying with the requirements of the NECB when constructing a building reduces energy consumption, saves on electricity bills, reduces consumption “peaks” and improves indoor quality and comfort.

Code compliance is the most economical option

Taking energy efficiency measures into account from the early stages of building design and construction is the most economical procedure. Subsequent renovation is much more costly. This is particularly true for the building envelope.

Improved performance

The new requirements are expected to improve the energy performance of new buildings by an average of 27.9% compared to the requirements specified in the previous standards (the 1983 requirements are no longer current, we are in 2023…), according to the RBQ (Régie du bâtiment du Québec).

TEQ (Transition énergétique Québec) estimates that the increase in construction costs related to these new standards results in a simple average return on investment period of nearly 6.8 years.

“It’s clear that there will be impacts on businesses, but we are in favor of the societal choice to focus on energy savings,” says Guillaume Houle, spokesperson for the Quebec Construction Association. Companies in the building sector will indeed have to train their staff on these new measures and their consequences. They will also have to explain to their customers why these new rules lead to an increase in construction costs.

The NECB focuses on five key design elements:

  1. building envelope – This category includes the energy performance of foundations, walls, doors and windows as well as roofing. It provides air infiltration and heat transmission rates based on an effective value rather than a nominal value as was previously the case.
  2. lighting – This category takes into account measures such as reducing lighting power densities, using lighting control systems, and efficiently using natural light.
  3. heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems – These include heat recovery ventilation, pipe and duct insulation, as well as control systems and building automation to optimize equipment operation.
  4. service water heating – This category takes into account all uses of hot water in the building and includes requirements to limit water flow rates, maximize heat recovery from wastewater, and set minimum performance standards for water heating equipment.
  5. motors and electrical power systems – This category sets requirements for monitoring consumption of electrical distribution networks, limits conductor size to minimize voltage drops, and sets standards that will guide the selection of transformers and electric motors.

 

 

Examples:

Insulation and thermal bridges

The required thermal resistance for walls, roofs, floors and slabs (see table below) nearly doubles. This is essentially a catch-up on Part 11, “Energy Efficiency,” of the Building Chapter of the Quebec Construction Code.

If we are content with RSI 3.6 (R20.4) for wall insulation, it is because we are now talking about total effective resistance rather than nominal thermal resistance, as mentioned earlier. “We consider the best value of the wall, that of the insulation, and also the worst value, that of the framing,” explains Simon Lortie, coordinator, regulation and standardization at TEQ.

Rather than imposing additional thicknesses of insulation in the walls, the new regulation requires better assemblies of materials to insulate thermal bridges, whether on a firewall, a structural beam, a projection or a balcony slab.

Doors and windows

The new regulation now sets the overall thermal transmittance coefficient for windows and doors with windows at 2.0. Products that achieve this coefficient are already widely available on the market. They do not have to be Energy Star certified.

Openings may not account for more than 40% of the envelope. This requirement becomes a challenge for buildings with large curtain wall surfaces.

“These buildings will have to comply by simulating [par ordinateur la performance énergétique du] [by computer the energy performance of] the building,” warns RBQ architect Nathalie Lessard, who participated in the development of the regulation. Designers will have to propose performance that goes beyond the Code’s prescriptions, thanks, for example, to better building mechanics or the production of renewable energy. Many modifications have been made to minimize the possibility of loopholes that would not bring the desired efficiency.”

Interior and exterior lighting

In order to reduce the total electricity consumption by lighting, the new regulation dictates maximum lighting power densities for each type of room. In addition, devices such as timers or photocontrols must be installed to limit electricity consumption in this area. It will not be necessary to use advanced technologies or resort to LEDs everywhere to achieve the required efficiency, notes Simon Lortie.

Indeed, one can also comply with the requirements through alternative solutions. In this case, one will base one’s proposals on total energy consumption rather than on the power density of each lighting fixture.

Heat recovery

The new chapter raises the heat recovery thresholds for ventilation, heating and air conditioning installations. The regulations also apply to swimming pools, refrigeration equipment and commercial hoods. Equipment that meets these thresholds is already available on the market and the return on investment is generally quite short.

Questions… about a possible future project!

Do not hesitate to contact us  for any questions you may have about the impact of this update on your upcoming expansion and new construction projects. The members of our “Pre-Construction” team, in collaboration with our various partners, will be pleased to guide you in project development!

 

By Luc Cusson, VP Engineering and DDA

Frare Gallant Ltée

Sources:

  • Website of the Ordre des Architectes du Québec
  • Website of the Government of Canada – Department of Natural Resources

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