This section provides high-level summary information documenting the existing landscape of the British Columbia Home Energy Evaluation sector in terms of services provided, industry players, industry size, professional development, licensing and registration, quality assurance, market drivers, and industry outlook. Refer to Home Performance Stakeholder Council: Landscape Analysis for Industry Sectors, Home Energy Evaluation Industry, Updated October 2016 for detailed notes on the EA & SO Sector landscape.

The home energy evaluation industry encompasses businesses, non-profits, and individuals that provide services to evaluate the energy efficiency of new or existing homes with the aim of recommending options to reduce the energy consumption and/or greenhouse gas emission impact of the homes. Given that most service organizations and home energy evaluators work with both home energy retrofits and energy-efficient new construction, this landscape analysis includes information on both existing and new home energy evaluators.

Number Employed in Industry: The home energy evaluation industry in BC has seen a reduction in the
number of energy advisors delivering EnerGuide Rating System energy evaluations but an increase in the diversity of services provided by the sector.

Number of Energy Evaluations: Post-2014, the number of energy evaluations done on existing homes in the province has dramatically decreased. The reduction in demand of energy evaluation services can be directly linked to energy evaluations not being a requirement for most home energy rebate programs in the province.

Market Demand: Demand for the services of energy advisors has been increasingly driven by:

• Regulations for new and existing homes (for example, the Vancouver Building Bylaw)
• Building code compliance
• Engaged builders and renovators
• Local, regional, or product-specific rebate programs, including Energy Save New West, energy
diet programs, and the Oil to Heat Pump Incentive Program

Correlation with Program Participation and Energy Savings/GHG Reductions: An analysis of participant
uptake in existing homes rebate programs shows much higher numbers of homeowner participants in
rebate programs that require an energy evaluation, and as a result much higher energy savings and GHG reductions from home energy improvements.

Home Performance Training: The existing homes energy evaluation industry is the only home
performance industry sector in BC that has a requirement for all individuals to have completed the
following industry training:

• Foundation Training: Building Science and House as A System
• Energy Advisor Core Competencies
• Program Qualified Energy Advisor

Quality Assurance: The existing homes energy evaluation industry is the only home performance industry sector in BC that has a detailed and established process for quality assurance, which is delivered on a minimum of 5% of energy advisor files.

The services provided by the EA & SO Sector include:

• Service organization services
• EnerGuide Rating Service evaluations for existing homes
• EnerGuide Rating Service evaluations for new homes
• Energy Star For New Homes services
• Built Green consulting
• LEED certifications for new homes
• Passive House energy design
• Net Zero energy design
• Energy modelling for code compliance
• Mid-construction blower door tests
• Thermal imaging services
• Combustion spillage testing
• Thermal bypass inspections
• HRAI heat load calculations
• RSI calculations
• Energy coaching services
• Walkthrough energy evaluations
• Energy modelling
• Quality assurance
• Product installation verification services
• Rebate processing administrative support (BC Hydro and FortisBC Home Renovation Rebate
Offer and FortisBC New Home Program)