Clearer energy code files. Fewer revision cycles.
Join the 2027 Energy Navigator pilot and test structured review support for NBC 9.36 and energy code permit files, on your own files, with your own officers.
Alberta Safety Codes Summit presentation
See what partners give and get in our Alberta Safety Codes Summit 2026 presentation (PDF).
Energy Navigator is built by Sol Invictus Energy Services (SIES), a Red Deer firm of registered energy advisors working across Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
Who it's for
This pilot is for the people who review and approve energy code permit files:
- Municipal building and permit departments reviewing Part 9 housing files under NBC 9.36 and provincial energy code requirements
- Safety codes agencies and accredited agencies that deliver permit services on behalf of municipalities
- Building officials and safety codes officers who want a clearer, more consistent starting point for every energy code file
Who can be a pilot partner: municipalities, private inspection agencies across Alberta and Saskatchewan, or individual safety codes officers or building officials. The pilot isn't open to builders or designers.
What it means for permit review
Consistent, complete submissions
Files arrive in a predictable structure, so officers spend less time chasing missing documents and more time on the review itself.
Fewer revision cycles
Gaps are identified earlier in the process, which means fewer back-and-forth rounds between your office and the applicant.
Faster, more predictable reviews
When files are complete and organized the same way every time, review times become easier to plan and easier to explain to applicants.
Less officer workload
Officers get a clear summary of each file to work from, instead of building one from scratch. Staff time goes to judgment calls, not paperwork.
Clear tier information for each file
Each file comes with a plain summary of the energy performance tier being pursued and what the submission shows, so officers can see it at a glance.
Works with your current systems
Energy Navigator works alongside Accela and CityView. It does not replace your permitting system or change how permits are issued.
The officer always decides
Energy Navigator's checks are rule-based and support your review. It makes no permit decisions. Every decision stays with your officer.
What it means for your community
Helping local builders meet higher tiers affordably
Clear, consistent expectations at permit stage help local builders understand what each tier requires and plan for it earlier, when changes cost less.
Tracking energy performance and GHG reductions
See energy performance and GHG reductions across your community's new homes, file by file and over time, instead of piecing it together after the fact.
Supporting climate plan targets and housing goals
Give council and staff better information to report against climate plan targets, while keeping housing approvals moving.
Ready for NBC 2025
Build staff confidence and consistent processes now, so your department is prepared when NBC 2025 requirements are adopted in your province.
What a pilot looks like
Timeline
The pilot runs in 2027, from March to August 2027. Expressions of interest are open until January 31, 2027.
Your own files
Your team reviews energy code permit files from your own projects, covering Part 9 housing. You see the results on the files your officers actually handle. We'll work out the number of files with each partner.
What pilot partners receive
- A review of your own package standard and a summary report with data on your own permit files
- A say in how the tool works for officers
- PD credits: PD credits (one per hour, up to three) are under consideration, pending Safety Codes Council confirmation.
Funding options for municipalities
Several current programs may help a municipality fund pilot participation or broader energy code readiness work. Each funder sets its own eligibility rules and makes its own decisions, so please confirm fit with the program directly before you apply. Program details were checked in October 2026.
FCM Green Municipal Fund: Study, Pilot and Plan: Net-Zero Transformation
Grants for municipalities to assess, trial or plan new approaches to cutting GHG emissions. Applications are accepted year-round until funds are allocated. Grants cover up to 50% of eligible costs (up to 80% for communities of 10,000 or fewer): up to $200,000 for a study or plan, and up to $500,000 for a pilot.
Fit: A study or pilot that tests a new way to improve energy code compliance in new homes and measure the GHG reductions it enables.
Green Municipal Fund: StudyGreen Municipal Fund: PilotGreen Municipal Fund: Plan
Alberta: Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) Operating funding
An annual allocation to Alberta local governments, other than Calgary and Edmonton, with no application required. Eligible uses include capacity building activities that improve efficiency or effectiveness, municipal services, and planning activities. Funds must be spent in the year they are allocated.
Fit: Pilot participation and staff training that make permit review more efficient may fall under capacity building. Check the LGFF Operating Program Guidelines.
Saskatchewan: Municipal Revenue Sharing
Unconditional provincial grants to eligible Saskatchewan municipalities (more than $392 million in 2026-27).
Fit: Because the grant is unconditional, council can direct part of it to permit review capacity and energy code readiness.
British Columbia: Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP)
The program has not been renewed past its current agreement, which ends March 31, 2027. However, LGCAP funds received in 2024 can be spent until March 31, 2028, and staffing and contracts are eligible expenditures.
Fit: Unspent LGCAP funds could support energy code readiness and the work of tracking GHG emissions from new homes.
Not sure which option fits? Mention it when you book a call and we can walk through it together.
Why you can trust it
- Canadian hosting and processing. Your files are hosted and processed in Canada.
- SOC 2 audit in progress. SIES is going through a SOC 2 audit.
- Certified B Corp since 2023. SIES meets verified standards for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.
- No permit decisions. Energy Navigator's checks are rule-based and support your officers. The officer decides, every time.
- Works alongside Accela and CityView. No change to your permitting system of record.
- Part 9 officer review. A Build Forward Alberta review of Energy Navigator 9.36 was carried out by a qualified Part 9 building safety codes officer. The review took place in September 2026, and the final report was issued in October 2026. The review found that the outputs already carry much of what an officer needs, with five improvement opportunities, all about presentation and traceability rather than the calculation.
- Officer input. 32 safety codes officers and building officials from Alberta and Saskatchewan responded to SIES's summer 2026 Energy Code 9.36 Readiness and Review Survey.
Frequently asked questions
Does Energy Navigator make permit decisions?
No. Energy Navigator's checks are rule-based and support the officer's review. It makes no permit decisions. Every decision stays with your safety codes officer or building official.
Do we have to change our permitting software?
No. Energy Navigator works alongside Accela and CityView and does not replace them. Your current permitting system stays your system of record.
Where is our data kept?
All hosting and processing happen in Canada. SIES is going through a SOC 2 audit.
Can builders join the pilot?
No. Pilot partners are municipalities, private inspection agencies across Alberta and Saskatchewan, or individual safety codes officers or building officials.
Will participating staff earn PD credits?
PD credits (one per hour, up to three) are under consideration, pending Safety Codes Council confirmation.
More information
Alberta Safety Codes Summit 2026 presentation: Energy Navigator (PDF)
Ready to test it on your own files?
Book a 30-minute call to find out whether the 2027 pilot fits your department. We'll cover your file volumes, your current process, and how the pilot would work for your team.
Book a call or email us
Energy Navigator by Sol Invictus Energy Services (SIES). Red Deer, Alberta. Certified B Corp.