Better Data and Financing Tools Can Remove Barriers to Retrofit Action

Source: Rupert Rapier | · FORBES · | June 11, 2023

As we work towards realizing our low carbon future, improving the efficiency of our buildings is a major hurdle for every community, including Calgary and Edmonton, where building emissions account for 40-60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.  

Energy efficiency improvements need to start with an understanding of how energy is used in a building and the type and age of the equipment, often done through a traditional energy audit. On-site audits can be costly and time-consuming, adding barriers to building owners having vital data to inform upgrade decision-making. 

Alberta Ecotrust, with support from RBC Foundation's Tech for Nature, undertook a pilot project - Accelerating Retrofits in Commercial Buildings - to test a digitized approach to collecting and presenting building information, in partnership with technology provider, Audette. 

Audette specializes in net-zero planning for commercial building portfolios and provided each participant with a 20+ year low-carbon transition plan, energy benchmark information, and a business case for retrofitting their building portfolio. 

Project Results

The project engaged 7 multifamily and commercial building owners from Calgary and Edmonton, with 78 buildings analyzed. 

Looking at the building data on an aggregated level, 3 Mt of greenhouse gas savings were identified, generated by 22 energy efficiency measures, which could result in $674 millions of carbon cost savings for the building owners over the next 28 years.