As a stakeholder to the fenestration industry, please be advised of the updated energy performance standard for residential windows. The update requires new and replacement residential windows and sliding glass doors manufactured after January 1, 2022 to have a U-value ≤ 1.61 W/(m2K). The standard applies to metal and non-metal windows and sliding glass doors installed in residential buildings with less than 4 stories or a floor space of 600m2 or less. The updated standard is an incremental improvement over the current minimum standard of U-value ≤ 1.80 W/(m2K).
The standard is part of the B.C. Energy Efficiency Standards Regulation (EESR), under the Energy Efficiency Act. The EESR is a point-of-sale regulation which regulates energy using products. An energy performance standard for residential windows was first introduced in the EESR in 2009. The windows standard was recently aligned with Part 9 of the B.C. Building Code, but is now more stringent.
A six-week stakeholder consultation for the proposed standard was held in September 2019. The updated standard was approved and ordered as part of the seventh amendment to the B.C. EESR in February 2021.
As the effective date for manufacturing is approaching, stakeholder associations are encouraged to remind their membership of the change. For detailed information, please see the Residential Windows and Sliding Glass Doors Regulatory Bulletin.
Please direct any questions to myself or to energy.efficiency@gov.bc.ca
Cameron Shook P. Eng.
Energy Efficiency Standards Engineer, Energy Efficiency Branch
Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
Office: 778-698-8306