ZCB Standard – Information & Resources

CaGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard is the new measure of green building innovation.

Carbon emissions represent the true climatic impact of buildings. Only by focusing on emissions during design, and assessing emissions once in operation, can we ensure the low-carbon outcomes Canada needs.

The ZCB Standard provides pathways for both new and existing buildings to reach zero carbon, and certification offers recognition for industry leaders. With ZCB Standard v2, focus is on the carbon balance of a building across its life-cycle, including construction and operation. It is applicable to all buildings except homes and small multi-family residential buildings.

Please note that ZCB-Design v1 registration closed May 31, 2020; submissions will be accepted until May 31, 2022.

Version 2 Available Now

ZCB Standard v2 incorporates learnings from real-world projects including existing and new buildings such as schools, multi-unit residential buildings, commercial and industrial buildings. Updates to the ZCB Standard provide the rigour needed to ensure zero emissions – and the flexibility to encourage widespread adoption of zero carbon buildings.

Important updates include:

Requirement to offset embodied carbon and refrigerants
Multiple energy efficiency paths to choose from
Airtightness testing
Recognition of carbon offsets
Requirement for impactful and innovative technologies and design approaches
New and improved tools and resources

Specific requirements for design and performance

ZCB–Design Standard

The ZCB-Design Standard provides requirements that guide the design of new buildings and the retrofit of existing ones, to best empower buildings to achieve zero carbon operations. For ZCB-Design v2 certification, design must carefully consider embodied carbon, refrigerants and airtightness.

ZCB–Performance Standard

The ZCB-Performance Standard verifies that buildings achieve Zero Carbon operations year after year. Verification is required annually. For ZCB-Performance v2 certification, carbon offsets are used to compensate for refrigerant leaks and the embodied carbon of any new structural and envelope materials.

Comparing Pathways

		ZCB-Design v2 One-time certification for new buildings and major renovations	ZCB-Performance v2 Annual certification for existing buildings
	Zero carbon balance	Model zero carbon balance	Achieve zero carbon balance
	Embodied carbon	Report embodied carbon	Offset embodied carbon
	Refrigerants	Report total quantity	Offset any leaks
	RECs and carbon offsets	Provide quote	Provide proof of purchase
	Onsite combustion	Provide transition plan	Update plan every 5 years
	Energy efficiency	Meet one of three approaches	Report EUI
	Peak demand	Report seasonal peaks	Report seasonal peaks
	Airtightness	Report and justify modelled value	Conduct testing if ZCB-Design v2 certified
Impact and Innovation		Apply two strategies	No requirement