2015 National Building Code (NBC)<\/a>.<\/p>\nIn December 2012, the Federal Government issued an amendment to the 2010 NBC to incorporate energy efficiency standards in housing (Section 9.36), and issued standards for energy efficiency in commercial, industrial, institutional, and large residential buildings [currently the 2015 National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings (NECB)]. For the first time, energy efficiency was introduced to the national model codes.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_cta title=”Looking for Thermal & Insulation Requirements?” button_url=”https:\/\/www.naimacanada.ca\/insulation-requirements\/” button_text=”CLICK HERE” _builder_version=”4.0.11″ background_color=”#033366″ custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_bg_color=”#a7c11e” button_border_color=”rgba(0,0,0,0)” button_font=”|||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” button_custom_padding=”15px|22px|15px|22px|false|false” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|hover” button_bg_color__hover=”#9aaf2d” button_bg_enable_color__hover=”on”]<\/p>\n
If you’re looking for specific Canadian heating degree days, climate zones, and insulation code requirements for each city or region, then click the button below.\u00a0<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.2″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ border_style=”solid” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
R (nominal) vs. R (effective) vs. U<\/h3>\n Thermal resistance requirements in Canada are under the jurisdiction of the 13 provinces and territories, with a few chartered municipalities that adopt and enforce their own requirements (e.g., the Vancouver Building By-Law 10908). For this reason, there is a lot of variation in the requirements across Canada. Some jurisdictions express minimum thermal resistance codes using nominal values, others using effective values. The use of nominal values is easier for the insulation industry, since the product packaging is marked with these values and they directly correlate with the amount of insulation required in a building assembly (e.g., above ground walls, roofs).<\/p>\n
However, there is a move away from nominal to effective requirements in codes, with effective values representing the total thermal resistance of the whole assembly, not only insulation. Therefore, it is important that the insulation industry and its supply channels learn how to calculate the nominal insulation needed to meet those code requirements that are expressed in effective thermal resistance. There is no single conversion factor, since the effective values account for each feature of the assembly contributing to thermal resistance, and features vary from building structure to building structure.<\/p>\n
\nR (Nominal): Thermal resistance value for insulation<\/p>\n
R (Effective): Thermal resistance value of the whole building assembly<\/p>\n
U: Thermal transmittance, usually used for total assembly element<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Conversion tables have been developed by several government agencies. Three resources are:<\/strong><\/p>\n\nThe Appendix tables to Section 9.36 in the NBC 2010 (not available as an online resource)<\/li>\n The conversion tables issued by Natural Resources Canada to support the EnergyStar program<\/li>\n The Canadian Wood Council Wall Thermal Design Calculator: Effective R-Value Calculator With Durability Analysis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”Natural Resources Canada” url=”http:\/\/www.nrcan.gc.ca\/energy\/efficiency\/housing\/new-homes\/energy-star\/14176″ url_new_window=”on” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”%%126%%” icon_color=”#ffffff” use_circle=”on” admin_label=”NRCan Blurb” _builder_version=”3.0.87″ text_orientation=”center” animation=”off” border_style=”solid”]The conversion tables issued by Natural Resources Canada to support the EnergyStar program.\u00a0This document provides thermal resistance properties of opaque assembly materials required to calculate the total effective thermal resistance of building assemblies under the 2012 ENERGY STAR\u00ae for New Homes (ESNH) Standard. \n[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb title=”Wall Thermal Design Calculator” url=”https:\/\/www.appliedbuildingtech.com\/fsc\/woodcalculator” url_new_window=”on” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”%%126%%” icon_color=”#ffffff” use_circle=”on” admin_label=”CWC Blurb” _builder_version=”4.9.2″ text_orientation=”center” animation=”off” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n
The purpose of this online tool is to provide designers with climate zone-appropriate insulated wall assembly solutions that are easily comparable with national and provincial energy efficiency prescriptive provisions.\u00a0Note that the CWC calculator at present applies only for wood frame walls.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.2″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ border_style=”solid” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Using these tables, the conversion from effective to nominal is completed as follows:<\/strong><\/p>\n\nDefine the assembly features and sum up the R values for each of the features outside the cavity;<\/li>\n Take that total away from the code requirement to find the difference that must be made up by the insulated cavity;<\/li>\n Find the appropriate table for that cavity and look-up the nominal insulation needed in that particular cavity to make up the difference calculated in Step 2 (i.e., look-up the R (nominal) insulation needed to meet code for that assembly).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nA note of caution<\/em><\/strong>: all code requirements can be expressed in either metric or imperial units.\u00a0 It is customary, but not obligatory, to use the letter R when the value is expressed in imperial units, and to use RSI when the value is expressed in metric units.<\/p>\n\nR: Imperial unit of measurement for thermal resistance<\/p>\n
RSI: Metric unit of measurement for thermal resistance<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
All of the above applies to the way housing codes are written in Canada. Note that the 2015 National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) expresses insulation requirements not as minimum thermal resistance (R effective), but as maximum thermal transmittance, designated by the letter U. U is simply the reciprocal of R (effective). It is customary, not obligatory, for U to be expressed in metric units.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nClimate\u00a0Zones and Heating Degree Days<\/h3>\n The Canadian climate varies dramatically from the west to the east coast and the North Pole to the southern border, and this large variation can also be seen within many provinces. Many Canadian code bodies have chosen to take these variations into account, and in the case of energy efficiency codes, the thermal resistance requirements depend on the location\u2019s climate. To address this issue, some provincial and territorial building codes set different thermal resistance requirements for different climate zones, which are usually determined by the number of heating degree days (HDD).<\/p>\n
HDD are the number of degrees of temperature difference between a base temperature (usually 18\u00b0C) and the mean daytime outside temperature on any given day. For example, if the mean temperature for the day is 12\u00b0C, 6 HDD (18\u00b0C \u2013 12\u00b0C = 6 HDD) will be recorded. The total number of HDD over the heating season indicates the relative severity of the winter for a specific location.<\/p>\n
The national model codes have divided the country into six climate zones, as follows:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.naimacanada.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/NECB-map-colour-coded-768×625.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”on” align=”center” align_tablet=”center” align_phone=”” align_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.9.2″ hover_enabled=”0″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” sticky=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” module_id=”map-link” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]Figure 1 A map of Canada exhibiting the zones as defined by the national codes<\/p>\n
The climate zones are under the jurisdiction of the provincial governments, which may vary from those in the national model codes.\u00a0 When Section 9.36 or the 2015 NECB are adopted, the provincial or municipal governments may adopt or adapt the climate zones. \n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”Codes and Standards” content_max_width=”none” _builder_version=”3.16″ background_color=”#003366″ button_one_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ saved_tabs=”all” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”on” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”0″ button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.11″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” border_style=”solid”] Understanding Codes & Standards In Canada, building codes are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-420","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
Codes & Standards - NAIMA Canada<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n