Maintenance and Repairs

May 15, 2025 Published by British Columbia Chapter - By Pulkit Bhamai

Future-Proofing Strata Living: Why Electrical Planning Reports are the First Step Toward Greener Communities

From CCI BC Strata Connection Magazine, Volume 04, Spring/Summer 2025

Once a buzzword, sustainability has become an expectation across industries and in all aspects of life. For strata corporations, the question is no longer whether green infrastructure adds value - it’s a question of what is being done to set each residential building up for the long-term, whether it is a brand new real estate development or an existing 10, 30 or 50-year-old building.

Residential buildings have a sizeable impact on energy consumption and emissions that match their size, high occupancy levels, and energy demands; typically consuming more energy than other housing types due to:

• Shared spaces and common area facilities such as lighting in lobbies and stairs, pool filtration systems, security systems, and EV charging stations.
• Services that support the entire building such as heating, cooling, elevators and HVAC systems.
• Older buildings are not being designed for energy efficiency.

According to the Government of Canada’s website section on Natural Resources Canada, buildings account for 40% of the world’s total energy consumption and nearly 33% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making them one of the primary contributors to global warming. This figure encompasses residential and commercial buildings – both of which require substantial heating and cooling systems.

"Due to increasing energy use, aging buildings, rising costs for materials and labor, and stricter regulations, short-term solutions like adding a few EV charging stations, restricting portable air conditioners, or postponing green initiatives won't be sufficient in the long run."

But herein is where the challenges lie. Where does one begin?

Energy Benchmarking

Once seen as optional, Electrical Planning Reports (EPRs) are now the first critical step in ensuring long-term energy resilience and sustainability. EPRs assess a building’s current electrical capacity, future demands and needs, with considerations for EV charging, heat pumps, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

The BC Government has now mandated that strata corporations with five or more strata lots must obtain an Electrical Planning Report by December 31, 2026, or December 31, 2028, depending on location.

While it may feel like a bit of a headache now, these reports are your guide to an energy-efficient future that will not only make David Suzuki proud, but have a lasting impact on the operational and financial health of the strata corporation, while ensuring continued increase to market value.

Pamela Zak, Vice President of Strata Management at Tribe Management Inc, emphasizes that Electrical Planning Reports are essential for strata buildings of all sizes in British Columbia, “These reports provide valuable insights into a building’s current and future electrical capacity, and with demand on electrical infrastructure increasing year-over-year, these reports play a crucial role in ensuring that buildings can accommodate future energy needs.”

Think of the building’s electrical system like a water pipeline. An Electrical Planning Report tells you if the pipes are wide enough for what’s coming - or if someone’s shower is going to run cold every time the neighbour uses their washing machine.

With extreme environments and weather patterns becoming more frequent, having a clear picture of electrical capacity can help prevent system overloads and unexpected failures - keeping both residents comfortable and operations running smoothly.

Proactive Steps Now Reduce Costly Mistakes

By taking the steps to benchmark electrical demand and capacity, stratas reduce the likelihood of making costly mistakes. Take these scenarios for example:

Scenario 1: A building installs three EV chargers now, but in two years, half the parking spots need chargers - forcing a costly electrical upgrade that could have been planned when costs were lower and done all in one go.

Scenario 2: South-facing units get heat pumps, but without a full electrical capacity review, the system overloads and cuts out the pumps, and potentially other areas of the building’s electrical system, leaving homeowners with expensive installations they can’t use.

Many strata buildings weren’t designed for modern energy needs. With Vancouver’s first condo built in 1970, followed by the condo boom of the late 90s and 00s, and even older buildings becoming stratified in the past few decades, many existing buildings are checking the 25+ age box, making it all the more important for them to have a strategic plan to determine their place in the future.

A Sense of Urgency

BC has set ambitious goals through its CleanBC roadmap to 2030, aiming to cut emissions by over 40% by 2030 and ensuring all new buildings achieve zero emissions by the same year. It is important to note reporting requirements and upcoming deadlines as applicable to your region.

The previously mentioned Electrical Planning Report is due in 2026 for strata properties located in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and the Capital Regional District, while those outside these areas have until 2028. While these dates can seem well down the track, might seem far away, it is important to plan ahead and secure a reputable vendor to carry out the reports, budget accordingly, and apply for any relevant grants or rebates.

According to Sanjay Maharaj, CEO of Electric Asset, demand for these reports has been growing, “In the past 18 months, we’ve completed hundreds of Electrical Planning Reports, with each one taking 4-6 weeks to complete.”

It is worth noting that the City of Vancouver has mandated Annual Energy and Carbon Reporting (GHG) on a building’s energy performance and greenhouse gas emissions, while also identifying opportunities to reduce energy use. The reporting deadline of June 1, 2025, is looming for strata corporations over 100,000 square feet, with more time (June 1, 2026) for those buildings over 50,000 square feet. 

Failure to comply with the requirements of this bylaw by the annual deadline may result in fines. It is important to note that data, document assembly and filing generally takes 4-6 weeks, so time is ticking.

Financial Incentives & Procurement

The right vendor might not just help strata corporations complete these reports, but may also be able to guide them through the rebate and incentive landscape, ensuring communities take full advantage of the available funding.

While Electrical Planning Reports and GHG Reports don’t have direct rebates, service providers can bundle them with other energy-related reports that do have rebates available.

For example, Maharaj explains that there is currently a$5,000 rebate for strata buildings to obtain what is called an Opportunity Assessment Report (OAR). This report is an assessment of the strata property to identify ways to make the building more energy efficient, and ties in well with the other reports required. Stratas should be looking to take advantage of this rebate, as it will cover the cost not only of the Opportunity Assessment Report, but if done in tandem with the GHG or EPR reports, it can cover some of their costs as well.”

There’s no official deadline to claim these rebates – yet. But if history is any indication, government incentives don’t last forever, and once the funding runs out, so do the savings.

Conclusion: Stratas Must Think Long-Term

Improving energy efficiency is a must-do endeavour with far-reaching benefits. It leads to significant cost-savings by reducing utility bills for common areas. In addition to the financial benefits, there’s also the environmental impact, with decreased energy consumption directly translating to reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

But the most long-lasting impact is the ability to future-proof and protect your home, investment and community against rising electricity costs and potential carbon pricing measures. BC’s power grid is among the cleanest in North America, and strata corporations have a unique opportunity to amplify their sustainability efforts. Investing in shared energy infrastructure isn’t just about technical upgrades; it strengthens communities by bringing neighbors together and enhancing property value.

In British Columbia, where reporting obligations and evolving building codes are shaping the future of residential communities, strata councils must prepare for a future where electrification and energy efficiency are non-negotiable.

The real question isn’t whether green infrastructure adds value - it’s whether stratas can afford to ignore it.

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Pulkit Bhamai, Tribe Management

Pulkit Bhamai has been with Tribe Management since late 2023. As an ambassador of Community Manager with Heart, he brings care, clarity, and efficiency to every strata community he supports.