Thompson-Okanagan & Interior BC
Resource Center
Technical guidance for high-performance heating in sub‑15°C climates.
Technical Guides & Case Studies
Case StudyThe Kettle Valley Ghost
A commercial facility in the Interior ran a heat pump system that failed every January. The cause was not the equipment — it was a 31 kW ghost load that had been invisible for 11 years. What happens when mechanicals fail at -15°C and no one knows why.
Dual-Fuel & Hybrid Logic
In the Interior, an all-electric heat pump hits its balance point between -15°C and -20°C — right when the coldest nights occur. A gas backup stage is not a compromise; it is a technical response to the climate. This guide explains when hybrid is the right call and when it is not.
ASHP Balance Points: -15°C vs -5°C
Metro Vancouver contractors spec equipment for -5°C design temperatures. Interior contractors spec for -15°C to -22°C. The same unit performs completely differently across these two climates — this guide covers what cold-climate rating actually means, which brands maintain capacity at depth, and how to read the spec sheets.
Okanagan Install Checklist
Before signing any Interior BC quote, verify these 22 points. Includes design temperature confirmation (-20°C for Kelowna, -22°C for Kamloops), balance point documentation, cold-climate AHRI reference numbers, TSBC permits, and CleanBC registration. If your contractor cannot answer these questions, get a second quote.
BC Step Code & Zero Carbon Requirements
Interior BC municipalities currently range from EL-1 (measure only) to EL-3. New construction in Kelowna and Kamloops must navigate TEDI requirements and GHG limits that are tightening every year. Understanding which Emission Level applies to your project determines whether a dual-fuel hybrid passes — or fails — compliance review.
Design Temperature
-15°C to -22°C
Interior BC design temperatures are 10–17°C colder than Metro Vancouver. Equipment specified for the coast will underperform — or fail entirely — on the coldest Interior nights.
Cold-climate equipment guide →Verify Before You Hire
Licensed BC Contractors
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