Electrification of Multi-Unit Residential Buildings – Understanding Electrification Opportunities and Challenges in BC Apartment Buildings

Building electrification, or fossil fuel to electricity for space and water heating, is a topic of growing importance in the rental housing sector in BC. This importance is driven by environmental, regulatory and occupant comfort and live-safety imperatives.

In 2021, LandlordBC supported the development of the report Electrification of Multi-Unit Residential Buildings report, that highlighted electrification opportunities, the general considerations and approaches for building electrification, and the education and engagement efforts needed for the rental housing industry. Phase two of this work is presented in this report Electrification of Multi-Unit Residential Buildings – Understanding Electrification Opportunities and Challenges in BC Apartment Buildings, which digs deeper into the information needed to operationalize building electrification. Specifically, the report starts by investigating the financial considerations (how much will it cost and what are the factors contributing to higher and lower costs) and the technical considerations (what technologies are already available and emerging and what are the benefits and technical installation considerations of each building electrification option). The report then identifies the key program, policy and industry capacity building considerations that are essential to scaling up and accelerating building electrification.

As the leader in the rental housing sector in BC, LandlordBC aims to continue to support both research and practical projects that advance and accelerate building electrification in the province. The information in this report fills some critical gaps in knowledge and identifies practical next steps for introducing programs, policies and industry capacity building for enabling building electrification. Our organization hopes you find this report informative. We are using the findings to inform you, our members, and continue to take a leadership role in advocating for support for improving rental housing, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the sector, and maintaining housing affordability.

Read our blog post on the phase 1 report here.