EcoEfficiency Buildings

Sustainable Development Business Case Report
Commercial Buildings Eco-Efficiency

SD Business Case

Version 1 November 2007
Power Generation
Transportation
Agriculture
Forestry
Waste Management
Energy Exploration
and Production
Energy Utilization
Energy
Water Heating
Auxiliary Equipment
HVAC
Lighting
Motors & Controls
HVAC
Domestic
Water
Solid Waste
Other
Organic
Paper
Plastic
Metal/Glass
Commercial
Eco-Efficiency
* Copyright 2007 by Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology
(SDTC). All Copyright Reserved. Published in Canada by SDTC. No part
of the SD Business Case
TM
may be produced, reproduced, modified, distributed,
sold, published, broadcast, retransmitted, communicated to the public by
telecommunication or circulated in any form without the prior written consent
of SDTC, except to the extent that such use is fair dealing for the purpose of
research or private study (unpublished, or an insubstantial copy). To request
consent please contact SDTC. All insubstantial copies for research or private
study must include this copyright notice.
The SD Business Case

is provided as iswithout warranty or representation of
any kind. Use of the information provided in the SD Business Case
is at your
own risk. SDTC does not make any representation or warranty as to the quality,
accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information provided
in the SD Business Case
.
Sustainable Development Technology Canada, SDTC,
SD Business Case

and SDTC STAR

are trade marks of
Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology.
Sustainable Development Business Case Report*
Commercial Buildings Eco-Efficiency
SD Business Case

Version 1 November 2007
Energy Utilization
Energy
Water Heating
Auxiliary Equipment
HVAC
Lighting
Motors & Controls
HVAC
Domestic
Water
Solid Waste
Other
Organic
Paper
Plastic
Metal/Glass
Commercial
Eco-Efficiency
Table of Contents
1 Overview of SD Business Case
TM
............................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 The SD Business Case Plan .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1.1 Primary Audience ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1
1.1.2 The SDTC STAR Tool ................................................................................................................................................................. 2
1.1.3 Sectors to be assessed by the SD Business Case .................................................................................................... 2
Figure 1 : SDBusinessCase Investment Roadmap ........................................................................................................................................ 3
1.1.4 Investment Categories to be Analyzed ........................................................................................................................... 4
1.1.5 Conclusions Framework ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 The SDTC STAR Process: Data Collection and Analysis ....................................................................................... 5
Figure 2 : The SDTC STAR Process ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2.1 Assessment Descriptions ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3 : SDTC Funding Support ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7
1.2.2 Output Structure .......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Table 1 : Market Plot Indicators ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Table 2 : Technology Plot Indicators ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9
Figure 4 : Sample Technology Plot ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10
1.2.3 Conclusions and Investment Priorities .......................................................................................................................... 10
2 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 12
2.1 Commercial Buildings ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
2.1.1 Energy Utilization ...................................................................................................................................................................... 12
2.1.2 Water Consumption .................................................................................................................................................................. 13
2.1.3 Solid Waste Production .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
2.2 Commercial Buildings Vision Statements ........................................................................................................................ 13
2.2.1 Energy .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 13
2.2.2 Water ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
2.2.3 Solid Waste ................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
2.3 Non-Technical Needs ........................................................................................................................................................................... 13
2.4 Technical Needs ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
2.5 Investment Priorities .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15
3 Report

Scope and Approach ................................................................................................................................................. 16
3.1 Report Scope .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 16
3.1.1 Commercial Building Classifcation ................................................................................................................................. 16
3.1.2 Operational Focus ...................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Figure 5 : Commercial Building Lifecycle Energy Consumption ......................................................................................................................... 17
3.1.3 Technology Applications ........................................................................................................................................................ 17
3.1.4 Strategic Approach .................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 6 : Sustainable Buildings Strategy ............................................................................................................................................................. 18
3.1.5 Data Sources ................................................................................................................................................................................. 18
4 Background ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
4.1 Commercial Building Stock .......................................................................................................................................................... 19
4.1.1 Building Type ................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
Table 3 : Building Type by End Use in 2004 .......................................................................................................................................................... 19
4.1.2 Building Age ................................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 7 : Commercial Buildings by Age .............................................................................................................................................................. 19
4.1.3 Building Activity ......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 Resource Utilization ........................................................................................................................................................................... 20
4.2.1 Energy End-Use ........................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Figure 8 : Total End-Use Energy by Sector in 2004 ............................................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 9 : Commercial End-Use Energy by Source in 2004 ................................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 10 : Energy Sources and Uses .................................................................................................................................................................... 21
4.2.2 Energy Use by System Type .................................................................................................................................................. 21
Table 4 : Commercial Energy End-Use by System Type in 2004 .......................................................................................................................... 21
4.2.3 Energy Use Trends ...................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Figure 11 : Commercial Energy Use for 1990-2004............................................................................................................................................. 22
Figure 12 : Impacts on Commercial Energy Use for 1990-2004 ......................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 13 : Commercial Energy Use and Floor Area for 1990-2004 ................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 14 : Commercial Energy Use Intensity for 1990-2004 ............................................................................................................................. 24
Figure 15 : Heating Degree Day Index (HDDI), 1990-2004 ................................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 16 : HDDI and Space Heating Load Intensity for 1990-2004 .................................................................................................................. 25
Figure 17 : Commercial Energy Use, With and Without Energy Effciency Improvements, 1990-2004 ............................................................. 26
4.3 Energy-Related Emissions .............................................................................................................................................................. 27
Figure 18 : GHG Emissions by Sector in 2004 ...................................................................................................................................................... 27
Figure 19 : Commercial Energy-Related GHG Emissions, 1990-2004 ................................................................................................................. 28
Figure 20 : Energy-Related Emissions Intensity Projections from STAR
TM
.......................................................................................................... 28
4.4 Water ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 29
4.4.1 Water Consumption .................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Figure 21 : Municipal Water Use by Sector .......................................................................................................................................................... 29
4.4.2 Water Consumption by System Type .............................................................................................................................. 30
Figure 22 : Water Use in Commercial Buildings ................................................................................................................................................... 30
Table 5 : Federal Offce Building Water Consumption by End-Use ...................................................................................................................... 30
4.4.3 Water Consumption Trend .................................................................................................................................................... 31
Figure 23 : Daily Commercial Water Consumption Trend, 1983-1999 ................................................................................................................ 31
4.4.4 Water Supply Issues .................................................................................................................................................................. 31
4.5 Solid Waste ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Figure 24 : Solid Waste Generation by Commercial Sub-Sector in Ontario in 2002 .......................................................................................... 32
Figure 25 : Ontario IC&I Disposed Waste in 2002 ................................................................................................................................................ 33
5 Industry Vision ................................................................................................................................................................................ 34
5.1 Key Market Drivers
................................................................................................................................................................................ 34
5.1.1 Cost Reduction ............................................................................................................................................................................. 34
5.1.2 Value Creation .............................................................................................................................................................................. 34
5.2 Future Building Functionality .................................................................................................................................................... 34
5.2.1 Knowledge-Based Work ........................................................................................................................................................ 34
5.2.2 Flexible Workplaces ................................................................................................................................................................. 34
5.2.3 Smart Building Technologies .............................................................................................................................................. 35
5.2.4 Sustainable Buildings Philosophy ................................................................................................................................... 35
5.3 Vision Statements ................................................................................................................................................................................. 35
5.3.1 Vision Summaries ...................................................................................................................................................................... 35
Table 6 : Commercial Eco-Effciency Vision Statements ....................................................................................................................................... 36
5.3.2 Energy Vision ............................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Figure 26 : Energy Use Intensity Reduction from STAR
TM
............................................................................................................................. 36
5.3.3 Water Vision .................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
5.3.4 Solid Waste Vision ...................................................................................................................................................................... 37
5.4 Needs Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
5.4.1 Non-Technology Needs ........................................................................................................................................................... 37
Figure 27 : Current Commercial Building Value Chain ......................................................................................................................................... 38
5.4.2 Technology-Based Needs ...................................................................................................................................................... 40
6 Market Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................ 42
6.1 Market Potential ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Table 7 : Market Potential Summary .................................................................................................................................................................... 42
Table 8 : Energy Reduction Vision Details from STAR
TM
....................................................................................................................................... 43
6.2 Market Plot .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 44
Figure 28 : Market Plot .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
7 Technology Assessment ................................................................................................................................................... 45
7.1 Integrated Building Design .......................................................................................................................................................... 45
Table 9 : Integrated Building Design Technology Summary ................................................................................................................................ 45
Figure 29 : Integrated Building Design Technology Plot ...................................................................................................................................... 46
7.2 Building Envelope Improvements ......................................................................................................................................... 46
Table 10 : Building Envelope Improvements Technology Summary ................................................................................................................... 47
Figure 30 : Building Envelope Improvements Technology Plot ........................................................................................................................... 47
7.3 Operator & Occupant Management Tools ....................................................................................................................... 47
Table 11 : Operator & Occupant Management Tools Technology Summary ....................................................................................................... 48
Figure 31 : Operator & Occupant Management Tools Technology Plot .............................................................................................................. 48
7.4 System & Equipment Effciency Improvements .......................................................................................................... 48
Table 12 : System & Equipment Effciency Improvements Technology Summary ............................................................................................. 49
Figure 32 : System & Equipment Effciency Technology Plot .............................................................................................................................. 50
7.5 Optimized Resource Supply ......................................................................................................................................................... 50
Table 13 : Optimized Resource Supply Technology Summary ............................................................................................................................. 52
Figure 33 : Optimized Resource Supply Technology Plot ..................................................................................................................................... 52
8 Statements of Interest ........................................................................................................................................................ 53
Table 14 : Commercial Buildings SOI Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 53
9 Investment Priorities ............................................................................................................................................................ 54
9.1 Near Term Investments ..................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Table 15 : High Priority Near Term Investments ................................................................................................................................................... 54
Table 16 : Medium Priority Near Term Investments ............................................................................................................................................. 54
9.2 Long Term Investments .................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Table 17 : High Priority Long Term Investments................................................................................................................................................... 54
Table 18 : Medium Priority Long Term Investments ............................................................................................................................................ 55
9.3 National Strategy Impacts ............................................................................................................................................................. 55
9.3.1 Sustainable Buildings Policy ............................................................................................................................................... 55
10 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................................ 57
11 Endnotes .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58
Copyright 2007 by SDTC !asta|aa||e 0ee|epmeat 8as|aess Case 1
1 Overview of SD Business Case
TM
Sustainable Development Technology Canada is a foundation created by the Government of Canada that operates a $550 million fund to support the
development and demonstration of clean technologies solutions that address issues of climate change, clean air, clean water, and clean soil to deliver
environmental, economic and health benefts to Canadians.
SDTC is pleased to present this Commercial Buildings Eco-Effciency Investment Report, which is one in a series on the current state of sustainable
development and future investment priorities in Canada. This report is the result of collaboration from a wide range of stakeholders. It is based on reports,
studies, and research fndings by various industry associations and government initiatives. We hope you fnd the information useful, and look forward to
working with you as we further sustainability in Canada.
1.1 The SD Business Case Plan
SDTC invests in areas where Canada has a strong capability, or potential, and where SDTC can provide the most value. To that end, SDTC has developed a
comprehensive evaluation and decision-support process that investigates various technologies, their markets, the needs they address, and the barriers they
must overcome to achieve market success.
TM
is founded on the concept of creating a common vision of market potential, as described by those in the industry. It
incorporates their ideas, expectations and knowledge into a single statement of purpose, so that the outcomes are relevant, pragmatic, and
realizable. There are many different approaches that could be used to analyze individual technologies or economic sub-sectors. Each stakeholder group
has unique challenges and expectations, which are expressed and analyzed to suit their own needs. With this in mind, the SD Business Case
TM
has
been developed to provide a common benchmark for all participants, as well as a consistent and reliable means of comparing technologies in a number
of diverse and expanding areas. The SD Business Case
TM
serves as a guide to SDTC for future technology investment priorities as well as a means of
collecting non-technology input that may be useful in addressing public policy issues.
Work on the SD Business Case
TM
could not have been done without the participation and guidance of opinion leaders and experts throughout the
country. The philosophy at SDTC is to work with and through others and SDTC is thankful to individuals for their assistance and contributions to the
success of the SD Business Case
TM
.
1.1.1 Primary Audience
The primary audiences for the SD Business Case
TM
include:
Industry Stakeholders To help them identify key sectoral challenges and priority areas for potential future investment, and to assist in
partnering with SDTC.
Canadian Researchers To assist in providing direction and focus for successful future endeavors including indicators of the key challenges to
be addressed in priority technology areas as they enter or exit the development and demonstration stages of the commercialization process.
Relevant Government Departments To provide a comprehensive decision making framework to assist with technology investment
priorities for its key stakeholders and funding bodies. The SD Business Case
TM
may also be used to help identify and manage technological
issues that are beyond SDTCs immediate mandate, as well as non-technical market barriers that can be addressed by other players, policies,
funding sources, and fnancial instruments.
Other Stakeholders To provide a clear and consistent information base on relevant technology sectors, and an open dialogue on non-
technology issues facing companies in a number of Canadian economic sectors.
SDTC To highlight areas of priority attention for future investment focus and investigation.
1 Cemmerc|a| 8a||6|aqs lce-lff|c|eac Copyright 2007 by SDTC
1.1.2 The SDTC STAR Tool
The Sustainable Technology Assessment Roadmap (STAR
TM
) is an analytical tool that is used to produce the SD Business Case
TM
reports. It is an
iterative analytical process that combines data, reports, stakeholder input, and industry intelligence in a common information platform. It uses a series of
criteria selection screens to assess and sort relevant information from a variety of sources. The output is a series of Investment Reports that highlight key
technology investment opportunities for each sector under study.
1.1.3 Sectors to be assessed by the SD Business Case
The overall SD Business Case
TM
project focuses on seven of Canadas primary economic sectors. An illustrated version of the full project and master
roadmap, Figure 1, highlights the selected areas of study.
Energy Exploration & Production Including Clean Conventional fossil fuels and Renewable Fuels (bio-fuels, hydrogen production and
purifcation). Renewable Electricity and Renewable Fuels are linked as they share a number of technological platforms.
Power Generation Including Clean Conventional and Renewable Electricity Generation (wind, solar PV, bioelectricity and stationary fuel cells).
Energy Utilization Improving the effectiveness of the application of current end-use technologies in industrial, commercial and residential
sectors and improving energy effciency.
Transportation Including Systems Effciency and Fuel Switching. Fuel Switching and Renewable Fuels are linked as they share a number of
technological platforms.
Agriculture Addressing solid waste or Biomass conversion to Fuels and eliminating air and water contaminants produced by manure.
Forestry and Wood Products Addressing development of wood waste recycling technologies to harness energy resource potential, reduce
emissions and improve productivity and profts.
Waste Management Addressing the various forms of waste management from municipal (residential and commercial) and primary and
secondary industrial sources.
Note:
Some of these sectors may be covered through work in other sectors. For example, many Agriculture and Forestry technologies are common to
Renewable Fuels in the Energy Exploration and Production Sector.
Figure 1 : SDBusinessCase Investment Roadmap
Energy
Exploration &
Production
Power
Generation
Energy
Utilization
Transportation
Agriculture
Forestry
Waste
Management
Economic Sector Sub-sector Segments Products & Processes
HVAC
Water Heating
Motors & Controls
Auxiliary Equipment
HVAC
Lighting
Domestic
Paper
Plastic
Metal/Glass
Organic
Other
Residential
Energy
Water
Solid Waste
Indus trial
Commercial
Eco-Efficiency
SD Business Case
TM
is a trade mark of Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology.
1.1.4 Investment Categories to be Analyzed
TM
provides conclusions in three primary categories of investment opportunities:
Short Term Investment Priorities These are investments that could be made within the next 2-6 years that could have a direct and
positive impact on the market over the following 4-8 years.
Long-Term Investment Priorities These are early stage investments that could be made within the next 2-6 years but where the
environmental impacts are realized over the longer term (more than 8 years).
National Strategy Impacts Although it is not in SDTCs mandate to advance policy initiatives, over the course of developing the
SD Business Case a number of policy related enablers and barriers to the development and implementation of sustainable technologies
have been identifed. A summary of these issues and their potential impact on Canadas ability to meet its environmental goals is included in
the analysis.
1.1.5 Conclusions Framework
The SD Business Case is a consistent, referenced set of recommendations and investment indicators which can be used by stakeholders to support
investment opportunities and priorities. The range of technologies and the assessment of their potential impact is too large and complex to simplify
to a single number, answer, result or solution. The output should be viewed within the context of the information collected during the business case
development process. Contributors to the business case have made every effort to be as objective, comprehensive and analytical as possible. Although
based on rigorous analysis of the best available information, the SD Business Case serves only as an indicator of investment priorities; it is not to be
used as a defnitive tool to accept or reject individual projects or technologies. Final decisions on whether SDTC will invest will be made by taking into
account all relevant conditions and opportunities.
Copyright 2007 by SDTC !asta|aa||e 0ee|epmeat 8as|aess Case
1.2 The SDTC STAR Process: Data Collection and Analysis
The STAR
TM
process uses a vision-based, needs-driven approach: it begins with an industry vision of where the sector is anticipated to be at some
defned point in the future, and then identifes the most critical requirements that should be satisfed in order to achieve the stated vision.
Figure 2 : The SDTC STAR Process
Industry Vision
SDTC SOIs Stakeholder Input Market Data Reports & Studies
Industry Entrepreneurs
Government Depts. & Agencies
Financial Community
NGOs
Needs Assessment
Non-Technical Technical
Information Input
Market Sustainability Technology
Detailed Analysis
Market
Sustainability
Technology
Investment Report
Academia
1. Input :
The STAR process starts off with a vision-based,
needs-drivenapproach: it begins with an
industry vision of where the sector is anticipated
to be at some defined point in the future, and
then identifies the most critical requirements that
must be satisfied in order to achieve the
stated vision.
2. Assessment :
By taking into account the technological, economic,
political, and societal forces that act upon a sector, the
STAR process can create a reasonably accurate picture of
the market.
It can then assess the relative strengths, weaknesses and
emerging opportunities of each market sector.
Finally, it calculates the gap between the current state of
the sector and the vision, and identifies the specific things
that need to be done in order to fill the gap and achieve
the vision.
3. Analysis :
The lists of needs are applied to each technology area,
where they are rated against a set of economic (i.e. cost
relative to conventional sources at time of market entry)
and environmental criteria specific to SDTC's mandate.
4. Report :
Since some of the issues surrounding the successful
commercialization of emerging technologies are non-technical
in nature (i.e. policy-related issues), the STAR process captures
and prioritizes them to create a complete investment picture for
integration into the final Investment Report.
The above process is repeated for each area of study, until a complete picture of the market emerges to the satisfaction of SDTC and the key market stakeholders.
SDTC STAR is a trade mark of Canada Foundation for Sustainable Development Technology.
By taking into account the technological, economic, political, and societal forces that act upon a sector, the STAR
TM
process can create a reasonably
accurate picture of the market. It can then assess the relative strengths, weaknesses and emerging opportunities of each market sector. Finally, it
calculates the gap between the current state of the sector and the vision, and identifes the specifc things that need to be done in order to fll the gap
and achieve the vision.
Cemmerc|a| 8a||6|aqs lce-lff|c|eac Copyright 2007 by SDTC
The lists of needs are applied to each technology area, where they are rated against a set of economic criteria, (cost relative to conventional sources at
time of market entry), and environmental criteria specifc to SDTCs mandate. Since some of the issues surrounding the successful commercialization of
emerging technologies are policy-related and non-technical in nature, the STAR
TM
process captures and prioritizes them to create a complete investment
picture for integration into the fnal Investment Report.
This process is repeated for each area of study, until a complete picture of the market emerges to the satisfaction of SDTC and the key market stakeholders.
1.2.1 Assessment Descriptions
Once the market vision has been accepted, the economic sectors and their associated technologies are assessed through the following screens:
Market
This focuses on the ability of the market to use the emerging technologies that are currently at the development and demonstration stages. It identifes
what needs to be done in order to maximize the application and acceptance of the technology, with a focus on fnancial and economic performance.
The main components of the assessment are:
General Market Description An overview of the sector under consideration, with a comparison to conventional or competing sectors.
Market Potential An indication of the immediate growth potential for the sector under consideration.
The data is drawn from industry literature and stakeholder feedback, and shows the theoretical and realizable potential as well as equipment installed
costs. Using linear extrapolation, it then estimates the anticipated potential over the target period. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of emerging
markets, it is necessary to conduct this assessment a number of times as conditions change. The primary purpose is to understand the gap between
todays situation and the vision for each sub-sector. This helps to determine the required rate of innovative developments and the amount and timing of
capital placements.
There are three Market Assessment criteria used in the STAR
TM
process;
Stage of Investment An assigned value, on a scale of 1-10, that takes into account market barriers, the amount of time expected for the
technology to achieve full commercialization, market infrastructure issues and impediments, and current state of codes, standards and regulations.
Economic Effciency An assigned value, on a scale of 1-10, that takes into account technology spin-off potential, product replicability and
scale-up potential, market size and dynamics, competitiveness, pricing and fnancing, and export potential.
Emissions Reduction Potential A calculated value of the difference in GHG emissions between conventional technologies and the
alternative technologies within the sub-sectors under consideration. It is shown in megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt
CO2e
) and is
the amount of CO
2e
expected to be reduced or displaced within the next two to six years as a consequence of commercializing the subject
technologies. GHG is a proxy used as a general indicator of emissions reductions since, for most technologies, there is a positive correlation
between GHG and other air emissions.
Copyright 2007 by SDTC !asta|aa||e 0ee|epmeat 8as|aess Case I
Figure 3 : SDTC Funding Support
R & D
Fundemental
Research
Product
Prototype
Development
SDTC
SDTC BRIDGES THE
FUNDING GAP
Demonstration Market-ready
Products
Market
Entry
COMMERCIALIZATION
Angel Investors
Venture Capital
Governments
Industry
Banks
SDTCs Mandate :
The Market Assessment is conducted from the perspective of SDTCs mandate, which is to support the development and demonstration of emerging
sustainable technologies in Canada at critical stages in the development cycle. Specifically, SDTC is focused on those technologies that are between
prototype development and market-ready product stages. The size and span of the above blocks are indicative of the relative timing and amount of
funding from various sources.
Technology
This concentrates on the technologies that need to be brought to market in order to achieve the stated vision. There are 15 fundamental ranking criteria,
which are weighted and rolled up into two principal impact criteria:
Economic Impact The developmental and fnancial issues related to a specifc technology that can/will infuence sector growth,
technological inter-dependencies, infrastructure improvement, and the cost of environmental improvement; and,
Environmental Impact The magnitude of the emissions reduction potential, reductions of regional environmental pollutants, the life cycle
emission returns, and the time at which these emissions reductions are most likely to occur.
1.2.2 Output Structure
There are three main categories in the output:Vision and Needs, Market Assessment and Technology Assessment. The STAR
TM
process also performs a
Sustainability Assessment and Risk Assessment and combines the results from all of these Assessments to develop the Investment Report conclusions.
Vision and Needs
The Vision Statement used in the STAR
TM
process is derived from information and direction from within the industry being considered. This is in the
form of individual interviews with key industry stakeholders, as well as internal and external reports, articles and statements published by and about the
industry. The Statement is reviewed by the stakeholders to confrm content accuracy, and help establish the realistic market potential of the technologies
being considered. The Vision Statement acts as the primary focus for further discussions and analysis within the STAR
TM
process.
In the case of the commercial building industry, the vision is based on more effcient and environmentally acceptable resource utilization within the
sector. Energy (measured in petajoules PJ), water (measured in Litres L) and solid waste (measured in tonnes t) are the three resource areas that
are considered.
Market Assessment
The Market Assessment output data is presented in a Circle Chart, with Stage of Investment on the X-axis, Economic Effciency on the Y-axis, and
Emissions Reduction Potential on the Z-axis. The Stage of SDTC Investment Cycle and Economic Effciency analyses consider a number of factors, which
are summarized below. The scores are based on a scale of 1 10: a high score indicates a ft within the projected time frame and a high likelihood of
widespread market adoption.
Table 1 : Market Plot Indicators
Indicator Main Elements
Stage of SDTC Investment Cycle
Years to Market
Market Barriers
Infrastructure Issues
Codes and Regulations
Economic Effciency
Technology Spinoffs
Market Size and Dynamics
Market Demand
Competitiveness & Alternatives
Replicability / Dissemination / Export Market
Pricing and Financing
Circle Location In general, plots that show in the upper right-hand corner are considered attractive to private-sector investors because they
have high Economic Effciency and are near to market entry. Conversely, anything in the lower left-hand corner requires additional work to move
to the market-ready zone.
Circle Size The size of each circle represents the magnitude of the difference in emissions between the base case and the alternative
case. GHGs, expressed in CO
2e
, are used as a proxy for all air-related emissions. In instances where there is a negative correlation amongst CO
2e

