BC’s Mandated Electrical Planning Reports Will Help Strata Corporations Plan for an Electrified Future
For strata stakeholders throughout British Columbia, the Electrical Planning Report (EPR) has been a common topic for discussion. As leading Vancouver electricians, our team at TCA Electric has already been working with strata corporations, not only to complete these reports but to help answer important questions about the CleanBC EPR documents.
One topic we haven’t covered in depth, however, is how these reports will help strata corporations plan for their future—a future that is sure to be more electrical and more sustainable. So in today’s post, we’re taking a closer look at how the EPR helps strata corporations plan ahead for their electrical future, avoiding the need to scramble to make required upgrades.
Electrical Planning Report: Must-Know Basics for Strata
We’ve discussed the details of the EPR in previous content published on our site, but here’s a quick reminder of the basic logistics and requirements expected of strata by this CleanBC initiative:
- Reports must be completed by December 31, 2026 for stratas in the Capital Regional District, Fraser Valley District, and the Metro Vancouver Regional District; or by December 31, 2028 for all other areas of BC.
- Reports must be written by a licensed electrician (for Part 9 or “Simple” strata buildings”) or by an electrical engineer (for Part 3 or “Complex” strata buildings).
- All strata corporations of 5 or more residences must obtain an electrical planning report.
Helping Strata Plan Ahead for Electrical Demands
With the basics out of the way, let’s discuss how the electrical planning report is intended to help strata corporations plan ahead.
CleanBC’s Roadmap to 2030 initiative is targeting a cleaner, more sustainable British Columbia within the next decade or so, and this initiative has set out various requirements across several pillars of our infrastructure.
A major portion of improving emissions and creating a greener economy relies on making key upgrades to buildings throughout BC, and particularly multifamily strata. However, these buildings are often large and complex, which could make it difficult for stakeholders to keep up with requirements and make upgrades while maintaining budgets and juggling deadlines.
The electrical planning report is intended to help strata corporations plan ahead for the future. CleanBC is targeting various systems for improving sustainability, in particular fuelled building systems such as gas water heaters and boilers used for heating. Switching these systems over to electrical power is a critical element in making BC more sustainable—but this will also increase demand on electrical capacity.
The EPR will help strata corporations better understand current electrical capacity, plan for future electrical needs, and create a roadmap for upgrades that may need to be made in the near future. This will help strata stakeholders avoid penalties and unexpected budget issues by providing a wealth of information to plan out these changes.
Strata Corporations Can Take Advantage of Rebates
While there is no rebate for the electrical planning report itself, strata stakeholders can take advantage of numerous rebates and incentives for several highly efficient electrical upgrades. This includes heat pump rebates from multiple sources; lighting rebates through the BC Hydro Alliance; and substantial EV charging rebates available for multifamily buildings.
Check out our recent post for a more detailed breakdown of these incentives.
TCA Electric Can Help Plan Your Electrical Future
While the earliest deadline won’t arrive until the end of 2026, strata corporations can benefit greatly from getting a jump start on electrical planning reports. By obtaining your EPR sooner, you’ll be able to budget more effectively and start making critical upgrades to your building or buildings.
At TCA Electric, we’ve already been working with multifamily property owners to create electrical planning reports and plan for an electrified future. With a full-time electrical engineer on staff, we’re able to prepare reports for all types of strata complexes, both simple and complex.
Reach out to our team today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward a greener future!