GDS are most effective when mandatory, standardized, prescriptive, consistent and when they incentivize upper tiers.
Provide meaningful incentives for those who choose to go beyond code minimums, including incentives for feasibility studies, partial development charge rebates, density bonuses or expedited permitting.
Higher performing buildings feature a number of measures intended to reduce energy waste and emissions. This means incentives must emphasize higher quality doors and windows, increased insulation, zero-carbon heating/cooling and hot water systems, and achieve high-levels of airtightness and balanced ventilation.
Few resources are currently dedicated to promoting compliance with building energy improvement measures and, if compliance rates are low, GDS will not result in the expected energy savings, even if widely adopted.
Municipalities must plan to conduct verification of building energy performance to ensure buildings perform as designed. This includes increased training for building and inspection officials as well as linking robust compliance reporting to any potential funding arrangements.
Municipalities can amplify their building sector's efforts and better prepare their workforce for the net-zero economy while also reducing leakage of construction activity to neighbouring jurisdictions by taking a regional approach.