and other forms of emissions (for example NOx acts inversely to CO
2e
in many combustion processes), these will be noted in the model or in the
actual technology as it is evaluated.
Circle Colour Each circle represents a different measure group and is identifed by a colour in order to distinguish them on the plot.
By plotting the outcomes in this way it is possible to get an overall snapshot of the position and potential of each sub-sector relative to others.
Many of the emerging technologies have the capacity to also reduce regional pollutants and other environmental impacts: this information is captured
within STAR
TM
, but is not illustrated separately on the market plot. Separate plots can be generated for these environmental aspects.
Technology Assessment
This assessment focuses on the technology plot position of each technology area. The position of each plot is the result of the numerical ranking of the
individual technological assessments. Each technology is mapped on a scatter graph, with Economic Impact on the X-axis and Environmental Impact on
the Y-axis (see Figure 4 on the following page).
Table 2 : Technology Plot Indicators
Indicator Main Elements
Technology Development
Place on the Innovation Chain
Technological Requirements & Barriers
Technical Risk & Uncertainty
Technological Dependencies
Technology Spin-Off Potential
Environmental Impact
GHG Emission Reduction Potential
CAC Emission Reduction Potential
Embedded Carbon Content
Life Cycle Emission Returns
Time to Environmental Impact
Sectoral Impact
Disruptive Potential
Infrastructure Enhancement Potential
Time to Market Entry
Financial Effectiveness
Price to Market
GHG Reduction Cost
The closer a technology plots to the upper right hand corner, the greater its potential relative to the other technologies. Technologies that are considered
a breakthrough or have a potentially disruptive impact
1
are shown in red on the supporting table. Since STAR
TM
is an iterative process, the plot values
change over time as new information becomes available, new technologies are developed, and sustainable markets continue to develop.
Figure 4 : Sample Technology Plot
Environmental Impacts
LOW
HIGH
HIGH
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
E
c
o
n
o
m
i
c

