Supplementary Standard SB-12 to the 2012 Ontario Building Code – Energy Efficiency for Housing was amended on July 7, 2016. The amendments include:
• new prescriptive compliance packages that provide minimum 15 per cent energy efficiency improvement over existing packages
• drain water heat recovery units as a mandatory requirement for all prescriptive compliance packages
• heat or energy recovery ventilators as a mandatory requirement in all packages in order to protect indoor air quality as homes get increasingly “air tight” Note: The term “heat recovery ventilators” has been broadened to include energy recovery ventilators wherever it has been used in the document
• thermal U and effective RSI values along with nominal RSI values to provide added flexibility in the choice of different assembly structures such as basement wall and roofs
credits for reducing air leakage to encourage better energy conservation
• table to clarify requirements for developing a reference building
• revised air-leakage rates for the reference building to encourage testing and improved air tightness
• clarification to provide credits for renewables, dedicated ventilation systems and broader types of HVAC equipment
• other editorial changes, clarifications and new appendix notes
Chapter 3 changes will apply to construction for which a permit has been applied for after December 31, 2016. There have only been minor editorial changes included in this update for Chapter 2 that will continue to apply to construction for which a permit has been applied for before January 1, 2017.
The revised Supplementary Standard SB-12 (as amended on July 7, 2016) is available here http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=15116.
