On September 18, 2009, following extensive research and consultation, the Real Property Association of Canada (REALpac) announced the 20 by ’15 national energy consumption target for office buildings. The goal of REALpac’s 20 by ’15 initiative is to achieve the target of 20 equivalent kilowatt hours of total energy use per square foot of rentable area per year (20 ekWh/ft2/year), in office buildings, by the year 2015. The target is intended as an essential first step in demonstrating substantial, sector-wide emissions reductions and operating cost savings, while taking full advantage of incentives and getting in front of potential regulations.
Enerlife provided the research and analysis to support REALpac’s 20 by ’15 target, and advises building owners and managers on the roadmap for working towards it.
REALpac has just released their 2012 report, which includes the data, analyses and results of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 REALpac Energy Benchmarking Surveys. All three years of data have been analyzed and compared to provide a detailed breakdown of the trends and patterns of building energy performance across Canada over time. The results of these analyses reveal that while many owners and building managers are taking action to reduce their energy use, there are opportunities yet to be had with respect to pushing building performance to the highest levels. You can access the report at REALpac 2012 Energy Benchmarking Report: Performance of the Canadian Office Sector.