Details
- Publication date
- Author(s)
Natural Resources Canada - ISBN
978-0-662-44359-9 - Catalogue number
M144-340/2026E-PDF
Project overview
About the program
Commercial and institutional buildings that earn a score of 75 or higher with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®, indicating they perform better than at least 75% of similar buildings nationwide, are eligible for ENERGY STAR for Building certification in Canada. A building with this well-recognized symbol means it is certified as energy efficient.
Certification is given on an annual basis. A building must maintain its high performance to be certified each year.
About the proponents
Berkeley Castle
Fernando Martinez (Berkeley), Scott Rouse (Energy@Work), Linda Leistner (Berkeley), Shaun Brown (Berkeley), and Melody Arnold (Berkeley)
Berkeley Castle, built in 1871 in downtown Toronto, is a Heritage Designated building. The building is part of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District.
The property management team at Berkeley Castle have had a long-standing commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability, as demonstrated by their ongoing participation in the ENERGY STAR program.
Energy@Work
Energy@Work Inc. is an energy management company, located in Toronto, offering independent strategic advice and support in implementation to commercial, industrial, and institutional clients seeking to optimize their energy use. In 2023, Energy@Work was recognized by NRCan with an ENERGY STAR 10th Anniversary One-Time Recognition Badge for their contributions to ENERGY STAR for Building certification.
The building management team at Berkeley Castle has worked with Energy@Work since 2016, when they first launched their Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP), following an energy audit of the building.
Key facts
- Located at 2 Berkeley St, Toronto, Ontario
- Includes over 13,800 square meters of office and retail space
- Accommodates up to 300 occupants
- ENERGY STAR certified six times since 2019
- ENERGY STAR score is 87 for 2025
- According to Energy@Work, the energy use intensity of the building decreased from 215 to 161 ekWh/m2 between 2021 and 2024
Energy management activities
Given the challenges inherent in working with a historical building, the building management team at Berkeley Castle has focused mainly on operational changes to continually improve their energy efficiency. The building management team at Berkeley Castle has monthly E-MAP meetings with advisors from Energy@Work, to:
- Track and verify energy performance using real-time monitoring, building automation system data, and utility results.
- Optimize building operations by aligning schedules, setpoints, and equipment runtimes with occupancy and demand.
- Sustain long-term savings through accountability, documentation, and continuous follow-up.
- Identify new opportunities for efficiency, decarbonization, and tenant engagement.
In addition to the ongoing operational improvements, the following measures were implemented:
- Real-time monitoring was installed in 2016 to provide continuous visibility into energy performance.
- LED lighting retrofits were completed in 2017 and 2022 to reduce electricity consumption.
- A Building Automation System (BAS) was installed, and third-party BAS commissioning was completed in 2018.
Other benefits
- The independent ENERGY STAR certification process provides confidence to building owners, tenants, and other stakeholders in the effects of their energy management activities.
- Participation in the ENERGY STAR program encourages improvement through comparison.
- The reports automatically prepared through Portfolio Manager can provide useful information such as a calculation of energy use intensity, that may be required when applying for funding from other energy efficiency programs.
Lessons learned
ENERGY STAR certification should be seen as an ongoing project, rather than a one-time achievement:
- Keeping bills organized and tracking building occupancy throughout the year facilitates the annual certification process.
- By treating the ENERGY STAR score as a starting point, building managers can use the rest of the year to make improvements and try to improve their score the following year.
ENERGY STAR gives building owners and management something rare: a verified, trusted snapshot of how their building is performing compared to similar buildings across the country. It’s a great starting point, and it’s also a way to track and recognize progress.
We could never have imagined the kinds of grants and funding programs that are available, or how much money we could save in utility costs, none of which would have been possible without our energy consultants at Energy@Work.
Related links
Contact us
For any further inquiries, email: buildings-batiments@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.
The ENERGY STAR and Portfolio Manager names and the ENERGY STAR symbol are trademarks registered in Canada by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and are administered and promoted by Natural Resources Canada.