Victoria, B.C.—British Columbia releases amendment 7 to the Energy Efficiency Standards Regulation (EESR). A formal consultation period began in 2019 and on Feb. 16, 2021, it was approved and ordered by the Lieutenant Governor in council.
This marks the sixth major amendment to the EESR between 2006 and 2018. The amendment includes new and updated standards for residential gas boilers, commercial gas boilers, and refrigerators, combination refrigerators-freezers and freezers.
The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources is responsible for the EESR. The EESR sets standards for devices that use, control, or affect the use of energy.
Residential boilers
Residential boilers manufactured after Jan. 1, 2022 will now be required to have an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (ARUE) greater than or equal to 90 per cent efficient. The standard covers residential boilers and combo boilers. “The new minimum energy performance standard aligns with the updated federal residential boiler standard which takes effect July 1, 2023,” reports the B.C. government in a press release. Product certification, labelling and reporting requirements are harmonized with the existing federal standards, as well as, the federal standards, which come into effect July 1, 2023.
Commercial sector
For commercial gas boilers, the new standard will require smaller commercial gas boilers to have a thermal efficiency greater than 90 per cent. Large commercial gas boilers will be required to have a combustion efficiency greater than or equal to 90 per cent. A small commercial gas hot water boiler refers to those that have an input rate of 300,000 Btu/h or greater, but not more than 2,500,000 Btu/h. A large commercial gas hot water boiler has an input rate of 2,500,000 Btu/h or greater, but not more than 10,000,000 Btu/h.
The standard will apply to products manufactured after January 1, 2023. The minimum energy performance standard aligns with the federal commercial boiler standard for the same products, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2025.
The B.C. EESR previously required commercial boilers to have a combustion efficiency equal to or greater than 80 per cent. Products were permitted to be tested with the ANSI Z21.13-2004/CSA 4.9-2004 or the GAMA BTS-2000 test procedure.
Products manufactured for export from B.C. are exempt from these regulations, according to the provincial government. Products must also be tested using the ANSI/AHRI Standard 1500-2015 “Standard for Performance Rating of Commercial Space Heating Boilers.”
Regulated products must be certified by a designated tester or must have a valid report listed on AHRI’s Directory of Certified Product Performance. Products can also be on the United States Department of Energy Compliance Certification Database to demonstrate compliance to the standard.
Refrigeration
Refrigerators, combination refrigerators/freezers, and freezers are also part of amendment 7. The update makes minor revisions to the product definitions, efficiency standards and testing procedures. The update aligns the standard with the government of Canada, which applies to products imported into Canada or shipped between provinces.