Oil-fired furnaces will be a thing of the past after the federal government moved to accelerate retrofits and green building codes.On Tuesday, multiple cabinet ministers in multiple cities announced what’s being touted as the ‘Canada green buildings strategy’ outlining priorities for ‘decarbonizing’ buildings’ which it says is the third-largest source of ‘climate altering’ emissions.Speaking in Vancouver, Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the federal government intends to use regulations and investments to encourage the switch to heat pumps.."We will be moving to ban the use of heating oil in new construction. And that simply reflects the fact that there are lots of alternatives to heating oil," Wilkinson told CBC. "Heating oil is enormously expensive, and it is the most polluting fuel that we use to heat our homes."The strategy does not target natural gas and propane heating sources at this time.Through joint federal-provincial programs homeowners can receive a maximum of $15,000 to install a heat pump — but only in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where the provincial governments have signed on.More than a million homes in Canada are heated with oil, the majority in Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and BC. Most building emissions come from air conditioners, furnaces and boilers. Switching from fossil fuels to electric heat pumps could significantly reduce buildings' carbon footprints, the government said in a release."I think the heavy lifting in the context of the climate plan comes in the area of buildings because it is so disparate," Wilkinson told CBC. "There are 16 million residential buildings, most of which will be standing in 2050, most all of which will require deep retrofits.".The document also says homebuilders need to construct more "green and affordable homes from the start" and warns materials manufactured through processes that emit a lot of carbon — such as cement and steel — could undo progress in reducing emissions.According to government estimates, Canada will need at least 3.5 million new homes by 2030. "However, if built with current practices, using materials containing a significant amount of 'embodied carbon,' and to base (minimum) building codes and standards, these structures will add up to 18 megatonnes of GHGs to our carbon footprint annually."While Ottawa can set standards for federal construction, it's up to provincial governments to adopt and implement them.
Oil-fired furnaces will be a thing of the past after the federal government moved to accelerate retrofits and green building codes.On Tuesday, multiple cabinet ministers in multiple cities announced what’s being touted as the ‘Canada green buildings strategy’ outlining priorities for ‘decarbonizing’ buildings’ which it says is the third-largest source of ‘climate altering’ emissions.Speaking in Vancouver, Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the federal government intends to use regulations and investments to encourage the switch to heat pumps.."We will be moving to ban the use of heating oil in new construction. And that simply reflects the fact that there are lots of alternatives to heating oil," Wilkinson told CBC. "Heating oil is enormously expensive, and it is the most polluting fuel that we use to heat our homes."The strategy does not target natural gas and propane heating sources at this time.Through joint federal-provincial programs homeowners can receive a maximum of $15,000 to install a heat pump — but only in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where the provincial governments have signed on.More than a million homes in Canada are heated with oil, the majority in Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia and BC. Most building emissions come from air conditioners, furnaces and boilers. Switching from fossil fuels to electric heat pumps could significantly reduce buildings' carbon footprints, the government said in a release."I think the heavy lifting in the context of the climate plan comes in the area of buildings because it is so disparate," Wilkinson told CBC. "There are 16 million residential buildings, most of which will be standing in 2050, most all of which will require deep retrofits.".The document also says homebuilders need to construct more "green and affordable homes from the start" and warns materials manufactured through processes that emit a lot of carbon — such as cement and steel — could undo progress in reducing emissions.According to government estimates, Canada will need at least 3.5 million new homes by 2030. "However, if built with current practices, using materials containing a significant amount of 'embodied carbon,' and to base (minimum) building codes and standards, these structures will add up to 18 megatonnes of GHGs to our carbon footprint annually."While Ottawa can set standards for federal construction, it's up to provincial governments to adopt and implement them.