I
m
p
a
c
t
s
1.2.3 Conclusions and Investment Priorities
The STAR
TM
process concludes by combining the results from the Vision and Needs, Market and Technology Assessments, and divides them into short and
long term priorities and strategic impacts.
Short-Term Investment Priorities These are investments that could be made within the next two to six years that could have a direct and
positive impact on the environment.
Long-Term Investment Priorities These are early stage investments that could be made within the next two to six years but that would
aid Canada in achieving its longer-term, emissions-reductions objectives. SDTC recognizes that the investments must be made now in order to
produce results in the future.
National Strategy Impacts A summary is created outlining the potential impact that the investments may have on Canadas national
strategy including potential policy development to meet its climate change and sustainable development commitments.
The successful emergence of sustainable technologies in Canada will be largely dependant upon the resolution of a range of non-technical issues. These
issues, when combined with the technology issues and opportunities, could have a profound impact on Canadas national strategy.
Important Notes to the Reader:
While these conclusions indicate areas to place emphasis, SDTC recognizes that it is not possible to anticipate all new technologies and their
impacts, and new technologies in areas or sectors not on the list are not excluded from consideration.
The output of the Roadmap process is not a single digit, answer or result. It is a series of indicators that support a set of possible investment
opportunities, which can only be viewed within the context of the information provided. The fnal investment decision must still be made by
accounting for all possible and relevant conditions and requirements, as viewed by the fnal decision-maker. The contributors to the Roadmap
process have made every effort to be as objective, comprehensive and analytical as possible.
The numeric ratings used in the assessment process are relative; they are not absolute. For example, the Time to Market rating is based on a
scale of one to ten; it does not indicate the actual number of years to get to market. This approach is necessary to overcome the wide range of
qualifers associated with each projection made by industry and government. The one to ten scale provides a common benchmark approach.
Unless otherwise stated, the term market refers to the set of technology areas under examination as a direct result of a scoping exercise to
determine an appropriate breadth of coverage. It does not refer to an entire market.
Emerging Technologies that have not been included within any current sector assessment may be considered in future upgrades and published
releases. SDTC will receive and evaluate opportunities in all areas falling within the SDTC mandate. However, where there is insuffcient material
or interest identifed, no assessment priority will be assigned to the STAR
TM
tool.
2 Executive Summary
This SD Business Case
TM
report focuses on impacts of energy and water utilization and solid waste production on commercial building operations
in Canada. It examines market characteristics such as building size, construction and type, establishes a set of vision statements for the industry, and
identifes the technologies that can help create more sustainable buildings in both the existing and future stock.
The report covers all types of commercial buildings; including offces, institutional and public service such as health care and education, hospitality,
entertainment, and retail and wholesale trade. Together, they are simply referred to as commercial. Multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) are not
included in much of the analysis because they are classifed as residential buildings by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). However, many of the
technologies and issues do apply to MURBs. Some utilities and other organizations, usually for historical reasons, do not use statistical agency based nor
government policy and program based building classifcation systems. As such, caution must be used to avoid confusion in discussion of policy, program
and technology development, social or environmental issues.
The focus of the analysis is on building operations. Although embodied energy, material selection, construction, and demolition are important in a life
cycle approach to buildings, the largest environmental impacts are a result of the operation of buildings. Operations are the most important aspect of
commercial building eco-effciency analysis. SDTC understands the critical importance of a full lifecycle approach, and incorporates the entire building
lifecycle considerations into individual project investment assessments on a case-by-case basis.
The technologies included in this report are applicable to most types of commercial buildings, but may be applied in different ways for different types of
buildings. For example, advanced control system technologies used in a small offce building are likely to be quite different from those required in a large
health care complex.
The baseline data used in the STAR
TM
analysis is derived primarily from NRCan sources. Every effort has been made to adjust for any discrepancies
between the data sources in order to establish the most reasonable baseline. The variations, while statistically signifcant, do not impact the strategic
direction of the outcome or recommendations in this report. They do, however, highlight the need for consistent, reliable and comprehensive
performance-based building data.
2.1 Commercial Buildings
In 2004 there were about 591 million m
2
of commercial foor space in Canada, up from 466 million m
2
1990. There are currently about 395,000
commercial buildings in Canada, up from approximately 380,000 in 2004.
2.1.1 Energy Utilization
In 2004, the commercial building sector accounted for about 14%, or 1,171 petajoules (PJ) of total secondary energy use in Canada. Electricity and
natural gas together made up about 85% of energy consumed, with about one half (52%) of the energy going to space heating.
Between 1990 and 2004 commercial energy consumption increased by 35% (from 867 PJ to 1,171 PJ). 72% of the increase was due to a change in
activity level driven by an increase in total foor area.
Floor area only increased by 27% over the fourteen year period. Energy use intensity increased from 1.47 GJ/m
2
to 1.60 GJ/m
2
. This occurred despite a 3
PJ reduction due to energy conservation efforts and a decrease in weather-related heating requirements . At present growth rates, energy use could rise
to about 1,698 PJ, and energy use intensity to 2.16 GJ/m
2
, by 2030.
Energy-related GHG emissions in the commercial sector increased by 42% from about 48 Mt
CO2e
to 68 Mt
CO2e
between 1990 and 2004. Similarly,
energy related GHG emissions intensity rose from 0.10 t
CO2e
/m
2
to 0.12 t
CO2e
/m
2
, and is projected to reach 0.14 t
CO2e
/m
2
(110 Mt
CO2e
) by 2030. Energy
conservation efforts over this period resulted in a 0.2 Mt
CO2e
drop in emissions.
2.1.2 Water Consumption
Water consumption in the commercial building sector rose from 2.3 billion litres per day to about 2.8 BL/day between 1983 and 1999. The sector
currently consumes about 1.2 trillion litres per year of municipally-treated water. All of this water is chemically treated and purifed to potable water
quality, irrespective of how it is used. It is currently used to run mechanical equipment, fush toilets and water landscaping: only a small portion is used
for human consumption. Very little water is recycled or supplied from other sources such as rainwater.
2.1.3 Solid Waste Production
In 2004, commercial buildings generated about 14.26 Mt of solid waste. Approximately 78% of that is disposed of, and 22% was diverted or
recycled. Paper products and organic material make up about two thirds of the solid waste stream. The types of technologies used to minimize waste
disposal are quite different for the different components of solid waste. The thermo-chemical processes often used to treat metal wastes are quite
different from biological processes used to treat organic wastes.
2.2 Commercial Buildings Vision Statements
The following industry vision statements have been derived from industry stakeholder input as well as key government and industry reports and articles.
2.2.1 Energy
By 2030 commercial buildings in Canada will consume 0.98 GJ/m
2
of energy, creating 0.0587 t
CO2e
/m
2
of GHG emissions, a 50% reduction in energy
intensity from the current level of 1.97GJ/m
2,
resulting in an overall reduction of 1,093 PJ of energy and 74 Mt
CO2e
of GHG emissions per year from
projected Business As Usual trend levels.
2.2.2 Water
By 2030, commercial buildings in Canada will consume 712 L/m
2
of municipal water, a 65% reduction from the 2007 level of 2,033 L/m
2
, resulting in an
overall reduction of 1,409 BL of water per year from projected levels.
2.2.3 Solid Waste
By 2030, commercial buildings in Canada will produce 1.71 kg/m
2
of solid waste, an 85% reduction from the 2007 level of 11.4 kg/m
2
, resulting in an
overall reduction of 14.8 Mt of solid waste per year from projected levels.
In order to achieve the visions a number of technology as well as non-technology needs must be satisfed. The vision statements revolve around the
overall need for a comprehensive and integrated process of building design, construction and operation.
2.3 Non-Technical Needs
Price on Carbon Industry stakeholders agree that the single-largest driver of sustainable buildings could be a realistic and consistent
price on fossil fuel based carbon. Since the operation of buildings is very carbon-dependent, establishing a price on carbon could drive the
development and use of materials and processes that have low embodied energy and operating systems which minimize consumption of fossil
fuel based energy.
Integrated Supply Chain Developing high-performance commercial buildings requires close collaboration among building owners,
fnanciers, architects, engineers, contractors, suppliers, managers and operators, municipalities, and utilities. There needs to be greater agreement
on the system requirements as well as the economic, resource, productivity, and recyclability performance of buildings.
Integrated Building Practices There is a need for integrated practices in regional planning, project fnancing and compensation,
construction and building operation. This includes an holistic approach to regional planning, integrated design and construction practices,
improved fnancial procedures and more effective methods of compensation.
Improved Building Code & Greater Enforcement The lack of standard protocols for interoperability, inconsistent and sometimes
inadequate enforcement of performance standards and outmoded or restrictive building codes, all contribute to the ineffcient design and
operation of commercial buildings. Industry stakeholders agree that a more advanced building code, such as the Model National Energy Code for
Buildings, is urgently needed. It must be supported by stronger enforcement measures that are updated on a regular basis. A new Sustainability
Code should also be developed to encompass the complete eco-effciency concept.
Continuous Reporting There is a need for measurable, defensible, and reproducible fnancial assessments, based on realistic building
performance data. Anecdotal evidence, while valuable, is not suffcient to spark widespread adoption of the sustainable buildings approach,
particularly given the large investments and risks involved in most commercial buildings.
Information Exchange Building designers need to learn from the experiences from the installation and long-term operation of high
performance buildings. There is little formal information exchange between key building players. A centralized information exchange, similar to
the ones in the United States and Europe, could be developed in Canada.
Sustainability Ethic in Education A number of new and innovative sustainability programs are beginning to emerge in Canadas post-
secondary education institutions. While they are essential to creating a new sustainability ethic in Canada, they have been criticized by some
as being too narrow in scope. They argue that sustainability is treated as a distinct area of study, and is not integrated throughout the course
curriculum.
2.4 Technical Needs
The technology-based needs are condensed into fve groups. Each group consists of a number of measures, or technology areas, that help satisfy the
needs of the group. The groups are interrelated and a change in one area will often cause a change in another area.
Integrated Building Design This refers to the process of designing and siting sustainable buildings while optimizing resource use, building
functionality, and occupant comfort. The measures are built around the central theme of the integrated design process.
Building Envelope Improvements There is a need to implement best available and best emerging technologies as well as a need for next
generation building envelope technologies to minimize thermal transfer and maximize the use of available natural resources. The technologies in
this group include improved building fabric, foundation, glazing, doors and openings, and insulating materials.
Operator & Occupant Management Tools There is a need for technologies that help building operators and occupants be aware of, and
respond to, individual resource consumption, while maintaining or improving indoor environmental quality. This group is unique in that the
improvements are contingent upon human behaviour while the building is being utilized. Technologies play a supportive role by providing the
feedback and control to modify and improve behaviours.
System & Equipment Effciency Improvements This involves the application of high effciency mechanical and electrical equipment used
throughout the building.
Optimized Resource Supply This involves optimizing the supply of conventional resources, maximizing the use of available natural
resources, and the reuse of existing building resources.
Conventional Resource Supply This refers to the supply of conventional, but more effcient, sources of energy and water. It includes
district energy, on-site energy production, and more effcient supply of treated water.
On-Site Renewable Resource Supply This focuses on the technologies that can generate electricity and/or thermal energy and supply
water from natural resources available on the building site, such as integrated solar PV systems, roof-top wind turbines, and rainwater
collection and treatment systems.
On-Site Resource Recovery and Renewal This includes the technologies that offset the requirement for new resource supplies by
renewing and reusing a portion of the resources already consumed in the building. The renewed resources would be used in a secondary
application following their initial primary use. Examples include greywater re-treatment, off-grid sanitary sewage systems (e.g. on-site
composting), and on-site solid waste recycling (e.g. on-site thermo-chemical or biological processing plants that convert solid waste into
useful products).
2.5 Investment Priorities
The analysis identifed 10 high priority and 9 medium priority investment opportunities for the near term. Investments could be placed now and be
expected to yield tangible results in the next few years. Over the longer term, the analysis identifed 2 high priority and 5 medium priority investment
opportunities. These would require placements now in order to achieve results over the longer term.
By placing strategic investments in the high potential opportunities identifed in this report, SDTC can accelerate the implementation of emerging
technologies into the Canadian market.
3 Report

Scope and Approach
3.1 Report Scope
This SD Business Case
TM
report focuses on impacts of resource utilization in the operation of commercial/institutional buildings in Canada
2
. It examines
building characteristics (location, size and operations) and identifes the direct and enabling technologies that can help create more sustainable buildings
in both the existing and future building stock.
3.1.1 Commercial Building Classifcation
It covers all types of commercial and institutional buildings, and follows the NRCan approach to classifying buildings.
Wholesale and Warehousing
Retail Trade
Information and Cultural Industries
Offces
Educational Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
Accommodation and Food Services
Other Services
Together, they are simply referred to as commercial in this report. There are two notable sub-sector exclusions:
Multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) are not included in this report. However, many conclusions and technology priorities can be applied to
MURBs. The main differences are the hours of operation (residential peak load typically occurs after the commercial peak load) and equipment type and
use (e.g. bathing, heating and air conditioning, dishwashers, clothes washers and driers, etc.). These factors infuence the utility rate structures applied to
MURBs. Individual residential units are typically, but not always, billed at the residential rate, but the core building, which includes exterior lighting and
heating and ventilation of corridors and common areas, is billed at the commercial rate. If MURBs were included in the commercial sector, they would
represent an energy consumption of about 180 PJ/yr, or 13% of the total consumption.
Industrial buildings are also excluded from the analysis because the functionality and operating characteristics are distinctly different from other
commercial buildings. For example, a building used in the steel-making industry has different operating characteristics than a high-rise offce
building: one is driven by industrial process requirements and the other is driven by human comfort requirements. The type, size and durability of the
mechanical and electrical systems are also very different. Therefore, the building structures used in industrial operations would be treated as a sub-set of
Industrial Utilization, which will be a separate SDTC Business Case
TM
report.
Although the NRCan, Offce of Energy Effciency approach is used in this report, it must be noted that there is no standard commercial building
classifcation system in Canada. Utilities, regulators, building designers and engineers use various classifcation systems. There does not appear to be
a building condition classifcation system. Data regarding building age and equipment type is available, but there is nothing to link this to building
performance or building sustainability.
3.1.2 Operational Focus
Resources are consumed, and waste is produced, throughout the entire lifecycle of a building. However, the vast majority of the resources are consumed
during the operational life of the building. The following fgure shows the relative amounts of energy used throughout the entire lifecycle: the largest
amount is Operating Energy versus embodied energy during construction and demolition.
Copyright 2007 by SDTC !asta|aa||e 0ee|epmeat 8as|aess Case 1I
Figure 5 : Commercial Building Lifecycle Energy Consumption
6.2%
8.3%
85.5%
Initial Embodied Energy
(Acquisition of materials
and construction)
Recurring Embodied
Energy (Maintenance and
refurbishment)
Operating Energy (Regular
building operation)
Source: http://www.canadianarchitect.com/asf/perspectives_sustainibility/measures_of_sustainablity/measures_of_sustainablity_embodied.htm
Derived from Life-Cycle Energy Use in Offce Buildings Building and Environment by Cole, R.J. and Kernan, P.C. (1996), Published in, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 307-317.
This focus does not diminish the importance of construction and demolition, but it can provide a useful starting point for commercial building resource
utilization analysis.
As a matter of standard practice, SDTC considers the full lifecycle impacts of all the technologies under consideration, in all sectors. The complexity and
availability of this information for a given technology or sector will often dictate how much is contained in the SD Business Case
TM
report. Future
iterations of the Commercial Building Eco-Effciency STAR
TM
process may delve further into the entire building lifecycle.
3.1.3 Technology Applications
The technologies outlined in this report generally apply to all commercial buildings, but may be used in different ways or with differing degrees of
complexity. For example, advanced control systems may be required for all types of buildings. But the cost, complexity and degree of sophistication can
vary considerably (i.e. small offce buildings dont require the same level of sophistication as large health care institutions). It is assumed in this report
that all of the stated technology areas can be applied to all types of commercial buildings, but in varying ways.
3.1.4 Strategic Approach
In order to achieve true sustainability in the Canadian commercial buildings sector, it is acknowledged that a comprehensive strategy is required. Figure 6
illustrates how this could possibly work.
The market consists of low performers (those that barely meet minimum code requirements), average performers (those that can exceed minimum
standards and employ some high performance technologies), and high performers (those that embrace the sustainability ethic and extensively employ
high performance technologies). The strategy involves expanding and improving standards to push up the low performers, and market or government
incentives to pull up the high performers. The effect will be to move the large centre (average performers) upwards.
18 Commercial Buildings Eco-Efficiency Copyright 2007 by SDTC
Figure 6 : Sustainable Buildings Strategy
Present Future
Average Performers
Low Performers
High Performers
Low Performers
Average Performers
High Performers
B
u
i
l
d
i
n
g

