🍁 NBC Canada

Ontario SB-12 Energy Compliance Calculator

Check Ontario Supplementary Standard SB-12 compliance for new residential construction. Verify insulation, window, airtightness, and HVAC system requirements by climate zone.

📋 Compliance Package

Package A: Higher Envelope, Standard Mechanical

Higher wall and attic insulation with a standard-efficiency furnace and HRV.

Package B: Standard Envelope, High-Efficiency Mechanical

Baseline envelope insulation paired with a higher-efficiency furnace and enhanced mechanical ventilation.

NBC 2020 Tiered Path

Compliance via the NBC 2020 tiered energy performance framework instead of a traditional package.

✅ Checklist

Above-grade wall insulation meets the selected package's minimum R-value Window/fenestration U-value meets the selected package's requirement Airtightness (ACH50) tested and meets package requirement Mechanical system (furnace/heat pump, HRV/ERV) meets package efficiency requirement

🍁 SB-12 Compliance Results

Pending

Package Requirement Detail

Full Assessment Summary

Parameter	Value	Unit / Notes

Export:

How to Use the Ontario SB-12 Energy Compliance Calculator

Select the compliance package

Choose the SB-12 package that best fits your design approach, or the NBC 2020 tiered path if pursuing that alternative compliance route.

Work through the checklist

Check off each item as the corresponding design element or as-built condition meets the selected package's specific requirement.

Review the compliance summary

The results show checklist completion for the selected package. Use the airtightness calculator for detailed ACH50 threshold verification.

Confirm against the current published SB-12 edition

SB-12 packages and thresholds are periodically updated. Confirm the current specific numerical requirements with the Ontario Building Code and your local building department.

Understanding Ontario's Supplementary Standard SB-12

Supplementary Standard SB-12 establishes the energy efficiency requirements for new residential construction under the Ontario Building Code, and understanding its package-based structure and how it relates to broader NBC energy performance frameworks helps Ontario contractors and designers navigate compliance efficiently.

SB-12's role within the Ontario Building Code

SB-12 is referenced by the Ontario Building Code specifically to provide the detailed technical energy efficiency requirements for new residential construction, functioning as Ontario's provincial implementation of residential energy code requirements building on the National Building Code framework. Rather than a single fixed prescriptive requirement, SB-12 offers a structured menu of compliance options, giving builders meaningful flexibility in how they demonstrate compliance while still ensuring the completed home meets Ontario's energy efficiency policy objectives.

The package-based compliance approach

SB-12's prescriptive compliance packages each represent a complete, internally consistent combination of envelope insulation levels, window performance, airtightness targets, and mechanical system efficiency that together achieve the required overall energy performance. This package structure allows meaningful trade-offs: a builder might choose a package emphasizing higher envelope insulation paired with more modest mechanical system efficiency, or conversely a package with baseline envelope performance paired with higher-efficiency mechanical systems and enhanced ventilation, selecting whichever combination best fits their specific construction approach, supply chain relationships, and cost structure while still achieving compliant overall performance.

The NBC 2020 tiered path as an alternative

Ontario has incorporated the NBC 2020 tiered energy performance framework as an additional SB-12 compliance path, giving builders the option to pursue a specific NBC tier level rather than one of the traditional prescriptive packages. This tiered path can offer particular value for builders already planning to exceed baseline performance for other reasons, such as targeting a voluntary certification program like Energy Star for New Homes or Net Zero Home labelling, where the certification program's own requirements may already align naturally with a specific NBC tier, making the tiered SB-12 path a more streamlined way to demonstrate both code compliance and certification eligibility through a single coordinated compliance strategy rather than two separate parallel compliance exercises.

HVAC system implications across different packages

The mechanical system requirement varies meaningfully across SB-12 packages, meaning HVAC contractors need to confirm which specific package a project is pursuing before finalizing equipment selection, since a furnace efficiency level appropriate for one package might be insufficient (or unnecessarily high, from a pure compliance perspective) for another. Ventilation system requirements similarly vary by package, with some packages requiring enhanced mechanical ventilation performance to offset lower envelope airtightness targets. Coordinating closely with the project's designer or energy advisor on package selection early in the design process, rather than defaulting to whatever mechanical system was used on the previous project, ensures the HVAC system specification aligns correctly with the specific package's actual requirement. Use the minimum efficiency checker to verify a specific piece of equipment against the applicable threshold once the package is confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Supplementary Standard SB-12 is referenced within the Ontario Building Code specifically to establish energy efficiency requirements for new residential construction, providing the detailed technical compliance packages that a house must satisfy to meet the energy efficiency provisions of the Ontario Building Code. SB-12 offers multiple compliance package options (prescriptive packages, a performance path, and an NBC 2020 tiered path), giving builders and designers flexibility in how they demonstrate compliance while still meeting the same underlying energy efficiency policy objective.

SB-12 has historically offered multiple prescriptive compliance packages, each representing a different combination of envelope insulation levels, window performance, airtightness, and mechanical system efficiency that together achieve the required energy performance level. Builders select whichever package best fits their specific design and construction approach, since different packages allow trading off, for example, higher wall insulation against a lower-efficiency furnace, or vice versa, as long as the selected complete package meets the overall SB-12 requirement.

SB-12 primarily targets new residential construction, establishing the energy efficiency requirements a new house must meet as part of obtaining a building permit and passing inspection. Renovations and additions may trigger SB-12 requirements depending on the scope of work, particularly for additions that expand the building envelope or major renovations that involve significant mechanical system replacement, but the specific triggering thresholds for renovation work should be confirmed directly with the local building department rather than assumed. Check the HVAC building permit calculator for related permit triggers.

Yes, Ontario has incorporated the NBC 2020 tiered energy performance framework as an additional compliance path within SB-12, giving builders the option to pursue a specific NBC tier level as an alternative to the traditional SB-12 prescriptive packages. This tiered path can offer more design flexibility for some projects, particularly those already planning to exceed baseline energy performance for other reasons, such as pursuing a voluntary certification program that aligns naturally with a higher NBC tier target. See the NBC Canada guide for the underlying tiered framework detail.