Canada Green Building Council Launches New Tool for Building Owners and Operators

The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is announcing the release of GREEN UP, a building performance program for building owners and operators to measure, compare, and improve their real estate portfolios. GREEN UP enables the benchmarking of energy and water use, goal-setting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and helps identify ways to improve the operational and environmental performance of projects across building portfolios.

Canada’s commercial building sector spends $17.6 billion and generates 65.3 Million tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) 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 per cent. GREEN UP is a tool designed to help owners and managers improve and better manage the performance of their buildings. The program will offer access to a national repository that includes building performance data for office, multi-family, long-term healthcare, hotel, retail, K-12 school, and government buildings.

The national database is combined with 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.

“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,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council in a press release. “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.”