S
u
s
t
a
i
n
a
b
i
l
i
t
y
Incentives Pull Up
High Performers
Codes & Standards
Push Up Low
Performers
3.1.5 Data Sources
A number of reports, studies, and data sources were used in the STAR
TM
analysis and the creation of this report. The primary analysis data was drawn
from three main sources from the Offce of Energy Effciency at NRCan:
Comprehensive Energy Use Database: Commercial/Institutional Sector (NRCan website database).
Commercial & Institutional Consumption of Energy Survey 2004, December 2005.
Energy Effciency Trends in Canada 1990-2004, August 2006.
These reports provide a detailed picture of energy consumption and GHG emissions production in the commercial sector in Canada. However, there are
notable discrepancies between the web-based data, earlier versions of the energy use surveys, and the latest energy survey reports. Specifcally, there
are substantial differences regarding occupied foor area, energy intensity, and total number of buildings. The discrepancies are largely due to the way
in which the raw data is supplied. In some reports, energy data is applied to the commercial sector: that is, broad macro-economic data is frst applied
to the major sectors (e.g. Industry and transportation) and the remaining, or residual, data is apportioned to the smaller sectors (such as commercial
buildings). This top-down approach can result in signifcant differences between the residual data and the actual performance data from the sector.
There are many end use or technology based analyses applicable to commercial buildings but the lack of broad based or national inventory of the
important characteristics of buildings prevents calculation of the impacts of implementation of innovations. The lack of consistent, comprehensive and
reliable information highlights the need for more performance-based data within the sector. Policy makers need it for developing better regulations
and incentives, power authorities need it for energy and demand management initiatives and owners need it for better branding/eco-labeling. Enabling
technologies, such as intelligent building systems and real-time reporting, could help fll this gap.
4 Background
4.1 Commercial Building Stock
4.1.1 Building Type
In 2004, there were about 591 million m
2
of commercial foor space in Canada
3
, up from 466 million m
2
recorded in 1990. Growth has been almost
linear. An extrapolation of the data suggests that there are currently about 395,000 buildings (up from approximately 380,000 in 2004)
4
, covering
613 million m
2
of foor area
5
.
Table 3 shows the total foor area and number of buildings in each of the eight building sub-sectors identifed by NRCan.
Table 3 : Building Type by End Use in 2004
End Use Floor Area (Mm
2
) Number of Buildings
Educational Services 121 15,808
Other Services 109 68,096
Offces 108 82,029
Retail Trade 76 96,911
Wholesale and Warehousing 72 38,887
Health Care and Social Assistance 68 33,384
Accommodation and Food Services 29 38,306
Information and Cultural Industries 8 6,510
Total 591 379,931
Note: Educational Services, the largest sub-sector by foor area (121 Mm
2
), has relatively few buildings (15,808).
Source: Commercial and Institutional Consumption of Energy Survey: 2004. Natural Resources of Canada. Offce of Energy Effciency. December, 2005.
4.1.2 Building Age
Only 34% of commercial buildings were built since the frst two energy crises in the 1970s which prompted the development and use of improved
building technologies. 17% were built between 1990 and 2000.
Figure 7 : Commercial Buildings by Age
6%
19%
14%
27%
17%
17%
Before 1920
1920-1959
1960-1969
1970-1979
1980-1989
1990-1999
Source: http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/data_e/cibeus_description.cfm?attr=0
This shows that the greatest proportion of commercial buildings were constructed using techniques and technologies that were below present common
practice and did not use any of the improved materials, techniques, equipment and systems developed and made available in the recent past. The age of
the existing building stock has an impact on the types of technologies that could be moved forward in the near term.
4.1.3 Building Activity
New buildings are coming on line at the rate of about 1%/yr., although foor area is growing at about 2.7%/yr. Old building stock is retroftted at the rate
of about 2.2%/yr
6
, representing about a $20 billion/yr retroft industry in Canada. At the current retroft rate, approximately 50% of the existing building
stock could be upgraded by the year 2030. This is a substantial market opportunity for potential investors, and could provide the fnancial momentum
required for Canada to move towards more sustainable buildings.
4.2 Resource Utilization
4.2.1 Energy End-Use
Energy is used to heat and cool buildings and run auxiliary systems. In 2004, the commercial building sector accounted for 13.7%, or 1,171 petajoules
(PJ)
7
of total secondary
8
energy end-use in Canada.
Figure 8 : Total End-Use Energy by Sector in 2004
17%
14%
38%
29%
2%
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Transportation
Agriculture
Source: Energy Effciency Trends in Canada, 1990 to 2004. Natural Resources Canada. Offce of Energy Effciency. August, 2006.
Figure 9 : Commercial End-Use Energy by Source in 2004
41%
44%
8%
4%
3%
Electricity
Natural Gas
Light Fuel Oil
Heavy Fuel Oil
Steam (0%)
Other
In 2004, electricity and natural gas together made up about 85% of all the energy consumed in commercial buildings.
The following fgure illustrates the relationship between where the energy comes from, and how it is typically used.
Figure 10 : Energy Sources and Uses
Oil / Coal
Natural Gas
Biofuels
Sunlight
Hydro Power Electricity
Natural Gas
Oil / Coal
Biofuels
Sunlight
Space Cooling
Motors & Controls
Lighting
Space Heating
Auxiliary Equipment
Water Heating
Space Heating
Water Heating
This relationship plays a key role in developing energy reduction strategies and assessing the impacts on natural resources. For example, reducing
electricity consumption can reduce the amount of coal required to generate electricity initially, and can reduce airborne emissions. The amount
of reduction depends on the fuel quality (e.g. type and grade of coal) and the fuel mix (e.g. natural gas and coal) at any point during electricity
generation. Electricity production for the grid is not part of this report.
4.2.2 Energy Use by System Type
There are six types of energy-consuming systems used in buildings. The largest of these is space heating, which accounts for more than one half (52%) of
energy use in this sector. The second-largest load is auxiliary equipment
9
at about 14%. Together, space heating, auxiliary equipment and lighting make
up over 75% of all the energy consumed in commercial buildings.
Table 4 : Commercial Energy End-Use by System Type in 2004
System Brief Description Energy Use (PJ) Energy Use (%)
Space Heating
Includes thermal combustion and electric heating systems (e.g. boilers), make-up air heaters
(e.g. pre-heating incoming air), and heat distribution.
614 52
Auxiliary Equipment Personal and portable electronic devices, task lighting, security systems etc. 165 14
Lighting Lighting of common spaces and individual work spaces as well as exterior, security and public spaces. 115 10
Water Heating Primarily domestic hot water for cleaning, cooking and bathing. 103 9
Motors & Controls Pump and fan motors, as well as elevator and escalator motors. 97 8
Space Cooling Primarily electrically-driven refrigerant compressors (e.g. chillers). 69 6
Other This is an adjustment factor to account for the discrepancy in the data sources. 8 1
Total 1,171 100
All fgures represent end-use operations consumption and are exclusive of embodied energy.
4.2.3 Energy Use Trends
Between 1990 and 2004, (14 years), total energy consumption in commercial buildings in Canada rose from 867 PJ to 1,171 PJ: an increase of 35%, or
about 2.5% per year.
Figure 11 : Commercial Energy Use for 1990-2004
Year
800
850
900
950
1,000
1,050
1,100
1,150
1,200
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
C
o
m
m
e
r
c
i
a
l

E
n
e
r
g
y

U
s
e

(
P
J
)
Source: 2004 Commercial and Institutional Consumption of Energy Survey. Natural Resources Canada. Published December, 2005. http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/Publications/statistics/cices05/pdf/cices05.pdf
NRCan has identifed fve possible causes for the increase.
Activity Effect Caused by the change in occupied foor area, and activity levels.
Service Level Effect The change in auxiliary equipment load resulting from a change in activity and the change in auxiliary equipment density
(the number of auxiliary devices per user).
Weather Effect Fluctuations in weather patterns which infuence heating and cooling loads.
Structure Effect Changes in the makeup of the sector. For example, a decrease in the Health Care sub-sector may result in an increase in the
Offces sub-sector, as services functions are done in offces rather than health facilities.
Energy Conservation Effect The impact of energy conservation and increased energy effciency efforts.
Of the 304.2 PJ total increase in energy consumption during the 1990-2004 period, approximately 218.6 PJ (72%) was due to an increase in the Activity
Effect, followed by Service Level Effect (75.5 PJ).
Figure 12 : Impacts on Commercial Energy Use for 1990-2004
218.6
75.5
11.0
3.3
-3.0 -1.0
-50
0
50
100
150
200
250
Activity
Effect
Service Level
Effect
Weather
Effect
Structural
Effect
Energy Efficiency
Effect
Other
E
n
e
r
g
y

U
s
e

(
P
J
)
Activity Effect
Between 1990 and 2004, total foor space of commercial buildings increased 27% from 466 million m
2
to about 590 million m
2
, resulting in a 218.6 PJ
increase in energy use. However, the energy use rose at a greater rate than the increase in foor area.
Figure 13 : Commercial Energy Use and Floor Area for 1990-2004
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1,000
Total Floor Area (Mm
2
)
Energy Utilization (PJ)
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
Source: Commercial and Institutional Consumption of Energy Survey: 2004. Natural Resources of Canada. Offce of Energy Effciency. December, 2005.
By accounting for the effects of increased foor area, the energy use intensity is shown. The energy use intensity rose from 1.47 GJ/m
2
to 1.60 GJ/m
2
between 1990 and 2004, despite more effcient building components and energy conservation efforts.
Figure 14 : Commercial Energy Use Intensity for 1990-2004
C
o
m
m
e
r
c
i
a
l

