Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Your role in energy efficiency

Within every organization, a variety of key players have a significant impact on energy consumption. Someone has to make decisions about technical issues such as retrofits and installing new software and computer equipment.

We’ve outlined some of the most important roles here. Your organization may have people who can take on these roles and start you on your path toward energy efficiency.

Senior managers

Energy efficiency in an organization is far more likely to succeed if leadership comes from the top. Senior managers have the power to make decisions and inspire others to adopt energy-saving habits.

With better energy management, your bottom line will improve, increasing your asset value and making you more competitive in your industry.

  • Commit to benchmarking your organization's energy performance. Benchmarking lets you find out how you're doing compared to your peers and your own past performance.
  • Share your strategies and best practices with your peers and challenge them to do the same.

Tools senior managers can use

Energy managers

As an energy manager, your role is to make sure that your organization is as energy efficient as possible.

  • Stay current with legislation and new technologies.
  • Monitor and benchmark energy use to come up with ideas for how to improve your organization’s energy efficiency.
  • Look for opportunities to meet other energy managers so that you can share your best practices and learn from their experiences.
  • Make sure senior management is on board with your plans. You will need to convince them to spend money so they can eventually save money, as well as improve the company’s environmental performance.

If you need help, read our energy management training section or send an email to Natural Resources Canada.

Tools energy managers can use

Building owners

As a building owner, you have a significant role to play in your building's energy efficiency.

For new buildings:

For an existing building:

Tools building owners can use

Employees and building occupants

If everyone does their part, a building's occupants can make a big difference in helping turn their organization into a good corporate citizen.

Make a personal commitment to becoming more energy efficient at home, at work and on the road. Start with the energy use that you control, such as:

  • Turning lights and equipment off when you don't need them
  • Opening your blinds on sunny winter days and closing them on hot summer days
  • Making sure that your heating/cooling vents stay clear

Consider joining the energy committee if your organization has one, or starting one if it doesn't, and then brainstorm new and creative ways to improve the energy efficiency in your building.

For more information, read our Implementing an Energy Efficiency Awareness Program.

Tools employees and building occupants can use

Financial lenders

As a financial lender, your role is to get informed and get involved.

  • Research energy efficiency or attend energy management training with a focus on financing.
  • Learn about the up-front costs of energy efficiency and the long-term benefits to get a better sense of the actual risks (probably lower than you think).
  • Request energy efficiency plans for all building financing projects you're approving.
  • Actively seek out lending opportunities that already have sound energy efficiency strategies in place, and encourage the ones that don't to develop them.

If you need help, read our energy management training section or send an email to Natural Resources Canada.

Tools financial lenders can use

Investors

Investors need to know that their buildings are as energy efficient as possible. Energy efficiency investments offer plenty of long-term benefits, including:

  • Savings on energy and maintenance costs
  • Higher and more stable occupancy rates
  • Higher rental and selling prices

It makes sense to look into an existing building's energy infrastructure before you invest, and to insist on higher energy performance from any new building project you're considering.

For more information, read our financial considerations page. [Need link]

Tools investors can use

Energy service professionals

These professionals help building owners and managers achieve their energy savings goals by sharing their knowledge, including energy management best practices and case studies. They also help manage projects, using their technical expertise to develop, install and maintain energy efficiency equipment and systems.

Energy service professionals often arrange financing for energy-efficiency projects. Using energy performance contracting, <<[Link to: 4.3b.4 Energy performance contracting]>> these professionals take on the financial risks of energy-efficiency projects, getting repaid through savings their work generates.

If you're an energy service professional who has developed an innovative best practice, we'd love to hear about it. Send us an email and share your success story.

Tools energy service professionals can use

Page details

Date modified: