Encore: Robyn Wark, BC Hydro

In this Encore Episode of the Passive House Podcast (originally aired as Episode 36 on April 26, 2021). cohost Matthew Cutler-Welsh interviews Robyn Wark, Manager of Advanced Demand Side Management at BC Hydro about the groundbreaking Energy Step Code in British Columbia. 

Robyn is a sustainability strategist, partnership builder, and coach on low carbon communities.  Her sustainability work has won awards from Real Estate Foundation of BC, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Canadian Institute of Planners, and the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC). In 2013 she was awarded the PIBC Individual Award for Leadership in Advocacy & Innovation. 

The BC Step Code provides a roadmap of 5 steps to guide the AEC industry and BC cities from today's base building code to an endpoint of Passive House-levels of performance. This highest level of performance, “Step 5”, will become mandatory for all buildings in British Columbia by 2032. Because everyone knows exactly where code is headed, as well as the steps to get there, early adoption of higher levels of performance can be incentivized in a clear and rational way. 

In her conversation with Matthew, Robyn describes the BC Energy Step Code, how it came to be in British Columbia, and how its lessons might be applied elsewhere in the world. 

Read more about BC Energy Step Code here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/farming-natural-resources-and-industry/construction-industry/building-codes-and-standards/reports/bcenergystepcode_lessons_learned_final.pdf

At the end of the episode, Mathew and Co-host Zack Semke discuss major Passive House conferences and events coming up in Fall 2021: 

• 25th International Passive House Conference (Passive House Institute) Part I: September 10-12; Part II: September 14+15: https://passivhaustagung.de/en/
• Tower Retrofit Symposium 2021 (Passive House Canada) September 22-23: https://www.passivehousecanada.com/tower-retrofit/
• PhiusCon (Phius) October 12-15: http://phiuscon.org/
• South Pacific Passive House Conference (PHINZ + APHA) November 25-27: https://passivehouse.nz/2021/06/09/spphc21-cfa/

Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.