E
n
e
r
g
y

U
s
e

I
n
t
e
n
s
i
t
y

(
G
J
/
m
2
)
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
1.30
1.35
1.40
1.45
1.50
1.55
1.60
1.65
Note: Energy intensity is the total energy consumed (GJ) per square meter of foor space.
Service Level Effect (Auxiliary Equipment)
This includes personal computers, servers, printers, faxes, copiers, personal communication devices, coffee makers, small refrigerators and portable task
lighting. The energy load effect is two-fold; there is an increase in electrical demand to run the devices and, since most of the devices give off heat, there
is an increase in cooling load and decrease in the heating load. Between1990 and 2004, the auxiliary equipment load rose by about 105%, and in 1999
surpassed lighting as the second-largest load in commercial buildings.
The Service Level Effect is closely associated with occupant behaviour. It includes the infuences of system operators and managers who are responsible for
maintaining and controlling the equipment, and building tenants, who create the demands on the conditioned space.
Weather Effect
With commercial buildings there is a direct link between outside air temperature and energy consumption. As the outside air temperature drops below
a desired setpoint, there is a proportional increase in the demand for space heating. This results in an increase in fuel consumption for heating and
electricity consumption required to drive the ancillary HVAC equipment. As the outside air temperature rises above the desired setpoint, there is an
increased demand for space cooling. Most air conditioning systems are electrically driven, so the building typically experiences a proportional rise in
electricity use.
The indicator of weather-related heating demand in buildings is the Heating Degree Day Index (HDDI). It is an indication of the outdoor air temperature
variation, relative to an established benchmark. A plot of the HDDI in Canada shows a gradual decline between 1990 and 2004, which suggests there
should be a proportional decline in heating load requirements.
Figure 15 : Heating Degree Day Index (HDDI), 1990-2004
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
0.80
0.85
0.90
0.95
1.00
1.05
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
0.80
0.85
0.90
0.95
1.00
1.05
Note: A measure of how relatively cold (or hot) a year was when compared with the heating degree day (HDD) average. When the HDD index is above (below) 1, the observed temperature is
colder (warmer) than normal. The HDD normal represents a weighted average of the 1951-1980 HDDs observed in a number of weather stations across Canada. Its value, which varies from
year to year because of the fow of population, was 4476 HDDs in 2004.
However, the heating intensity (GJ/m
2
) actually rose during that period.
Figure 16 : HDDI and Space Heating Load Intensity for 1990-2004
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Heating Degree Day Index
Space Heating Load Intensity (GJ/m
2
)
Source: http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/tablestrends2/com_ca_1_e_1.cfm?attr=0
The HDDI and heating load intensity track fairly closely between 1990 and 2000, but there is a departure after the year 2000. The space heating load
becomes signifcantly higher than the weather-related HDDI. The reasons for this could include :
Lighting Improvements Old incandescent or fuorescent tube lighting gives off a substantial amount of heat and can act as a secondary
source of space heating. The heat input from lighting would have been part of the original HVAC calculations for the building. Through recent
energy conservation efforts, many of the older lighting fxtures have been replaced with higher effciency ones. However, the new fuorescent
lighting uses less power and operates at a much lower temperature. This means that the buildings heating system must make up the difference,
so there is a proportional increase in heating demand.
Operational Effectiveness One of the undesirable characteristics of commercial building operations is system fghting. This occurs when
one system receives an incorrect signal which prompts another system to counteract it. For example, on a cool morning the space thermostat
may call for heat. A valve opens to supply steam or hot water to the heating coil, which in turn provides heat to the occupied space. As the day
progresses it may get warmer and the thermostat calls for the heating system to draw down or shut off. However, if the valve doesnt close for
some reason, heat will continue to be supplied to the space. The thermostat will sense the heat gain and activate the cooling system, resulting in
an additional call for heat. This self-perpetuating process results in excessive energy consumption, poor space conditions, and high utility bills. It is
a common problem that is often the result of bad design, low quality equipment, poor maintenance, or operator neglect.
Occupancy Changes Human activity is also a source of heat within buildings. High occupancy densities and/or high activity levels could
serve as a source of additional heat in a building which reduces heating demand. It can also result in a simultaneous increase in cooling
demand. Although accurate commercial occupancy density data is not available, it is possible that changes in occupancy densities could account
for some of the change in heating load.
Structure Effect (Sectoral Changes)
As the Canadian economy continues to grow and change, there is an ongoing change in how buildings are used. Extensive building retrofts are often
the result of a change in market requirements and owner preferences. This could impact total energy use and energy use intensity. However, there is very
little applicable data to clearly map the structural effect in the commercial sector, and the effect is considered minimal.
Energy Conservation Effect
While weather and occupant behaviour can drive up energy consumption, there is an ongoing effort to decrease it through energy conservation. Overall
energy effciency in the commercial sector declined by about 0.4% between 1990 and 2004, resulting in a decrease of 3 PJ of energy.
The reduction is attributed by some analysts to government and utility energy conservation programs and incentives. Many of the programs are
prescriptive in nature, and are commonly equipment-focused. They are designed to meet specifc corporate or government objectives, and are relatively
easy to track and administer. However, they sometimes lack the comprehensiveness required to make deep and sustained energy reductions. If the
incentives are removed, as has happened periodically, the market receives a negative signal and often reverts back to less expensive and less effcient
equipment and practices.
Figure 17 : Commercial Energy Use, With and Without Energy Effciency Improvements, 1990-2004
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
1.00
1.05
1.10
1.15
1.20
1.25
1.30
1.35
1.40
Energy Use Index Without
Energy Efficiency Improvements
Energy Use Index With
Energy Efficiency Improvements
Source: http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/Publications/statistics/parliament05-06/appendix-a.cfm?graph=19&attr=0
The data shows that the impact of energy conservation efforts in the commercial sector has been quite small (3 PJ) relative to the 14-year overall
increase of 304 PJ.
4.3 Energy-Related Emissions
In 2004, the commercial sector produced 13.4%, or 67.9 megatonnes (Mt
CO2e
) of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These emissions are
produced in a number of ways during the operating life of a building.
Indirectly Electricity used to run the mechanical and electrical systems is typically generated from centralized utility facilities which may burn
fossil fuels. The production of GHGs and criteria air contaminants (CACs) vary with electricity demand and the mix of fossil fuels used to generate
the electricity.
Directly The on-site combustion of fossil fuel for boilers and space heaters produce local emissions.
Material Waste The organic component of waste material produces GHG emissions as the material decomposes, and typically occurs off-site
at landflls.
Figure 18 : GHG Emissions by Sector in 2004
15%
13%
34%
35%
3%
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Transportation
Agriculture
Source: Improving Energy Performance in Canada Report to Parliament Under the Energy Effciency Act For the Fiscal Year 2005-2006. NRCan Offce of Energy Effciency. Accessed May 29, 2007.
http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/Publications/statistics/parliament05-06/chapter4.cfm?attr=0
Note: While both GHGs and CACs are important indicators of environmental performance of buildings, GHGs are used as the primary indicator in this
version of the SD Business Case
TM
. It is assumed throughout that GHG emissions are a relatively accurate proxy for CAC production, as the two
are closely linked. The combustion of natural gas, coal and oil all produce GHG emissions, but both coal and oil emit considerably more CACs than
natural gas for the same energy service.
GHG emissions from the sector rose from about 47.88 Mt
CO2e
in 1990 to 67.9 Mt
CO2e
by 2004: an increase of 42%.
Figure 19 : Commercial Energy-Related GHG Emissions, 1990-2004
Year
M
t
C
O
2
e
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2004
40
50
60
70
Note: The shape of the end-use curve is similar to the end-use intensity curve because the foor growth is almost linear.
At the same time, energy-related emissions intensity also increased, and is projected to reach 0.14 t
CO2e
/m
2
by 2030.
Figure 20 : Energy-Related Emissions Intensity Projections from STAR
TM
t
C
O
2
e
/
m
2
Year
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030
0.08
0.09
0.10
0.11
0.12
0.13
0.14
0.15
Source: Improving Energy Performance in Canada Report to Parliament Under the Energy Effciency Act For the Fiscal Year 2005-2006. NRCan Offce of Energy Effciency.
http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/Publications/statistics/parliament05-06/chapter4.cfm?attr=0
If the trend continues at the current rate, energy-related GHG emissions from commercial building operations can be expected to rise to about
110 Mt
CO2e
/yr by the year 2030, based on a linear extrapolation of the trend lines in STAR
TM
.
Unlike the energy use intensity trend, the emissions intensity trend appears more volatile. This is likely due to the constant change in the mix of fossil-
fuels (e.g. coal vs. natural gas, and grade and mixture of coal) used to meet the electricity demands of the market.
4.4 Water
4.4.1 Water Consumption
Water is used for drinking and bathing, food preparation, cleaning, and as a thermal transfer medium for mechanical equipment such as boilers or
cooling towers. According to Environment Canada, about 12% of the total annual water consumption in Canada is used by municipalities. This includes
residential, commercial and institutional use
10
. Over 50% of municipal water is consumed in residences and about 18% is for commercial consumption.
Figure 21 : Municipal Water Use by Sector
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Leakage
52%
18%
17%
13%
Source: http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/freshwater/consumption/commercial/1 Accessed August 3 , 2007.
The commercial sector currently consumes about 1.2 trillion litres of municipal water per year.
4.4.2 Water Consumption by System Type
Figure 22 : Water Use in Commercial Buildings
Cold water
consumed by
occupants,
with some
excess to the
sewer system
Hot and cold
water used to
clean
occupants and
building
interiors. All
waste goes to
the sewer
system
Cold water.
All waste goes
to the sewer
system
Open loop
water-cooled
refrigerant
systems.
Cooling towers.
Waste steam
vented directly
to the
atmosphere
Closed loop
heating. Some
waste from
periodic
system
flushing
Potable
Heating
Systems
Cooling
Systems
Cleaning
Human Use
Treated Municipal Water Supply
Equipment Use
Sanitary
Of all of the end-uses for high quality municipally-treated water in commercial buildings, only about 5% is actually consumed by the occupants. As
much as 50% of the water supplied to a commercial offce building is used as a heat transfer medium for chillers (part of air conditioning systems). The
following table shows the breakdown of water consumption for a typical federal government offce building in Canada.
Table 5 : Federal Offce Building Water Consumption by End-Use
Water Use % of Total Consumption
Water-Cooled Chillers (HVAC) 51.0
Domestic Use 34.3
Kitchen and Cooking 8.6
Humidifcation (HVAC) 2.8
Drinking Fountain Chillers 2.3
Pump and Pipe Leakage 1.0
Total 100.0
Source: The Environmentally Responsible Construction and Renovation Handbook. Public Works and Government Services Canada. June, 2006
http://www.pwgsc.gc.ca/realproperty/text/pubs_ercr/chapter6-e.html
These fgures only apply to offce buildings and are not representative of the entire commercial sector. Consumption rates vary considerably throughout
the sector. Domestic water consumption is signifcantly higher in hospitals or hotels, than it is in offce buildings, so the above fgures should only be used
as a general indicator. The data does, however, provide some insight into the relative mix of how water is used.
All of the water however used must be acquired, chemically and physically treated and supplied by the municipality to the buildings. Consequently,
clean, treated water is used equally for drinking, sanitation and building cooling purposes. There are currently no other appreciable water sources in the
Canadian commercial sector, although the use of recycled and rainwater is actively being pursued.
4.4.3 Water Consumption Trend
Water consumption by the commercial sector has steadily increased between 1983 and 1999, as shown in the following table from the Indicators and
Assessment Offce of Environment Canada. Consumption rose from 2.3 billion litres per day to about 2.8 BL/day.
Figure 23 : Daily Commercial Water Consumption Trend, 1983-1999
2.0
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
1983 1986 1989 1991 1994 1996 1999
B
L
/
d
a
y
Year
Source: Adapted by Indicators and Assessment Offce, Environment Canada, from Municipal Water Use Database (MUD).
http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/Indicators/Issues/Urb_H2O/Download/water2_e.xls
4.4.4 Water Supply Issues
There are a number of factors that infuence the supply of water in Canada for non-industrial uses. Environment Canada publishes the National
Environmental Indicators, from which the following is derived
11
.
Water Shortages and Groundwater Drawdown During the period 1994-1999, 26 percent of Canadas 2,400 communities reported
water shortages.
Impact of Pollutants The natural capacity of rivers and lakes to absorb agricultural, municipal and industrial pollutants is becoming
increasingly strained.
Wastewater Dilution As water use increases, wastewater can become more diluted, resulting in lower effciency of treatment plants to
remove wastes.
Aging Infrastructure The existing water distribution system continues to age, resulting in costly unplanned maintenance and unacceptable
leakage rates. The average leakage rate for municipal water systems is about 13 percent (although rates as high as 50 percent have been
reported)
12
. More energy is required to treat and pump more water as demand increases and system reliability decreases. In addition, water
leakage within buildings is considered unacceptably high.
Although broad in nature, these factors could have a direct infuence on commercial building operations, as water resources become increasingly scarce
and costly.
4.5 Solid Waste
IC&I Solid Waste Generation and Disposition
Solid waste is produced from human activities within buildings. Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) waste is that generated by all non-
residential sources within a municipality and is excluded from the residential waste stream.
In 2004, Canada generated 33.2 million tonnes of municipal solid waste. Of that, about 19.8 Mt (60%) was from non-residential sources, which includes
IC&I waste
13
. Approximately 15.5 Mt (78%) of that was disposed of in landflls, and 4.3 Mt (22%) was diverted or recycled.
Precise national fgures are not available. It is estimated that in Ontario the commercial sector accounts for approximately 72% (14.26 Mt
waste
) of the
total IC&I waste stream. It is estimated that the creation of waste is growing at about 3.17% per year
14
. At this rate, solid waste production could reach
15.8 Mt/yr by the year 2030.
The following shows the composition of waste generation within the Ontario commercial sector.
Figure 24 : Solid Waste Generation by Commercial Sub-Sector in Ontario in 2002
19%
19%
15%
12%
9%
8%
7%
4%
4%
3%
Retail Trade
Accommodation & Food Services
Health Care & Social Assistance
Wholesale Trade
Offices
Other Services
Transportation & Warehousing
Information & Cultural
Education Services
Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
Source: The Private Sector IC&I Waste Management System in Ontario. Report prepared for the Ontario Waste Management Association by RIS International Ltd. January, 2005.
The sub-sector data varies by province, but the above fgure provides a reasonably representative view of the sector, from the province with the largest
IC&I waste stream.
One of the key indicators regarding the environmental attractiveness of waste management strategies is the diversion rate, the portion of waste that is
either recycled or used in productive, useful ways. Provincial governments are moving to increase diversion rates in order to reduce costs and improve
environmental performance. Ontario, for example, has a total municipal and IC&I diversion rate target of 60% by the year 2008, up from the current total
diversion rate of 28%
15
.
The effectiveness of increased waste diversion depends largely on the composition and characteristics of the waste streams. In Ontario the primary
materials are:
Paper Sheet paper, corrugated cardboard, and newspaper
Plastics General plastics, as well as high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Metal & Glass Ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as general types of glass
Organic
16
Food waste, wood, and yard waste
Figure 25 : Ontario IC&I Disposed Waste in 2002
45%
10%
16%
21%
8%
Paper
Plastics
Metal & Glass
Organic
Other
Source: The Private Sector IC&I Waste Management System in Ontario. Report prepared for the Ontario Waste Management Association by RIS International Ltd. January, 2005.
Paper products and organic material make up about two thirds of all the IC&I disposed waste in Ontario. Similar proportions are expected throughout the
other provinces.
From a sustainability perspective, one of the most important characteristics of solid waste is its value potential. Waste is typically treated as a cost centre
within most companies and organizations. The development of new technologies and increased environmental pressures allows the possibility of treating
waste as a revenue centre. Valuable products can be created through advanced waste treatment systems, resulting in an improved value proposition for
building owners.
5 Industry Vision
The following industry vision is based on a combination of stakeholder input and industry reports and articles. The information is used to identify key
market drivers, examine the potential impacts of these drivers on the sector, and derive a common industry vision statement for the future.
5.1 Key Market Drivers
17
5.1.1 Cost Reduction
As operating budgets become increasingly constrained, there is a strong drive towards reducing costs throughout all aspects of building
operations. Energy and water costs are typically a small portion of overall costs, but are increasing as low-cost supply options diminish
18
. Continued
political volatility in energy supply regions of the world and the potential threat to North American energy infrastructure is prompting a drive towards
more secure energy systems such as distributed generation. The North American supply of natural gas, coupled with peak oil, is driving the urgency and
economics of reducing energy consumption in commercial buildings.
Balanced against that, the greater cost-competitiveness of photovoltaics, fuel cells, and combined heat and power, coupled with the purchasing fexibility
created by utility restructuring, is making on-site power generation increasingly viable. Shrinking capacity margins in baseload power generation, and
the concerns over power reliability, will further drive this trend. Demand is also growing for energy-effcient buildings, and accelerating the demand for
green power, renewable energy, energy effciency, and fewer emissions.
5.1.2 Value Creation
There is a continued need for building owners to increase tenant value, whether in the form of more attractive workspaces in offce buildings, or improved
air quality in public institutional buildings. This is being infuenced, in part, by an increased public awareness over the environment, and the potential
for more stringent environmental regulations. Increasingly, building occupants are demanding a higher level of indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and
not just improved indoor air quality (IAQ). This means more comfortable indoor environments, increased workspace fexibility, and improved access and
mobility within facilities.
Failure to address these concerns is resulting in lawsuits related to indoor air quality and other health issues. Insurers are also exerting greater pressure on
the industry to increase the safety and longevity of buildings, and will increase their involvement in building code development and enforcement. Both
builders and building component manufacturers will be subject to higher liabilities for failures.
5.2 Future Building Functionality
As a consequence of these market forces, building usage will change which will have a direct impact on building resources. The following is a summary
of the most signifcant trends.
5.2.1 Knowledge-Based Work
The information-based economy is causing people to become increasingly engaged in highly visual and analytical work. Commercial buildings will be
expected to provide reliable, continual, and instantaneous connectivity to information and electronic communications resources. Information technologies
will no longer be captive in desktop computers, but will be distributed within the commercial environment, integrated into everything from furniture to
windows. Demand will grow for personalized control of lighting, temperature, ventilation, and other aspects of the interior environment to enhance the
productivity of knowledge workers.
5.2.2 Flexible Workplaces
Advanced communications and computing technologies will enable co-workers to collaborate from remote locations, decreasing the need for shared
physical spaces. When colleagues do work together, they will require fexible and reconfgurable space, to accommodate team-based activities and
frequent organizational and operational shifts. Education will also become more reliant on electronic technologies and team-based activities, redefning
the requirements for future schools, libraries, and other learning facilities.
5.2.3 Smart Building Technologies
Future high-performance buildings will incorporate smart, responsive technologies. They will become active, using smart materials, systems and sensors
that measure internal and external environmental conditions, anticipate changes, and respond in a dynamic fashion. Wireless sensors and controls will
improve the response time and effciency of energy-consuming equipment. This will allow for individualized control of lighting, ventilation, and thermal
conditioning. User profles that specify personal environmental preferences could follow an individual through a building, or group of buildings. Uniform
protocols will allow control devices to talk to one another and communicate externally. Buildings will aggregate performance information, self-diagnose
and correct problems, and alert users to causes of undesirable operation.
5.2.4 Sustainable Buildings Philosophy
Future buildings should be an integral part of sustainable community development, and will become increasingly integrated with the surrounding
environment. Building philosophy will shift from designing single, stand-alone (signature one-off ) buildings to campuses or functional
clusters. Resource management, including energy, water and waste, could be optimized across the entire community, through such things as distributed
power generation and integrated waste management. In addition, building space could perform multiple functions over the life of the structure. Fewer,
higher quality, buildings could be constructed as a consequence. Communities will beneft from better land and resource use, better quality of life, and
lower investments in highways and transit, and will structure tax and zoning policies to encourage sustainable building development.
Future buildings will be easier and safer to construct and operate. Design and building techniques will enhance construction safety, reduce development
and construction time, and cut labour intensity. Building controls and sub-systems will be intuitive and elegant, requiring minimal technical expertise to
operate and maintain.
5.3 Vision Statements
5.3.1 Vision Summaries
Based on the prevailing market trends and input from key stakeholders, the following three Vision Statements have been derived for the commercial
sector in Canada. They are based on a 23 year time horizon to account for the time required to realize a major shift in practices, attitudes and technologies
within the industry, as outlined by the market stakeholders.
Table 6 : Commercial Eco-Effciency Vision Statements
Energy Vision Statement
By the year 2030, commercial buildings in Canada will:
Consume 0.98 GJ/m
2
of energy and create 0.0587 t
CO2e
/m
2
of GHG emissions per year. This is based on a 50% reduction in energy intensity
from the current 2007 levels of 1.97 GJ/m
2
. Achieving the vision will result in an overall reduction of 1,093 PJ of energy and 74 Mt
CO2e
of GHG
emissions per year from projected levels.
Water Vision Statement
Consume 712 L/m
2
of municipal water per year. This is based on a 65% reduction from the current 2007 levels of 2,033 L/m
2
. Achieving the
vision will result in an overall reduction of 1,409 BL of water per year from projected levels.
Solid Waste Vision Statement
Produce 1.71 kg/m
2
of solid waste per year. This is based on an 85% reduction from the current 2007 levels of 11.4 kg/m
2
. Achieving the vision
will result in an overall reduction of 14.8 Mt of solid waste per year from projected levels.
5.3.2 Energy Vision
The Energy Vision Statement is based on energy use intensity to account for the increase in building construction that is expected to occur over the
next twenty-three years. The current energy use intensity level (1.97 GJ/m
2
) would be reduced by one half (0.98 GJ/m
2
) by the year 2030. Under the
Business As Usual (BAU) scenario, energy use intensity could rise to as much as 2.16 GJ/m
2
by 2030. Therefore, the real reduction would be closer to
about 55%.
Figure 26 : Energy Use Intensity Reduction from STAR
TM
1
9
9
0
1
9
9
2
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
8
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
8
2
0
1
0
2
0
1
2
2
0
1
4
2
0
1
6
2
0
1
8
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
2
2
0
2
4
2
0
2
6
2
0
3
0
G
J
/
m
2
Year
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
2.20
BAU
Equivalent to a
1,093 PJ
Reduction
That is about 1,093 PJ of total energy reduction, or about 74 Mt
CO2e
of GHG emissions.
To put the GHG reductions in perspective, the SD Business Case
TM
projections are compared to the GHG reduction projections produced by the National
Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) in June, 2006
19
. According to NRTEE, approximately 617 Mt
CO2e
of the overall reductions from
all sectors (39%) could be met through energy effciency and conservation by the year 2050. By approximating for the year 2030, NRTEE predicts that
energy effciency and conservation could account for about 260 Mt
CO2e
of reductions. This includes reductions from the residential, commercial, industrial,
and transportation sectors. The SD Business Case
TM
projection of 74 Mt
CO2e
through commercial building improvements and sustainable building design
by the year 2030 represents about 28% of the NRTEE energy effciency and conservation projection from all sectors. Given that the commercial sector
currently produces about 15% of all GHGs, the SD Business Case
TM
projection may appear high. However, the NRTEE data separates the impacts from
improvements to the urban form, cogeneration, biofuels, and renewable electricity. All of these could be included in a sustainable commercial building
strategy. If they are factored in, then the SD Business Case
TM
estimate would appear more consistent with the NRTEE projection.
5.3.3 Water Vision
Water consumption intensity could reach 2,348 L/m
2
/yr by the year 2030: an increase of about 22%. Reducing consumption to 712 L/m
2
/yr would be
the equivalent to a 1,409 BL/yr reduction compared to BAU estimates.
5.3.4 Solid Waste Vision
Reducing solid waste production by 85% from current production intensity levels of 11.4 kg/m
2
/yr to 2.01 kg/m
2
/yr would be the equivalent of a
14.8 Mt
waste
/yr reduction.
5.4 Needs Assessment
There are a number of barriers impeding rapid and sustained improvement in the sustainability of buildings. In order to achieve the industry vision,
these barriers must be identifed and overcome. STAR
TM
categorizes the barriers into technical and non-technical needs which must be satisfed. They
are interdependent and both need to be satisfed in order to achieve the industry vision. The needs are split into the two categories within STAR
TM
to
distinguish the relevant technologies that are to be analyzed.
5.4.1 Non-Technology Needs
Industry stakeholders agree that the commercial building value chain needs to become more integrated if Canada is to foster sustainable
buildings. Existing system ineffciencies and biases will need to be replaced with a more integrated and comprehensive approach based on a common set
of mutually benefcial goals and expectations.
This can be achieved by frst establishing a realistic and consistent price on carbon. Since embodied energy makes the construction of buildings very
carbon-intensive and the carbon content of fuels and electricity for operations is carbon intensive, then establishing a price on carbon could drive the
development and use of materials and processes that have low embodied energy and higher inherent effciencies. The following compares the existing
Commercial Building Value Chain (focus on frst cost) with the Commercial Eco-Effciency Value Chain (focus on carbon price).
Commercial Building Value Chain
The existing Commercial Value Chain may be characterized as a linear process within a fragmented supply chain, driven by frst cost, with indirect lines
of infuence and control that often result in poor building performance. The following summarizes the key elements of the value chain and identifes the
primary drivers and implications of those drivers in each area.
Figure 27 : Current Commercial Building Value Chain
Operating Costs and
Customer Satisfaction
Investor
Architect
Engineer
Fac. Mgr. Operator
Tenant
Operating Costs and Indoor
Environmental Quality (incl.
IAQ, glare, space functionality,
comfort etc.)
First Cost and Delivery Dates
ROI and Perceived Risk (from
new technologies or processes)
Implications Primary Drivers
Reluctance to change,
without clear direction
and support from senior
management.
Increasing
dissatisfaction,
sometimes resulting in
legal action.
Strong incentive to
use off the shelf designs,
equipment and practices
Focused on
curb appeal
First Cost and Client Satisfaction
Reluctance to change
without strong evidence
to support their decision.
Owner Developer
Contractor
Gap
Existing Value Chain
First Cost Focus Developers and builders generally have no stake in the long-term operating costs or performance of the building, and are rewarded
based on their ability to control frst costs and maintain construction schedules.
Supply Chain Fragmentation Thousands of companies throughout Canada are involved with the fnancing, design, construction, equipping,
managing and servicing of commercial buildings. Each discipline tends to work independently of the others and often with very different goals and
performance measures. Collaboration and communication among these groups is often limited, even on joint building projects. The individuals designing
the buildings typically do not own them, and those who provide fnancing typically do not inhabit them. Carpenters often work independently of
plumbers, who in turn work separately from electricians, who wire components already installed by the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
contractors. Component manufacturers generally sell through representatives and have no direct connection to designers, developers, and owners or users
(although they assist in preparing the equipment specifcations).
Regulatory Fragmentation There are variations in public policy and administration regarding commercial buildings. Different jurisdictions have
differing standards and administrative requirements for commercial building design, construction and operation. The National Building Code (NBC), for
example, is a national guideline established by the federal government through consensus between NRC/IRC and key industry stakeholders, such as trade
associations and product manufacturers. Individual provinces and municipalities can accept or reject the NBC within their respective jurisdictions, or create
their own amended version of the code. Discrepancies can arise that often result in biased interpretation and miscommunication that ultimately lead to
poor building performance.
Fractured Infuence and Control Building developers have little interest in how effciently buildings operate. Building operators, on the other hand,
are more concerned with utility bills and occupant satisfaction. For their part, building occupants typically have little voice in design and construction
decisions, and are seldom able to quantify how the benefts of lower operational costs or improved building performance might justify higher initial
investments in effcient equipment.
Lack of Feedback The linear value chain does not require ongoing performance monitoring and continuous improvement, which is key to a
sustainable buildings process.
This high degree of industry fragmentation complicates the process of implementing and marketing commercial sustainability concepts, since no single
company or professional association infuences the full range of disciplines involved. It also limits private sector research, development, and deployment of
new technologies. Individual companies are seldom large enough to risk sizeable investments on their own, or to capitalize on any resulting innovations,
and there are very few mechanisms for joint investments.
Commercial Eco-Effciency Value Chain
The Commercial Eco-Effciency Value Chain could be characterized as a cyclical process within an integrated supply chain, driven by a strong carbon price,
and supported by direct lines of infuence and control.
Carbon Price Focus The larger economic goal in Canada is to reduce the amount of GHG emissions to the atmosphere. Establishing a value on carbon
is seen as one of the most effective ways of achieving this. A price on carbon would also drive the development of sustainable buildings because all
players in the value chain would have a common motivation.
Integrated Supply Chain Developing high-performance commercial buildings requires close collaboration among building owners, architects,
engineers, fnanciers, managers and operators, contractors, suppliers, municipalities, and utilities. There needs to be agreement on the system requirements
as well as the economic, resource, productivity, and recyclability performance of buildings. Collaboration is needed throughout the siting, design,
construction and commissioning process to make the holistic evaluations and tradeoffs that can lead to optimal solutions. This removes the commonly
misplaced societal and environmental costs associated with non-aligned stakeholders. It also avoids the cookie cutter approach often used in small/
medium buildings and the one-off approach used in large,signature buildings.
Integrated Practices There is a need for integrated practices in regional planning, project fnancing and compensation, construction, and fnal
building operation.
Holistic Regional Planning Urban planning is still rooted in the concept of centralized areas of commerce, supported by a large array of
specialized single-purpose structures. The approach requires a complex system of intra- and inter-city transportation routes to supply goods and
services, and a large resource supply infrastructure. This means that food, water, energy and fnished goods must travel through large distribution
networks (with inherent losses) to reach the market. While this has traditionally been very effcient from an economic perspective, it comes at an
increasing cost to the environment. Holistic regional planning would place supply points closer to the markets and could encourage the use of
multi-function structures. For example, commercial buildings could be designed to include some form of food production. This would decrease
transportation distances, reduce overall resource consumption, and minimize emissions.
Integrated Design and Construction There is a need for a complete re-evaluation of the design, construction and operation processes for
commercial buildings.
Integrated Finance There is a need to tie fnancing and tax incentives to overall building performance. Financing support mechanisms tend
to reward conservative practices, and they often discourage innovation. Tax incentives and special fnancing options usually apply to individual
building components, such as HVAC systems, and not the building as a whole. Consequently, developers and designers pursue available incentives
frst, and may not achieve the full fnancial benefts of sustainable building designs.
Integrated Compensation Restructuring compensation and incentives may also be necessary. For example, a portion of fees, commissions, and
rental incomes could be linked to how effectively the building achieves performance targets.
Continuous Reporting There is a need for measurable, defensible, and reproducible fnancial returns, based on realistic building performance
data. Anecdotal evidence, while valuable, is not suffcient to spark widespread adoption of the sustainable buildings approach, particularly given the large
investments and risks involved in most commercial buildings.
Performance-Based Metrics There is a need to shift towards performance-based metrics. Current measurement techniques tend to focus on
whether equipment is functioning, and not on how effciently it is operating.
Mandatory Labeling Commercial building labeling programs are beginning to emerge in the North American commercial building market,
but few are mandatory. It has been proposed that a mandatory labeling system be adopted. This would involve a detailed performance audit of
the building and the assignment of an appropriate label, based on strict performance criteria. When a building is sold, the owner would display
the performance label to potential buyers. This would provide potential investors, owners and/or primary tenants with a clear indication of the
expected performance and potential sustainability of the building.
Ongoing Learning Process There is a need for an ongoing learning process to continually improve building performance.
Information Exchange There is a need for building designers to learn from experiences from installation and long-term operation of high
performance buildings. Although such buildings are often highlighted in press releases and conference seminars, there is little formal information
exchange between key building players. A centralized information exchange (similar to the ones in the United States and Europe) could be
developed in Canada.
Sustainability Ethic in Education A number of new and innovative sustainability programs are beginning to emerge in Canadas post-secondary
education institutions. While they are essential to creating a new sustainability ethic in Canada, they have been criticized by some as being too
narrow in scope. It is argued that sustainability is treated as a distinct area of study, and is not integrated throughout the course curriculum.
Effective Codes and Standards The lack of standard protocols for interoperability, inconsistent and sometimes substandard enforcement of
performance standards, and outmoded or restrictive building codes all contribute to the ineffcient design and operation of commercial buildings. Industry
stakeholders agree that a more advanced building code, such as the Model National Energy Code for Buildings
20
that is currently being rewritten, is urgently
needed. However, they assert it must be supported by stronger enforcement measures that are updated on a regular basis to ensure that the buildings are
operating properly. A new Sustainability Code should also be developed to encompass the complete eco-effciency concept.
The widespread adoption of an integrated approach will require new channels, tools, and methodologies for collaborative communication, problem
solving, and decision making across all disciplines.
5.4.2 Technology-Based Needs
In order to support the non-technical needs and improve building performance, the industry has identifed a need to:
Develop tools and techniques to support an integrated approach to design, construction and operation.
Improve the technologies that infuence resource consumption such as building envelope, and make substantial improvements in the technologies
that consume resources directly such as HVAC.
Develop technologies that will help building occupants and operators use resources more effciently.
Optimize the use of available natural resources.
The technology-based needs have been condensed into fve groups in STAR
TM
. Each group consists of a number of measures, or technology areas, that
help satisfy the needs of the group.
Integrated Building Design
The measures in this group focus on the technologies and techniques needed to support the integrated design process and reliably report on building
performance. They include the tools to help locate buildings for optimum resource use and maximize building functionality and occupant comfort.
The technologies are divided into:
Design Tools Architects and engineers need more sophisticated design tools such as integrated design software, and improved design practices
and procedures to support their sustainable building decisions. Most existing design practices are based on treating the building as a unique
entity, and not part of a sustainable building community.
Performance Tools There is a need for technologies that support the gathering, managing and feedback of accurate, reliable and comprehensive
building performance data. Decision-makers need conclusive evidence of system performance to justify investment decisions. Currently, publicly-
available information from the few high performance buildings in Canada is largely fragmented and inconclusive. More transparent and robust
recording methods and technologies are needed to support intelligent choices.
Building Envelope Improvements
There is a need for next generation building envelope technologies to minimize thermal transfer and maximize the use of available natural
resources. The technologies in this group include improved building fabric, foundation, glazing, doors and openings, and insulating materials
21
.
Operator & Occupant Management Tools
There is a need for technologies that help building operators and occupants be aware of, and respond to, individual resource consumption, while
maintaining or improving indoor environmental quality
22
. This group is unique in that the improvements are contingent upon human behaviour while
the building is being utilized. Technologies play a supportive role by providing the feedback and control to modify and improve performance. There are
two sub-groups:
Tenant Controls Building occupants currently lack the tools to adequately modify space conditions to suit individual requirements, and they
have no knowledge of the resources that they are using. Advanced individual controls and real-time feedback systems would enable occupants to
make better decisions and meet their comfort and productivity requirements.
Operator Tools Building operators need controls and diagnostic tools to monitor building performance and optimize system functions. Although
such technologies already exist in some form, there is a lack of integration, system sophistication, and effective operator feedback. Consequently,
most buildings still operate in very simplistic and often ineffcient ways. Heating and cooling systems often operate independently, and under
changing building conditions, will sometimes fght one another.
System & Equipment Effciency Improvements
This involves the development and proper application of high effciency mechanical and electrical systems and equipment used to run the building. More
effcient technologies have been developed, but most are designed to meet current market expectations, and few take a fully integrated approach to
resource use. So the focus is on next generation technologies such as absorption/adsorption chillers and low fow plumbing fxtures.
Optimized Resource Supply
This involves optimizing the supply of conventional resources, maximizing the use of available natural resources, and the reuse of existing
building resources.
Conventional Resource Supply This refers to the supply of conventional, but more effcient, sources of energy and water. It includes district
energy on-site energy production such as gas-fred micro-turbines that supply electricity and hot water, and more effcient supply of treated
water such as reduced leakage distribution systems or low energy re-treatment processes.
On-Site Renewable Resource Supply This focuses on the technologies that can generate electricity and supply water from natural resources
available on the building site. Examples include integrated solar PV systems, roof-top wind turbines, and rainwater collection and treatment
systems.
On-Site Resource Recovery and Renewal This includes the technologies that offset the requirement for new resource supplies by recycling,
cleaning, and/or separating useful streams from wastes, and reusing a portion of the resources in the building. The renewed resources would be
used in a secondary application following their initial primary use. Examples include greywater re-treatment, off-grid sanitary sewage systems
such as on-site composting, and on-site solid waste recycling such as on-site thermo-chemical or biological processing plants that convert solid
waste into useful products.
6 Market Assessment
This section summarizes the market characteristics and GHG reduction potential of each measures group.
6.1 Market Potential
Table 7 : Market Potential Summary
Measures Group Economic and Environmental Impact Comments
Integrated Building
Design
Economic effciency is fairly high because many technologies are well into development. Primary investment is expected to be on developing
supporting software and procedural improvements, accelerating the effective deployment of advanced building codes and standards, and improved
designer training and education.
Building Envelope
Improvements
Very attractive in terms of economic effciency and stage of investment. The advanced materials and more sophisticated construction techniques for
improving building envelope performance are well advanced and could enter the market fairly soon.
Operator & Occupant
Management Tools
User interface technologies are well developed in other industries (e.g. aerospace, automotive and medical industries) and could be adapted to the
commercial building industry.
System & Equipment
Effciency Improvements
The economic effciency is fairly high because of a strong technology and knowledge base. But this group ranks fairly low on the SDTC Investment
Cycle because most of the effcient technologies already exist. The next generation of sustainable building technologies is still being developed.
Optimized Resource
Supply
The economic impact potential and stage of technological development are still fairly low because the focus has been on larger system-based
designs that can take advantage of the associated economies of scale. Packaged, reliable, cost-effective systems will have to be developed and
refned to meet this market need.
The following excerpt from STAR
TM
shows the potential GHG and energy reduction contribution from each group. The reductions are based on an overall
reduction of 50% and are split into individual contribution estimates from stakeholder feedback. The individual contributions are estimates only, and are
used as a guide to the investment decision process.
Table 8 : Energy Reduction Vision Details from STAR
TM
Amount Units
1.97 2.16 0.05 -0.008 0.059
1,208 1,698 48 -20.77 68.3
0.1173 0.1396 0.0035 -0.0010 0.0045
72 110 3.2 -1.5 4.8
R
e
s
o
u
r
c
e
E
n
e
r
g
y
Envelope improvements are expected to be less than 20% because of the
limited influence of building materials in reducing consumption.
The group target is based on industry stakeholder feedback
Integrated building performance is the primary driver behind all the reductions, but the
enabling technology component of this measures group contributes only limited reductions.
Industry stakeholders agree that, in practice, tenant habits and the effectiveness of
building operators have a significant impact on overall building performance.
Operator & Occupant
Management Tools
This group could have the largest contribution because it is the equipment that actually
consumes energy. The other measures groups only influence the consumption of energy.
This is based on a conservative estimate of a 20% market uptake
over the next 23 years.
Building Envelope
Improvements
System & Equipment
Efficiency Improvements
Optimized
Resource Supply
Amount
Reduced by
the Target
Year
Comments
Integrated
Building Design
Group target
1,093
PJ/yr
PJ/yr
Mt
CO2e
/yr
PJ/yr
Mt
CO2e
/yr
PJ/yr
Mt
CO2e
/yr
Mt
CO2e
/yr
PJ/yr
PJ/yr
Mt
CO2e
/yr
Mt
CO2e
/yr
t
CO2e
/m
2
/yr
All reduction amounts are based on Business As Usual projections
%
%
%
%
%
%
18
197
13
25
273
18
27
295
20
20
219
15
50
10
109
7
1.18
0.0810
74
Required
Annual
Reduction
Rate
Vision
Utilization as of
Rate
Gap
Actual
Annual
Reduction
Rate (Average)
2007 2030
System
GJ/m
2
/yr
The total reduction potential is about 74 Mt
CO2e
/yr by the year 2030. The STAR
TM
data shows the gap between the Required Annual Reduction Rate and
the Actual Annual Reduction Rate required to achieve that potential. This is because energy consumption is expected to increase over the next 23 years
under the Business As Usual scenario. For SDTC this means that the large Rate Gap could prompt the placement of more investments in this sector.
6.2 Market Plot
The environmental and market impacts of implementing the fve groups of measures are shown on the following fgure. The market plot is a graphical
representation of the success potential of each group, plotted against individual GHG reduction potential (the larger the bubble, the greater the GHG
reduction). Measures that show in the upper right-hand quadrant are considered most attractive from SDTCs perspective.
Figure 28 : Market Plot
0
10
5
E
c
o
n
o
m
i
c

