IESO's program: Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx) is now available to help commercial office building owners achieve and sustain energy savings with financial support.

We are excited to share in the launch of the IESO's EBCx program, offering a proven process that empowers commercial office building owners to optimize energy usage and sustain long-term savings.

With our authorization as an EBCx agent, Energy@Work has access to substantial financial support to assist you in attaining and sustaining energy efficiency. Energy@Work is equipped to secure the necessary funding for your journey towards net-zero, seamlessly integrating the economic and environmental aspects of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). By participating in this program, we can help you fulfill your ESG objectives while making significant strides towards reaching net-zero targets.

Impressive Results: Energy@Work's Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) has been validated by Toronto Hydro, demonstrating over 16,000,000 kWh in verified energy savings. This remarkable achievement positions us perfectly to collaborate with the transformative IESO EBCx program, offering an unparalleled opportunity to realize your ESG goals.

Ready to Take the First Step? Don't miss out on this game-changing opportunity! Reach out to us at Requests@Energy-Efficiency.com to get started on the path to a greener, more sustainable future.

Last week in Houston, Texas, the Industrial Energy Technology Conference (IETC) opening panel addressed the challenges and opportunities associated with ESG.

There was clear agreement that ESG has become an important force that cannot be ignored. There was also distinct conversations on the approaches that should be taken, requirements as well as the practicality of objectives, particularly Net Zero.

Energy@Work shared our experiences in preparing our GHG reduction strategy and the economic advantages in developing a proactive approach. Using our Energy Management Action Plan (E-MAP) as the first phase becomes the catalyst to sustained progress through proven results.

Thanks to Texas A&M for the organization and facilitation of such an important topic!

Thank you to Jose A. Garcia for inviting Amir to speak during the University of Toronto’s (UoT) Tools and Techniques for Energy Management class on June 27th. Amir had the opportunity to share his experiences with Measurement and Verification (M&V).
With the importance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) continuing to grow, as well as pressure to avoid “greenwash”, it is increasingly important that correct methods exist, and be understood, to verify results. That’s where M&V comes in. Amir has uniquely qualifying experience to speak to M&V as he was able to secure Toronto Hydro’s approval for electricity savings in the commercial office sector during the pandemic. This led to over 16,000,000 kWh savings.

Efficiency Valuation Organization’s (EVO) non-routine events and adjustment guidelines were proposed and approved. Equally important was the use of NRCan’s RETScreen to account for low occupancy.
Amir’s experience and challenges were shared with the UoT students to help them be prepared with practical and current industry best practices. Proper M&V was explained, what can be achieved as well as the exciting future that is in store for them.

Amir provided the following resources:
Articles: Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO)
Importance of Measurement and Verification (M&V) and how savings were proven that resulted in 16 Million kWh that Toronto Hydro was able to verify:

Video: Ontario’s complicated rate structure, particularly our unique Global Adjustment Mechanism (GAM)
Energy@Work organized and prepared the following presentation for BOMA to help the commercial sector prepare
https://www.energy-efficiency.com/news/hourly-ontario-energy-price-hoep-and-global-adjustment-ga-explained

The study was published in the Journal of Portfolio Management and explores the correlation between improved property performance and green building certification. The research analyzes 10 years of financial performance data across 58 million square feet of US and Canadian office space.
As stated in the study:
“The benefits uncovered through this analysis carry significant income and value implications, which are relevant for the appraisal/valuation community. Although it can be difficult to measure the financial impact of improved tenant satisfaction, what can be measured are the financial impacts of the added building stability through a more satisfied tenant base”.

According to the study, buildings which are BOMA BEST and/or LEED certified:

Have higher net effective rates;
Lower rent concessions (4% lower in Canada if LEED and BOMA BESt certified);
Higher occupancy rates (18.7% higher in Canada if LEED and BOMA BESt certified);
Higher tenant renewal rates (5.6% higher in Canada if buildings were certified by BOMA at level 3 compared to non-certified buildings);
Higher tenant satisfaction scores (7% higher in Canada if buildings were certified by BOMA at level 3 or 4, compared to non-certified buildings);
Lower energy consumption.

Additional supporting reference:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282438246_Green_Certification_and_Building_Performance_Implications_for_Tangibles_and_Intangibles

Should you have any questions regarding the above, or to get started on BOMA BEST certification, please do not hesitate to contact Energy@Work:
Requests@Energy-Efficiency.com.

BOMA Toronto’s race2reduce CREST awards recognize participant efforts to reduce GHG and continually improve building management and operations!

This year’s awards include:
Climate Champion: Awarded based on GHG reduction or lowest emissions.
Collaborative Excellence: Awarded based on the demonstration of collaborative practices
Innovation Excellence: Awarded based on creativity and innovation.

The first step is to review the categories and determine if your building is deserving of recognition!

Click below for the submission guide and more information on the BOMA CREST Awards.

Click here for BOMA CREST Award Details

The IESO has announced an extension to the Ontario Regulation 506/18: Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking. The extension will allow reporting on energy and water data until October 31st, 2023.

Under the Reporting of Energy Consumption and Water Use regulation, buildings over 50,000 SqFt are required to report.
https://www.ontario.ca/page/report-energy-water-use-large-buildings#section-3

Energy and water make up some of the largest operating costs in a building. Reporting provides an opportunity to identify opportunities for energy efficiency, track usage and compare how your building stacks up to similar buildings.

In May 2023, GA cost was $0.89 billion. This is a 2% increase from April 2023 GA ($0.87 billion) and an 8% increase comparing May 2023 with March 2023 GA ($0.82 billion).

If we compare May 2023 with May 2022, there was a 16% increase.

With drastic GA cost changes monthly, Energy@Work continues to ask “why?”. We provide a monthly review of GAM costs however the reason for the vast cost fluctuation remains unclear.

Energy@Work’s services includes a “GAM coach”. We maintain the importance of a GAM Strategy for Class A and Class B to win the (GAM)e.
Our collective savings have exceeded $10 million, and we look forward to continuing to assist.

BOMA International’s TOBY Awards Reception and Gala took place June 27th- congratulations to the award winners! A TOBY award is a symbol of the efforts made as a leader in commercial real estate excellence!