Toolkit for Implementing Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards in Canada

Natural Resources Canada’s (NRCan’s) Toolkit for Implementing Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards in Canada aims to inform and support provincial, territorial, and municipal government decision-makers who are exploring policies to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from existing commercial, institutional, and multi-unit residential buildings in their jurisdictions.

This toolkit was originally developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and has been adapted by NRCan for use in Canada. It will be updated as current information relevant to the Canadian market becomes available.

ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® (Portfolio Manager), developed by the U.S. EPA, and adapted for use in Canada by NRCan, is a tool used by many benchmarking programs in the U.S. and Canada to collect building energy performance data and to benchmark relative performance.

Explore the toolkit

Section 1: Building energy benchmarking and transparency

Section 2: Building performance standards

Section 3: Coordination among governments

Section 4: Data access for building performance standards

Section 5: Stakeholder engagement in policy development

Resources

NRCan offers robust training materials and support to help provincial, territorial, and municipal decision-makers understand how to benchmark in Portfolio Manager, implement energy efficiency improvements, and quantify the multiple benefits of energy efficiency:

• Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards in Canada: Information, tools, and resources to support Building, Labelling, and Disclosure programs, and Building Performance Standard policies, including lists of existing BLD and BPS programs and policies in Canada
• ENERGY STAR - An Overview of Portfolio Manager: Guide describing NRCan’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's basic functions, such as how to navigate the tool, enter building data, and connect and share data with others
• Energy benchmarking training resources: NRCan offers tools, information sessions, and training webinars to help better understand how to use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
• ENERGY STAR Certification: Overview of NRCan’s ENERGY STAR certification for buildings and a description of the energy performance standards set by EPA
• ENERGY Benchmarking Data Snapshots: Overview of benchmarking by provinces, territories, and municipalities, including energy use distribution, distribution of buildings, and energy use profiles
• ENERGY STAR Energy Scores: Overview of the ENERGY STAR scores that offers a quick snapshot of a building’s energy performance, displaying either the building’s 1-100 ENERGY STAR score or site EUI
• Benchmarking - Frequently Asked Questions: Provides detailed information to commonly asked questions about benchmarking
• Model National Framework for Building Energy Benchmarking, Labelling, and Disclosure: Provides detailed information, infographics, and summary documents for jurisdictions to support the implementation of Building, Labelling, and Disclosure programs and policies
• Guidance for Utilities on Providing Whole-Building Energy Data to Enable Benchmarking in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager: Overview of key recommendations to support utility providers when considering and implementing aggregated data exchange through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Web Services

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The ENERGY STAR and PORTFOLIO MANAGER names and the ENERGY STAR symbol are trademarks registered in Canada by the U.S. EPA and are administered and promoted by NRCan