E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y
Stage of SDTC Investment Cycle
Integrated
Building Design
Building Envelope
Improvements
Operator &
Occupant
Management Tools
System & Equipment
Efficiency
Improvements
Optimized Resource
Supply
Research &
Development
Pre-Commercialization Market
Entry
The three groups in the upper right-hand quadrant show high promise and could be quickly moved to market with investments over the short term. The
largest reductions are expected to come from System & Equipment Effciency Improvements. However, from SDTCs perspective, the next generation
technologies in this group are not yet fully matured. Similarly, technologies in the Optimized Resource Supply group are in early stages of development
and are currently the least fnancially attractive. However, strategic investments in both these groups could improve their fnancial viability and accelerate
them into the market.
7 Technology Assessment
Within each group there are a number of technology application areas that have the potential to reduce resource consumption or improve energy
production. There are hundreds of emerging technologies that could contribute to achieving the stated vision. For brevity and clarity, similar technologies
are grouped together under one name or descriptor. Each technology is analyzed and ranked against the STAR
TM
criteria. The following summarizes the
highest-ranking technologies within each measures group.
7.1 Integrated Building Design
All of the identifed technologies are based on either software improvements or improvements in processes and practices. They are sectoral enablers: they
dont reduce resource consumption, they aid in designing the systems that do.
Sustainable Urban Planning Processes and Practices This refers to a suite of design software and planning tools required to quantify
and apply sustainable building design practices to individual structures or complete building communities.
Integrated Renewable Energy, HVAC and Distributed Energy Design Software Renewable energy and district energy design
software currently exist, but not to the level of sophistication required to properly support the Sustainable Urban Planning Software. The processes
must be seamless across applications, and be fully integrated.
Continuous Performance Analysis and Operations Design Software One of the key characteristics of high-performance buildings
will be the ability to continually change and improve as systems deteriorate and occupant requirements change. Although ongoing maintenance
software currently exists, it is generally system and building specifc and does not integrate with other systems.
Performance-Based Building Monitoring Processes and Practices One of the strongest needs identifed by industry stakeholders
is the ability to accurately and reliably monitor building performance. Performance based monitoring software will integrate system load
performance with overall building performance objectives.
Performance-Based Building Design Simulation Processes and Practices This is a more detailed version of the Urban Planning
Software that focuses on the internal building systems.
Table 9 : Integrated Building Design Technology Summary
Stated Need Technology Descriptor
Impact Ranking
Economy Environment
An integrated and consistent approach to designing
sustainable communities
Sustainable Urban Planning Processes and Practices 1.62 0.8
Improved design software to integrate renewable energy, HVAC and
district heating systems
Integrated Resource Supply and Use Design Software 1.39 0.73
Supporting software to improve the process of ongoing recommissioning
throughout the lifecycle of the building
Continuous Performance Analysis and Operations Software 1.30 0.65
A means of accurately monitoring the performance of buildings
in real time
Performance-Based Building Monitoring Processes and Practices 1.39 0.65
A means of simulating building performance as part of the integrated
design approach
Performance-Based Building Design Simulation Processes and Practices 1.23 0.65
Figure 29 : Integrated Building Design Technology Plot
E
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
Economy
0.3
0.9
0.6
0.6 2.0 1.3
Sustainable Urban
Planning Processes
and Practices
Integrated REN, HVAC
and DE Design
Software
Continuous
Performance
Analysis
and Operations
Design Software
Performance-Based
Building Monitoring
Processes and
Practices
Performance-Based
Building Design
Simulation Processes
and Practices
7.2 Building Envelope Improvements
The technology areas identifed in this group focus on the next generation of building envelope materials.
Dynamic Envelope Components and Integrated Systems This includes components and systems that could change operating
characteristics to meet changing thermal and natural lighting conditions.
Next Generation Fenestration Components Energy effcient fenestration components will reduce wasteful passive air transfer throughout
building structures. Many technologies and materials currently exist, but are either considered too expensive or deteriorate too quickly allowing
unconditioned air into the building space. New materials and components should last longer and perform better over the full operating life
of the building. Triple glazing, structural plastic frames which minimize thermal bridging, and reactive light transmission windows etc., are
under development.
Next Generation Thermal Storage Thermal storage has been used for many years with mixed fnancial success due to low fossil
fuel prices. Advances in thermal transfer agents and demonstration of off-season thermal storage could accelerate the wider adoption of
thermal storage.
Sustainable Roofng Technologies New roofng materials and the application of these materials to new roof designs (e.g. green roofs)
could help reduce cooling loads and improve overall comfort.
Recycled Construction Materials Buildings can be constructed from recycled material but the material supply costs are sometimes high
and quality is an issue needing more work. Combining recycled materials and/or chemically combining them with improved bonding materials
may increase material performance and reliability.
Table 10 : Building Envelope Improvements Technology Summary
Impact Ranking
Economy Environment
Building envelope elements that can modify their operating characteristics to meet
changing internal space needs and external conditions.
Dynamic Envelope Components and
Integrated Systems
1.34 0.66
Super high effciency fenestration components to minimize thermal transfer
Next Generation Fenestration
Components
1.44 0.58
Advanced thermal storage technologies that optimize system functionality Next Generation Thermal Storage 1.07 0.59
Roofng materials that optimize natural cooling effects, or incorporate renewable energy
sources (such as Building Integrated Solar PV)
Sustainable Roofng Technologies 1.08 0.57
Construction materials created from the by-product of other industries Recycled Construction Materials 1.20 0.44
Figure 30 : Building Envelope Improvements Technology Plot
0.3
0.9
0.6
0.6 2.0 1.3
E
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
Economy
Dynamic
Envelope
Components and
Integrated
Systems
Next Generation
Fenestration
Components
Next Generation
Thermal
Storage
Sustainable Roofing
Technologies
Recycled Construction
Materials
7.3 Operator & Occupant Management Tools
Individual Occupancy Controls Sustainable buildings will feature individualized controls to increase comfort and environmental quality of
the occupied space, but will require the development of advanced controls and supporting software. For example, the space conditions for each
building occupant could be transmitted to personal computers (or hand-held devices) showing temperature, humidity and air quality, and allow
the occupant to infuence that condition and monitor the subsequent resource consumption.
Individual Real Time Resource Consumption Monitors Real-time feedback of environmental conditions within an occupied space will
allow individuals to monitor their resource consumption and alter their behaviour accordingly.
Individual End-User Training Software As building systems become more complex, operators and occupants will need to have a better
understanding of their environment and how to control it to a greater degree. Training software could be developed to upgrade skills to help
ensure optimal resource use.
Table 11 : Operator & Occupant Management Tools Technology Summary
Impact Ranking
Economy Environment
A means of providing individual control for occupants Individual Occupancy Controls 1.31 0.69
Occupant and operator training packages to increase awareness and
understanding of sustainable building operations
Individual End-User Training Software 0.94 0.36
Real-time feedback mechanism for occupants to understand the
resource impacts of their actions
Individual RT System Information
Software
1.59 0.43
Figure 31 : Operator & Occupant Management Tools Technology Plot
0.3
0.9
0.6
0.6 2.0 1.3
E
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
Economy
Individual Occupancy
Controls
Individual Real-Time
Resource Consumption Monitors
Individual End-User
Training Software
7.4 System & Equipment Effciency Improvements
Integrated EE and REN Control Systems From a sustainability perspective, energy effcient equipment is most effective if it is powered by
an effcient energy source. There is an increasing interest in on-site renewable energy, but there are some technological gaps in how the systems
are controlled. The two systems need to be fully integrated and properly controlled to operate effciently.
Advanced Water Reduction Devices Although this technology is already in the marketplace, there are opportunities to expand the use
of such devices and to develop more advanced systems that could signifcantly reduce overall water consumption.These could include high
effciency closed loop cooling towers for HVAC systems, low fow water fxtures and water leak detectors.
Renewable-Powered Electronic Devices Personal and portable electronic devices make up the vast majority of the auxiliary load
incommercial buildings, which grew by 105% between 1990 and 2004. Industry observers feel this load group will continue to grow rapidly
overthe next few years as more devices come onto the market. Since all of these devices are powered by electricity, they are having an
increasingimpact on total building load. Recent developments in fuel cell technology suggest that small, portable, reliable and inexpensive fuel
cellscould be used to power the electronic devices. However, the systems are currently in the development stage, and need to be feld-proven
andaccelerated into the market to offset the rapid rise in auxiliary loads.
Desiccant Dehumidifcation & Cooling Mechanical cooling is the second-fastest growing load in commercial buildings. Most chillers
are electrically-driven and require large amounts of electricity during peak periods. A smaller number of large chillers are gas-fred absorption
type. The combined impact of such peaking loads on the electricity supply system is signifcant, as more fossil-fred peaking power generation
plants are brought on line to meet demand. A signifcant portion of the cooling energy in HVAC systems is the dehumidifcation of the moisture-
laden air. The air must be cooled down to the dew point in order to extract the moisture a very energy-intensive process. Desiccant materials
can transfer thermal energy very effciently. Replacing electrically-driven mechanical cooling with desiccant dehumidifcation and cooling can
reduce energy consumption signifcantly. Desiccant systems need to be further refned and tested and demonstrated under operating conditions.
Advanced Daylighting Lighting typically represents about 10% of the total building energy load but about 25-30% of the building electrical
system load. Reducing the electrical lighting load reduces overall energy consumption as well as peak load demand during the day when lights
are on. Daylighting technologies utilize natural light and decrease electrical and thermal load needed to offset the heat produced by the lighting
fxtures. One of the challenges is to be able to accumulate and then distribute the light to where it is needed. Light pipes, fxtures that transmit
light through optical cables or pipes, could provide such a solution. Other examples include optimal building orientation and redesigned interior
spaces to maximize natural lighting.
Plug-In Diagnostic Tools Sustainable buildings will need to be monitored and adjusted on a continual basis in order to achieve maximum
system effciency. Currently, building operators and technicians must rely on data provided by central monitoring systems (seldom used in
smaller buildings) which only provide a condition report. Advanced diagnostic tools could help speed up the process of identifying, diagnosing
and rectifying potential problem areas. Such tools would be integrated with continuous performance and recommissioning protocols to provide
complete and timely building diagnostics.
Table 12 : System & Equipment Effciency Improvements Technology Summary
Impact Ranking
Economy Environment
Control systems that harmonize and optimize the operation of energy
effcient end-use equipment with on-site renewable energy systems
Integrated EE and REN Control Systems 1.24 0.66
Demonstration of and reporting on integrated distributed generation projects Distributed Generation Demo & Reporting 1.37 0.66
Advanced lighting controls that optimize system operation Improved Fixture & Ballast Controls 1.34 0.58
Solid and liquid desiccant media for dehumidifcation and space cooling Desiccant Dehumidifcation & Cooling 1.09 0.66
Advanced natural daylighting systems that are easily controlled and minimize
light fxture load
Advanced Daylighting 1.01 0.51
Plug-in diagnostic tools for maintenance personnel to quickly and accurately
isolate and treat problem areas
Single-Source Plug-In Diagnostic Tools 1.16 0.36
Figure 32 : System & Equipment Effciency Technology Plot
0.3
0.9
0.6
0.6 2.0 1.3
E
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
Economy
Integrated EE
and REN
Control
Systems
Advanced
Water Reduction
Devices
Renewable
Powered
Electronic
Devices
Dessicant
Dehumidification
& Cooling
Advanced
Daylighting
Plug-In
Diagnostic Tools
7.5 Optimized Resource Supply
Solar-Powered Absorption/Adsorption Chillers Thermo-chemical cooling and dehumidifcation systems dramatically decrease peak
electricity demand and reduce overall electricity consumption compared to mechanical cooling systems. They are typically used in large buildings
with centralized plants, and use natural gas as the primary heat source. Natural gas consumption can be reduced by using solar energy as a
secondary heat source. Challenges with this approach are concentrating the solar energy in a cost-effective way so there is suffcient thermal
energy to drive the system and integrating the operation of the solar and gas systems. Advanced control protocols and thermal concentration and
transmission technologies could increase the attractiveness of this approach.
Next Generation Geothermal Systems Recent advances in geothermal technologies could help take advantage of large sources of energy.
Heat extraction from municipal water supplies, deep lake water cooling, counter seasonal geothermal storage for heating and cooling and
improved heat transfer technologies are being further developed, demonstrated and implemented.
Renewable Cogen District Heating Demo & Reporting Cogeneration from municipal waste streams and industrial waste heat
streams could supply heat, electricity and cooling to clusters or communities of sustainable buildings. The technology exists for large municipal
applications. Smaller scale systems are under development for smaller end-users.
Reliable Renewable Energy Installation & Maintenance Components Many renewable energy systems are still in the early market
adoption stage, and lack the convenience, simplicity and reliability of more mature technologies. Equipment specifers, installation contractors
and service technicians all need to work with systems that are easily designed, procured, installed and maintained. Advances in renewable energy
system components would greatly improve their attractiveness in the market.
Building Integrated Renewable Energy Demo & Reporting Renewable energy technologies (wind, solar, geo and biomass) are
becoming increasingly reliable and cost-effective. The challenge now is to integrate these systems into commercial buildings in a seamless
and cost-effective way. Full-scale installations are required to demonstrate their effectiveness and provide a reliable source of data for future
decisions. Issues around power interconnection, system reliability and maintainability, operator training, and access to system components all
need further development.
Distributed Generation Demo & Reporting Distributed power generation, either from conventional or renewable sources, has been under
development and feld testing for a number of years. However, it has not been designed and tested within the context of sustainable building
communities. Design methodologies and system components need to be modifed for this sector, and tested in full-scale applications. Success
depends very heavily on the quality and availability of comprehensive reporting data and lessons learned documentation, which will be needed
to provide a strong business case for developers and investors.
Rainwater Capture Systems These systems (also known as RWH: rainwater harvesting) capture and use the rain as a non-potable water
source for toilet fushing, landscape irrigation, and laundry. If treated, the rainwater can also be used as a potable supply for drinking and other
domestic uses.This reduces the demand for potable water and avoids the adverse effects of urban stormwater runoff on receiving watersheds and
urban infrastructure. Harvesting the water helps protect downstream areas from erosion and fooding, reduces load on water treatment plants,
saves pumping energy, and reduces water costs.
On-Site Wastewater Treatment This includes advanced forms of flter and membrane technology as well as improved heat recovery
processes. An important development in this area is greywater reuse technology, where non-sewage waste water is recycled and used in
