Two different projects, two different paths.
Homeowners and Renovators
EnerGuide evaluations, blower door testing, thermal imaging inspections, and advisory support for rebates and financing.
Builders, Developers and Building Owners
Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code compliance modelling, airtightness testing, large building airtightness, commissioning and ASHRAE energy audits.
Monolith Housing in Burnaby
Monolith Housing Solutions is based in North Vancouver and Burnaby is within its core service area. Scheduling is straightforward, site visits are direct, and return visits during construction are practical rather than an event to plan around.
That matters more than it sounds. Mid-construction airtightness testing works best when the test happens at the right moment in the build rather than when a crew can be scheduled to travel. On Burnaby projects that timing is a conversation, not a constraint.
- Metrotown
- Brentwood
- Lougheed
- Edmonds
- Burnaby Mountain
Home Energy Audits and EnerGuide Evaluations in Burnaby
An EnerGuide home evaluation is a whole-house assessment carried out by a Registered Energy Advisor licensed through Natural Resources Canada. The evaluation combines a full inspection of the building envelope and mechanical systems with a blower door test that measures how much air leaks through the enclosure.
The result is an EnerGuide rating, a modelled energy profile of the home, and a report identifying which upgrades will actually reduce energy use. For most Burnaby homeowners the evaluation is also the gateway to rebate programmes, since most retrofit incentives require a pre-upgrade evaluation before work begins.
What the evaluation covers
- Blower door airtightness test with results in ACH50 and equivalent leakage area
- Insulation levels and thermal bridging across walls, attic and foundation
- Window and door performance
- Heating, cooling, ventilation and domestic hot water systems
- Optional infrared thermal imaging to locate insulation gaps and air leakage paths
- EnerGuide rating and modelled upgrade scenarios
Thermal imaging inspections in Burnaby
Infrared thermography shows surface temperature differences across a building. Used correctly, it locates missing insulation, thermal bridges, air leakage paths, and moisture where it has changed how a material conducts heat.
Used incorrectly, it produces a colourful image and a wrong conclusion. A thermal image is a picture of surface temperature at one moment, and surface temperature is affected by sun exposure, recent weather, interior conditions and material emissivity. Reading a wall as a defect when the sun was on it two hours earlier is a common error.
Monolith carries out diagnostic thermography to ASTM E1186, which means the survey is done under controlled conditions and, where appropriate, combined with a blower door test so the building is under pressure while the scan runs. Depressurising the house pulls exterior air through leakage paths, which makes those paths visible as cold streaks rather than leaving them to be inferred.
When it is useful:
- Locating insulation gaps before deciding where to spend on a retrofit
- Finding the source of a cold room or persistent draught
- Investigating suspected moisture in a wall or ceiling
- Verifying insulation work was actually completed as specified
- Documenting envelope condition before a purchase or a renovation
What it is not: thermography is not a substitute for an EnerGuide evaluation and does not produce a rating, a modelled energy profile, or documentation a rebate programme will accept. It is a diagnostic tool that answers “where,” while the evaluation answers “how much” and “what next.”
Rebate and financing advisory
Rebate programmes change, stack in ways that are not obvious, and often depend on the sequence of work. Monolith advises homeowners on which programmes a project qualifies for, how provincial, federal and utility incentives combine, and what financing options are available.
The practical value is sequencing. A homeowner who installs a heat pump before the pre-upgrade evaluation can forfeit rebates that would otherwise have been available. The advisory work happens before the money is spent, not after.
Building a new home in Burnaby
Homeowners planning a new build or a substantial rebuild in Burnaby face a stricter standard than most of the province. Since January 1, 2025, new Part 9 residential buildings in Burnaby must meet Energy Step Code Step 3 and Zero Carbon Step Code Emission Level 4.
In practice EL-4 means the building's systems run on zero-emissions energy rather than fossil fuels. That decision affects heating, hot water and, depending on the compliance pathway chosen, cooking. The section below sets out what each pathway allows.
FOR BUILDERS AND BUILDING OWNERS
Monolith works as an independent building energy consultant on Part 9 and Part 3 projects: energy modelling for permit submission, airtightness testing at mid-construction and final stages, large building airtightness testing, commissioning, and ASHRAE energy audits on existing buildings.
The firm is led by Shahin Arvandi, a Registered Energy Advisor, Certified Air Tester, Level II Infrared Thermographer, Certified Passive House Designer and LEED AP BD+C.
Energy modelling and Step Code compliance
Pre-construction and as-built compliance reports for Part 9 and Part 3 submissions, including TEDI, MEUI, GHGI and Zero Carbon Step Code metrics.
Mid-construction airtightness testing
Testing while the air barrier is still accessible, so deficiencies can be corrected before drywall.
Large building airtightness testing
Multi-fan and multi-zone testing for Part 3 buildings, including multi-unit residential, commercial and institutional projects.
Commissioning and recommissioning
New building commissioning and existing building recommissioning, verifying that systems perform as designed rather than as specified.
ASHRAE energy audits
Level I through Level III audits on existing buildings, producing prioritised measures with modelled savings.
Infrared thermography
ASTM E1186 diagnostic thermography for envelope defects, moisture and thermal bridging.
Energy Step Code and Zero Carbon Step Code Requirements in Burnaby
Burnaby is adopting the Zero Carbon Step Code ahead of the province's planned schedule. Requirements for both Part 3 and Part 9 buildings are set out in Section 9B of Burnaby's Building Bylaw. Requirements change on municipal schedules, so confirm current rules with the City of Burnaby before applying for a permit.
