Existing Building Commissioning Case Study Series

Existing building commissioning (EBCx) is a key process that can help existing commercial, institutional and multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) operate as intended and meet current facility requirements. EBCx focuses on improving or optimizing (i.e., “tuning up”) the performance of existing equipment and systems and identifying low-cost or no-cost operational improvements. It can provide benefits to building managers and operators such as improved building performance, energy savings, and operator skills development. EBCx is a general term that includes recommissioning, retro-commissioning and ongoing commissioning.

The Office of Energy Efficiency has compiled this library of case studies to illustrate how EBCx projects are initiated, conducted and managed. These case studies also highlight examples of energy savings, occupant-comfort improvements and valuable lessons learned that have resulted from investing in these projects.

Below, you will find links to EBCx case studies for projects that cover an initial range of building types, geographic locations, and climate zones based on ASHRAE standard 169-2021, as well as different approaches to EBCx. Over time, NRCan intends to continue to obtain and post further case studies, so we invite you to return to this page from time to time and review new studies as they are published. If you have an EBCx case study from your own organization that you would like to see posted here, please contact buildings-batiments@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.

• Office Building

  • Airport Executive Park (commercial office building): The objective of this project was to demonstrate the process and benefits of recommissioning a B-class, low-rise office building in Richmond, BC (Climate Zone 4C).
  • 808 W. Hastings Street: The objective of this project was to demonstrate the process and benefits of recommissioning a B-class office tower in downtown Vancouver, BC (Climate Zone 4C).
  • CRA Office Building (PDF 514 kb): The objective of this project was to decrease the energy consumption of an office building in Victoria, BC (Climate Zone 4C).
  • RBC Office Tower (PDF 529 kb): This project demonstrated the benefits of recommissioning a high-rise office tower in Winnipeg, MB (Climate Zone 7).
• Hospital

  • Toronto Western Hospital: The objective of this project was to demonstrate the process and benefits of EBCx in a large hospital managed by the University Health Network in downtown Toronto, ON (Climate Zone 5A).
  • Toronto General Hospital: The objective of this project was to demonstrate the process and benefits of EBCx in a large hospital, with a particular emphasis on how EBCx practices could help this health care facility integrate more successfully with downtown Toronto’s Enwave district deep lake cooling system (Climate Zone 5A).
• Long-Term Care Home

  • Alexander McDonald Lodge: The objective of this project was to recommission a long-term care facility to demonstrate the benefits of a control systems optimization. This Government of Yukon managed facility is located in Dawson City, YK (Climate Zone 8).
• Post-Secondary Education

  • Centre Saint-Michel (PDF 498 kb): The objective of this project was to demonstrate the benefits of recommissioning an adult education centre in Sherbrooke, QC (Climate Zone 6A).
• K-12 School

  • St. Oscar Romero Secondary School (PDF 583 kb): The objective of this project was to demonstrate the potential of EBCx as a low-cost energy conservation measure in a secondary school managed by the Toronto Catholic District School Board (Climate Zone 5A) (Please note that this document is hosted and distributed from a website outside the Government of Canada).
  • Our Lady Peace Elementary School (PDF 509 kb): The objective of this project was to recommission an elementary school in Laval, QC (Climate Zone 6A).
• Community/Recreation Centre

  • Kortright Visitor Centre: The objective of this project was to demonstrate the process and potential of EBCx as a low-cost energy efficiency practice in a public assembly (education/event space) facility managed by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority in Vaughan, ON (Climate Zone 5A).
  Airport

  • Sept-Îles Airport Facilities (PDF 2016 kb): This project’s main objective was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through recommissioning all buildings on an airport site in Sept-Îles, QC (Climate Zone 7).
  Laboratory

  • Centre for Human and Animal Health Building (PDF 2455 kb): This project’s main objective was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through recommissioning a building that contains laboratory and office space in Winnipeg, MB (Climate Zone 7).