Energy Benchmarking And Policy Implications For 550 Jarvis Street

Abstract

Toronto’s residential dwellings can be broken down into subcategories, one of which is multi-residential apartment buildings (MRABs). This paper focuses on that sector. MRABs represent the largest component of the Toronto residential building inventory and are responsible for 2.5 million tonnes of eCO2 emissions annually. Provincial and municipal governments are implementing new energy efficiency legislation in this sector. Using a case study research design, this paper will benchmark the energy and carbon intensity of a single Toronto MRAB, 550 Jarvis Street, against 78 similar MRABs in the Greater Toronto Area. The purpose of this research is to provide the owners with a weighting of their property’s energy use in the MRAB subcategory. The paper also provides an overview of recent government policy initiatives, an explanation of how to perform energy calculations for the purpose of benchmarking and a financial template for assessing future retrofit programs. This research adds to a growing body of work that explores the benefits of, and the economically attractive solutions to, reducing a Toronto MRAB’s carbon footprint while also improving the operating income and property value for the investor-owner.