What applies, and when
Requirements depend on the date the building permit was submitted.
| Building type and permit date | Energy Step Code | Zero Carbon Step Code |
|---|---|---|
| Part 9 residential, submitted Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2024 | Step 3 | EL-3 |
| Part 9 residential, submitted on or after Jan 1, 2025 | Step 3 | EL-4 |
| Part 3, submitted on or after Jul 1, 2024 | Step 2 | EL-4 |
For Part 3, the Energy Step Code requirement applies to buildings containing major occupancies set out in BC Building Code Division B, Part 10, Section 10.2.3, including assembly, treatment, care, residential, business and personal service, and mercantile. The Zero Carbon Step Code requirement applies to a smaller subset set out in Section 10.3, including residential, business and personal services, and mercantile.
Building permits submitted in 2023 or earlier were not subject to the Zero Carbon Step Code and were subject to different Energy Step Code requirements.
The two Emission Levels that matter in Burnaby
The Zero Carbon Step Code has four tiers. Burnaby has moved through the top two. Burnaby's Part 9 standard was EL-3 in 2024 and has been EL-4 since January 1, 2025.
| What it generally requires | Tier |
|---|---|
| Emissions are measured but no reduction is required | EL-1, Measure Only |
| Either space heating or domestic hot water uses zero-emissions energy | EL-2, Moderate Carbon |
| Both space heating and domestic hot water use zero-emissions energy | EL-3, Strong Carbon |
| All systems in the building use zero-emissions energy | EL-4, Zero Carbon |
The pathway choice that decides whether you can keep a gas cooktop
Under the Zero Carbon Step Code there are two compliance pathways for Part 9 buildings, and the choice has a concrete consequence.
Prescriptive pathway. The builder declares that equipment for space heating, hot water and cooking will use electric power. Space heating and hot water systems cannot use fossil fuels at the Strong and Zero Carbon steps. Fossil fuel cooktops are allowed at EL-3, but are not allowed at EL-4 when following this pathway.
Performance pathway. Energy modelling demonstrates that the home meets a specific greenhouse gas intensity target. The City notes that as of January 2024 the model used for Part 9 buildings does not specifically disallow natural gas fireplaces or cooktops, so these are still possible in a home that meets both EL-3 and EL-4.
The practical consequence: in Burnaby, under EL-4, the prescriptive route rules out a gas cooktop and the performance route can accommodate one. That is a design decision made at the modelling stage, not something that can be fixed later.
The performance pathway requires an energy model. It accounts for energy source, mechanical systems for heating and cooling, ventilation, hot water and cooking, and expresses the result as a GHGi figure per unit floor area per year. Higher Emission Levels permit less GHGi. The EL-4 allowance is the lowest, though it is still above zero, since all energy sources carry some emissions.
District energy connections
Buildings connected to the Burnaby Mountain District Energy Utility are currently exempt from the Zero Carbon Step Code requirement. The City expects this exemption to remain until a suitable emissions level is established for that pre-existing system. The Energy Step Code still applies.
Buildings connecting to the future Burnaby District Energy Utility are not exempt from either step code. The BDEU provides an emissions factor and related information for energy modelling and compliance.
In-stream rezoning applications and the December 2026 deadline
Buildings applying for a building permit that were subject to a rezoning application which received second reading by December 31, 2023 are subject to the Energy Step Code and carbon emission requirements specified in City policies and the associated Rezoning Bylaw conditions, rather than the amended Building Bylaw and EL-4.
That special provision is conditional. It applies provided a complete building permit application is submitted and accepted by the City on or before December 31, 2026.
A project relying on that provision and not yet at complete-application stage has a fixed deadline. If the application is not accepted in time, the project falls under EL-4, which is a different mechanical design and a different energy model. This is worth confirming now rather than in the fourth quarter.
Requirements reviewed September 1, 2026. Confirm current requirements with the City of Burnaby before permit application.
Heat Loss and Heat Gain Calculations for Burnaby
CSA F280-12 is the Canadian standard for calculating residential heating and cooling loads. It is the basis for correctly sizing heating and cooling equipment, and it is required for many permit and rebate pathways.
Why sizing matters more under EL-4
Burnaby's EL-4 requirement pushes new Part 9 homes toward heat pumps for space heating and hot water. Heat pump performance is more sensitive to sizing than a gas furnace is. An oversized unit short cycles: it reaches setpoint, shuts off, and restarts, which reduces efficiency, shortens equipment life and produces poor humidity control. An undersized unit falls back to auxiliary electric resistance heat more often than it should, and that is where the operating cost appears on the bill. A well-sealed Step 3 house has a lower actual load than rule of thumb sizing assumes, so sizing from the previous system or from floor area produces a unit that is too large.
What a CSA F280-12 calculation includes
- Room by room heat loss and heat gain
- Design temperatures specific to the Burnaby climate
- Building envelope assemblies with effective thermal resistance values
- Infiltration rates, informed by measured airtightness where testing data exists
- Window orientation and solar gain
- Equipment sizing recommendations for heating and cooling
Working with Monolith on a Burnaby Projec
Project scoping
Project type, permit timeline, and which Energy Step Code and Emission Level apply based on submission date.
Pathway decision
For Part 9, whether the prescriptive or performance pathway suits the design, including any gas appliance the owner wants to retain.
Design stage modelling
Energy modelling before permit submission, so compliance is designed in rather than corrected later.
Permit documentation
Pre-construction compliance report for submission to the City of Burnaby.
Mid-construction testing
Airtightness testing while the air barrier is accessible, with a deficiency report if remediation is needed.
Final testing and as-built reporting
Compliance testing and As-Built Compliance Report for Occupancy.
For existing homes, the sequence begins with an EnerGuide evaluation rather than design stage modelling.
