Free energy and carbon reporting support for multi-family buildings

Building owners will need to provide information on:

• Building profile (including, but not limited to, year of construction, gross floor area, and primary use) 
• Operational energy use (in a format required by ESPM for the 2021 and 2022 calendar years)
• Space heating
• Domestic hot water equipment
• Other major mechanical equipment

How your information will help us

It will help us understand the energy and carbon emissions performance of the building.

Sharing the benchmarking and major mechanical equipment data with help us to: 

• Streamline outreach efforts and connect building owners with customized support and specific efficiency programs 
• Develop future policies that are informed by accurate building energy use and carbon emission details
• Provide resources and tips on how to reduce energy consumption and future carbon emissions

Who is eligible for support

You must:

• Be a building owner or a building manager located within city of Vancouver limits
• Own or manage a 4-storeys or higher multi-family building with a gross floor area (GFA) greater than or equal to 4645 metres² 
• Own or manage a mixed use buildings that has greater than or equal to 50% residential floor area out of the total GFA
• Share a complete building profile with us through an ESPM External website, opens in new tab ‘read only share’  
• Own or manage a building tenure market rental, and/or stratified condominium

Gross floor area” or “GFA” means the sum of the area of every floor in a building, measured between the outside surface of the exterior walls, including all areas inside a building, other than crawl spaces or exterior spaces such as balconies, patios, parking, and covered walkways. Refer to the Greenhouse Gas and Energy Limits By-law PDF file (199 KB)

Who is not eligible for support

Certain property types are not eligible under this program because they are excluded from the upcoming energy and carbon reporting regulation, and/or they already have access to benchmarking support.

• Non-market housing buildings
• Townhouses 
• Mixed use buildings that do not have a residential floor area that is more than 50% of the total gross floor area 

Non-market housing means housing for low and moderate income singles and families. It's often subsidized through a variety of ways, including government support managed through various operators, including the public, non-profit, and urban Indigenous sectors.

Non-market housing buildings can get free assistance at BC Non-Profit Housing Association External website, opens in new tab and the Co-operative Housing Federation of BC External website, opens in new tab.

1. Review the eligibility criteria before applying for this incentive
2. Email one of the consultants
   • OPEN Tech: carol@opentech.eco
   • SES Consulting: stephanie@sesconsulting.com
   • FRESCo: benchmarking@frescoltd.com
3. Write “Energy and Carbon Reporting Assistance” in the subject line of your email

• Building owners/managers can prioritize improvements, emission reductions, and cost savings
• There is an opportunity to improve indoor and outdoor air quality, create more local energy efficiency jobs, and reduce GHG emissions
• Improved comfort and overall tenant satisfaction for building occupants
• Government can gather data to inform policies, effectively allocate funds, set priorities for energy savings, and GHG emissions reduction goals

Learn more about the Benefits of Benchmarking Building Performance Report External website, opens in new tab by The Institute for Market Transformation for extensive benefits of benchmarking.