other building operations such as exterior cleaning and landscape maintenance. It has been pilot tested but still faces a number of regulatory
hurdles. These technologies will have to be scaled up to suit large systems and/or wide scale applications. On-site waste treatment systems are
just now being developed, but have the potential to increase overall building performance through reduced water consumption and possibly
reduced energy demand through on-site bio-based power generation. If widely adopted, such systems could also reduce the strain on the aged
and sometimes ineffcient municipal sewage treatment systems.
On-Site Solid Waste Conversion Plants A large portion of the solid waste from commercial buildings could be converted into useful
energy and/or valuable co-products. For example, using a gasifcation process the building waste could be super-heated, producing synthetic
natural gas (syngas), which in turn could be used to generate supplemental electricity for the building. The residue, or slag, could be sold to
the construction industry as aggregate for road construction and other uses.There are no emissions, and the building owner would create a
revenue stream from the sale of the residue. While the technology is just beginning to emerge in large municipal applications, it has not yet been
developed for on-site commercial use.
Solid Waste Source Separation Technologies One of the main challenges with separating solid waste on site is the limited space
available. This has caused some building operators to discontinue the practice, resulting in more waste going to landfll. Compact on-site
separators could alleviate this problem.
Table 13 : Optimized Resource Supply Technology Summary
Impact Ranking
Economy Environment
A full-scale demonstration and reporting on a building integrated renewable
energy system
Building Integrated REN Demo & Reporting 1.39 0.73
Advances in the application of solar-powered absorption and adsorption
chillers
Solar -Powered Absorption/Adsorption Chillers 1.17 0.52
The development of portable electronic devices powered by micro fuel cells FC-Powered Electronic Devices 1.25 0.51
Increased use of low fow water devices and closed loop cooling towers Next Generation Water Reduction Devices 1.52 0.57
A means of treating and recycling waste water within buildings On-Site Wastewater Treatment 1.24 0.59
A means of transforming organic and paper waste into energy and other
useful co-products
On-Site Solid Waste Conversion Plants 1.52 0.73
A means to effectively separate solid waste without taking up a lot of space Solid Waste Source Separation Technologies 1.51 0.68
Development of biomass cogen systems for groups of commercial buildings Biomass Cogen District Heating Reporting & Demo 1.20 0.61
The development of simple, inexpensive and maintainable renewable energy
system components
Reliable REN Installation & Maintenance
Components
1.39 0.54
A means of capturing and using rainwater to supplement water requirements
in the building
Rainwater Capture Systems 1.58 0.72
Figure 33 : Optimized Resource Supply Technology Plot
0.3
0.9
0.6
0.6 2.0 1.3
E
n
v
i
r
o
n
m
e
n
t
Economy
Solar -Powered
Absorption/Adsorption
Chillers
Distributed
Generation Demo
& Reporting
Rainwater
Capture
Systems
On-Site Waste
Water Treatment
On-Site Solid
Waste Conversion
Plants
Solid Waste
Source Separation
Technologies
Next Generation
GeoThermal
Systems
Renewable Cogen
District Heating
Demo & Reporting
Reliable REN
Installation &
Maintenance
Components
Building Integrated
REN Demo &
Reporting
8 Statements of Interest
Statements of Interest (SOI) are received by SDTC as part of the funding agreement process. Proponents identify the nature of the technology being
proposed and provide a business rationale for funding support. Only projects that meet the technology development and fnancial integrity criteria are
considered, so the information provided in the SOIs is considered timely and relevant. Taken together, these applications provide a unique and accurate
snapshot of the state of late-stage sustainable technology developments in Canada. This information is used in the SD Business Case
TM
to provide a
unique perspective on the industry and assess the degree of consistency between current technological developments and SDTCs delivery mandate.
The SOIs related to the commercial buildings sector received by SDTC from 2002 to 2007 were reviewed as part of the analysis. Applicant information
regarding the type of technology proposed, GHG reduction potential, total project costs, request for SDTC funding, and year of submission were
documented for assessment. When appropriate, SOIs were categorized by measures group and type of technology.
Approximately 17% of all the SOIs received by SDTC are related to the commercial buildings sector, classifed according to the measures groups below.
Table 14 : Commercial Buildings SOI Summary
Measures Group Number of Applications Percent of Total
Integrated Building Design 41 18
Building Envelope 27 12
Operator & Occupant Management Tools 27 12
Systems & Equipment Effciency 32 14
Optimized Resource Supply 84 37
Water & Wastewater 17 7
Solid Waste 1 0
Total 229 100
The industry has been developing technologies across all measures groupsindicating that technological progress is being made. However, it is clear
that, based on the lack of adoption, these solutions face a set of non-technological barriers to implementation. SDTCs internal SOI analysis also confrms
that market uptake was amongst the most challenging barriers for new technologies for commercial buildings. There are several factors associated with
improving market uptake potential, and these are discussed in the National Strategy Impacts section of this report.
9 Investment Priorities
9.1 Near Term Investments
The following technologies could be brought to market in the near-term, and should be considered as immediate investment opportunities.
Table 15 : High Priority Near Term Investments
Group Technology Descriptor
Energy Building Integrated Renewable Energy Demo & Reporting
Energy Sustainable Urban Planning Process & Practices Software
Energy Low-Energy Distribution Systems (HVAC, Lighting, etc.)
Energy Performance-Based Building Monitoring Processes & Practices (operations)
Energy Performance-Based Building Design Simulation Processes & Practices (design)
Energy Distributed Generation Demo & Reporting
Energy Passive Energy Systems Demo & Reporting
Energy Individual Occupancy Controls
Water Next Generation Water Reduction Devices
Waste District and On-site Solid Waste Conversion Plants
Table 16 : Medium Priority Near Term Investments
Energy Solar-Powered Absorption/Adsorption Chillers
Energy Individual End-User Training Tools
Energy Next Generation Geothermal Systems
Energy Integrated Equipment Effciency and Renewable Energy Control Systems
Energy Biomass Cogen & District Heating Demo & Reporting
Energy Next Generation Thermal Storage
Energy Next Generation Fenestration Systems
Energy Desiccant Dehumidifcation & Cooling
Water On-Site Wastewater Treatment and Rainwater Capture
9.2 Long Term Investments
The following technologies could be brought to market over the longer term, as technological refnements are likely still required. Investments should still
be placed in these areas to enable further development and provide suffcient momentum for the technologies to enter the market in the future.
Table 17 : High Priority Long Term Investments
Energy Dynamic Envelope Components & Integrated Systems
Energy Next Generation High Performance Building Hybrid Systems Integration
Copyright 2007 by SDTC !asta|aa||e 0ee|epmeat 8as|aess Case
Table 18 : Medium Priority Long Term Investments
Energy Devices and Practices to Support Reliable Renewable Energy Installation & Maintenance
Energy Fuel Cell Powered Electronic Devices
Energy Recycled Construction Materials
Energy Next Generation Occupant Controls
All Integration of Food and Transportation
9.3 National Strategy Impacts
9.3.1 Sustainable Buildings Policy
Regulation
The different interests of the fnancier, owner, developer group and the tenant, occupant, operator group has, in most situations, meant that
implementation of the best available technologies has been very slow and the commercial buildings sector has not achieved the level of sustainability
which is known to be readily achievable. Until there are negative consequences to the builders group for not using environmentally progressive
technologies, they will not implement them.
Accurate Data
Policy and program development need a more robust array of aggregate data on characteristics of the building stock, so that the impacts of
technologies and policy initiatives can be derived. Technology developers need the data to get a better grasp of market potential and the benefts of
integration. Projections of impacts, when comprehensive data is lacking, has not been convincing enough to cause incentives or regulatory change. Many
technology, user, performance, operations and design based databases, models and analyses tools have been developed by industry analysts, R&D
organizations, technology developers and academics. The lack of aggregate data on building characteristics constrains impact and market analysis.
Professional Practice Development & Training
Once those who make the decisions about building features have a reason and willingness to do what is sustainably best, the design professions who
advise the owner group need to have the knowledge to advise on best features, equipment, materials, construction techniques, operations methods,
options, occupant needs and benefts, trade-offs, etc. Many of the practitioners in the design group need knowledge training and the tools for a
sustainable built environment. Training, acquisition of new knowledge about innovations, interaction and exchange with peers and complementary
competencies with experience are needed to implement more integration and system type approaches and to prevent stalling on innovation and
reversion to rules of thumb and stagnant common practice. Educating the general public, government regulators and policy makers, and the fnancial
community about the performance benefts of sustainable buildings will help ensure the rapid deployment of technologies within the commercial
building sector. Canada could develop a stronger knowledge base in sustainable building design. Colleges and universities need to increase their content
offering in sustainable technologies in order to maximize the knowledge potential in Canada.
The developers of new analytical methods and design tools need to have a market driven approach to the implementation of their tools. A fully
integrated life cycle approach, the essence of sustainable development, requires that the tools of policy, mainly regulation and potentially labeling and
certifcation, include an integrated approach to actual performance of buildings for the users.
Effective efforts to overcome the barriers to a sustainable built environment will enable the implementation of best available and emerging technologies
and stimulate innovation the development of new technologies which had previously been slowed by perception of likely lack of market penetration.
SDTC has seen many applicable technologies which were technically good but lacked a market strategy or business plan which clearly would have
enabled implementation, which would serve SDTCs mandate to enable wide market implementation of environmentally benefcial innovations.
The issues identifed in this report highlight the need for a strong and progressive sustainable buildings policy in Canada. The commercial building sector
is highly infuenced by codes, standards, and accepted practice. The industry stakeholders clearly identifed the need to move beyond the outmoded
practices and towards a completely new and innovative approach to the sector. Enlightened public policy could be a major driver in this regard.
Copyright 2007 by SDTC Sustainable Development Business Case 57
10 Acknowledgements
SDTC would like to thank the following individuals for providing technical information and subject matter guidance in the preparation of this report.
Allen, Greg HOK
Atif, Morad Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council Canada
Auger, Anne NRCan, Energy Technology and Programs Sector, Offce of Energy Effciency, Buildings Division
Bach, Bob Energy Profles Ltd.
Bosco, Phil Ontario Power Authority
Brady, Sean Ontario Power Authority
Carpenter, Stephen Enermodal Engineering Limited
Collie, Bill Ontario Power Generation Inc.
Cowan, John Environmental Interface Limited
Dubrous, Francois NRCan Sustainable Buildings and Communities
English, Helen Sustainable Buildings Industry Council
Entchev, Evgueniy NRCan Sustainable Buildings and Communities
Fraser, Marion Ontario Ministry of Energy
Goodfellow, Randall Goodfellow Agricola Consultants Inc.
Grundy, Steve Royal Roads University
Guvremont, Pierre Buildings Division, Offce of Energy Effciency, NRCan
Harvey, Danny University of Toronto
Jarvis, Ian Enerlife Consulting Inc., Past-Chair, Canada Green Building Council
Johnson, Kirk Ontario Power Authority
Jones, Kevin OCETA
Kantrowitz, Ted Canadian GeoExchange Coalition
Larsson, Nils International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment
Lee, Kevin Sustainable Buildings and Communities, CANMET Energy Technology Centre, NRCan
Neate, John OCETA
Pride, P.Eng. Andrew Minto Green Team - Minto Developments Inc.
Quadir, Jabeen Athena Sustainable Materials Institute
Shymko, P.Eng. Gordon G.F. Shymko & Associates Inc.
Skopek, Jiri ECD Energy and Environment Canada Ltd.
Stylianou, Meli Solar Buildings Research Network
Tamblyn, Tom Dearness Environmental Society
Tremblay, Marie Lyne Buildings Division, Offce of Energy Effciency, NRCan
Webber, Doug Halsall Associates Limited
Zimmerman, Alex Applied Green Consulting
11 Endnotes
1 Disruptive Potential refers to the potential of a technology to dramatically change the way in which it and other technologies are used. For example, the personal computer has revolutionized
communication, manufacturing and education.
2 Building construction and building demolition are excluded from this report.
3 2004 Commercial and Institutional Consumption of Energy Survey. Offce of Energy Effciency. Natural Resources Canada. December 2005. p.4.
4 STAR
TM
calculation
5 Based on growth projections from NRCan data for the year 2000. Accessed July 19, 2007 from http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/tables/CIBEUS_7.1eng.XLS
6 Canadas Energy Outlook: The Reference Case 2006. Natural Resources Canada. Analysis and Modeling Division. 2006. The document cites future replacement rate of 2.2%/yr
7 A petajoule (PJ) is a measure of energy equivalent to a thousand trillion joules (1,000,000,000,000,000 joules), or roughly 30 million kilowatt-hours. It is usually used to express energy consumption
by large customers such as cities or major industries, or cumulative output from commercial energy production facilities. To put it in context, one petajoule is the amount of energy consumed by a
small town of about 3,700 people in a year for all uses, from housing and transportation to local services and industry.
8 Secondary energy is the energy used by fnal consumers for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and transportation purposes.
9 Auxiliary equipment includes stand-alone equipment powered directly from an electrical outlet such as computers, photocopiers, printers, personal communication devices, refrigerators and
desktop lamps.
10 http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/images/manage/effc/a6f1e.htm Accessed August 5, 2007.
11 https://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/default.cfm. Accessed August 5, 2007
12 SDTC SOI data, 2007
http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/en/info/pubs/sss/e_mun2004.htm.
13 Overview of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management in Canada. by Dennis Jackson, Waste Reduction and Management Division, Environment Canada. March 23, 2007
14 Derived from Overview of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Management in Canada. by Dennis Jackson, Waste Reduction and Management Division, Environment Canada. March 23, 2007. Slide #5.
15 Ontarios 60% Waste Diversion Goal A Discussion Paper. Ontario Ministry of the Environment. June 10, 2004.
16 Note that sewage sludge, although resultant from municipal building activities, is classifed as a municipal source of waste.
17 In October 2000, a coalition of commercial building experts developed a vision for commercial buildings by the year 2020. Although the document focuses on the U.S. market, Canadas National
Research Council and Natural Resources Canada were major contributors. Many of the conclusions are applicable to the Canadian market, and are still relevant today. High Performance Commercial
Buildings: A Technology Roadmap. Offce of Building Technology, U.S. Department of Energy. October, 2000. Accessed May 5, 2007 from
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/documents/pdfs/roadmap_lowres.pdf
18 Energy costs are typically about $2/ft
2
leasing costs are about $20/ft
2
and salary costs are about $200/ft
2
19 Advice on a Long-term Strategy on Energy and Climate Change. National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy. June, 2006.
http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca/eng/publications/wedge-advisory-note/section4-ecc-wedge-advisory-note-eng.html
20 Model National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 1997 National Research Council of Canada
21 Much like the IBD, the envelope does not consume resources during the operating life of the building, but it does have an impact on the amount of resources required to condition
and service the space (e.g. low insulation levels cause an increase in heating demand but it is the heating system that actually consumes the energy).
22 Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) incorporates the attributes of indoor air quality (IAQ), occupant comfort, space functionality, and aesthetic appeal.
Sustainable Development Technology Canada
will act as the primary catalyst in building
a sustainable development technology infrastructure in Canada.
www.sdtc.ca

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