The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) says it is launching new training on energy benchmarking strategies and regulation for both private and public sector stakeholders.
Titled Introduction to Energy Benchmarking, and Understanding Ontario’s Mandatory Energy Benchmarking for Large Buildings, these courses will introduce the general processes for accurate data collection, show participants how to create a building profile and successfully use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and discuss Ontario’s upcoming Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) regulation. They were developed in consultation with the Illinois Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and were modeled after the successful training they implemented in support of the City of Chicago’s Energy Benchmarking Ordinance, CAGBC says in a statement
CAGBC says it is spearheading a national strategy for energy benchmarking that aims to reduce the challenges and complexity of implementing benchmarking and reporting requirements in Canadian cities and provinces. The strategy included the launch of a white paper in April 2016 Energy Benchmarking, Reporting & Disclosure in Canada: A Guide to a Common Framework.
The CAGBC is providing training to support the green building industry in meeting upcoming requirements like those in Ontario, where the reporting of annual benchmarking results for large commercial buildings will soon become mandatory province-wide. Several other jurisdictions, including the City of Vancouver and the Province of Manitoba, are also considering similar legislation.
“The CAGBC is pleased to be offering these two new courses which will help the industry better understand and adopt energy benchmarking practices and regulations,” says CAGBC president and CEO Thomas Mueller. “By implementing these practices, building owners and managers have access to key data on the performance of their buildings, which enables them to make strategic investments in operational improvements, technology upgrades, and retrofits in an effort to conserve more energy, reduce emissions and realize financial savings.”
Registration is now open for the first round of energy benchmarking courses through the CAGBC, with the first Introduction to Energy Benchmarking webinar taking place on Sept. 14. Courses can be taken separately or together, with both webinar and classroom options available. For more information on these courses and to register, visit cagbc.org/ebcourses.
For updates on CAGBC’s ongoing energy benchmarking and advocacy work, including access to research and green building case studies, visit cagbc.org/advocacy.
