by Shane Henson — June 25, 2012—Building owners and facilities managers within Canada will soon find it much easier to measure, compare, and improve their real estate portfolios through taking advantage of GREEN UP, a building performance program developed by the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). Specifically, GREEN UP enables the benchmarking of energy and water use, facilitates goal-setting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and helps identify ways to improve the operational and environmental performance of projects across building portfolios.
This program is a necessity given Canada’s commercial building sector reportedly spends $17.6 billion and generates 65.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Studies also indicate that there is much room for improvement with deep efficiency measures capable of reducing commercial building greenhouse gas emissions by 50-60%, says the CaGBC. Responding to a clear industry need for a performance-based approach to energy and environmental improvements, the program will offer access to a national repository/database that includes building performance data for office, multifamily, long-term healthcare, hotel, retail, K-12 school, and government buildings.
The national database is combined with powerful data visualization tools that allow users to consolidate, analyze, and benchmark building performance against other ENERGY STAR buildings in their portfolio and beyond. By doing so, they are able to identify when and where they are spending energy and money, and take the necessary steps to change it, says the CaGBC.
“Energy costs make up a significant percentage of overall operating expenses and should be a major concern for any building owner. Measuring and benchmarking energy use is a first step in improving current practices,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC. “By giving those involved in managing buildings this comprehensive and accessible tool, we are helping them identify where they can improve building performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
