Sustainability
Ontario attempts electricity rate relief
Shifts in the allocation of Ontario's Global Adjustment will benefit some electricity customers and further burden others, but proactive commercial real estate owners/managers are poised to be among the winners.
GRESB reveals Canadian energy saving prowess
Sixteen Canadian organizations accounted for more than 337,000 megawatt-hours or nearly 42 per cent of electricity savings tallied in North America, while 162 GRESB participants in the United States delivered the remainder.
Ontario readying CDM incentives for portfolios
Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator was instructed to consult with local distribution companies to develop a pay-for-performance program that could be ready for launch in the fall of 2016.
Vancouver developers to pursue zero emissions
The newly adopted plan sets out a two-part strategy to ensure that new buildings are as energy-efficient as possible and, perhaps more contentiously, do not rely on natural gas for space heating and hot water supply.
An untapped source of water savings?
Several seasons of wear and tear can impact the efficiency of a condominium’s in-ground irrigation system. How maintenance can help lower water bills.
Energy efficiency from the ground up
Energy efficiency is more than just buzz—it's the future of the rental property industry. From older buildings getting retrofits to newer builds being outfitted with the latest technologies, it's either go green or get left behind.
Cogeneration sparks apartment sector interest
Cogeneration in Canada is no longer just for hospitals and industrial facilities—multi-residential property owners are beginning to take note of this energy savings technology, too.
Boosting Canada’s low-income rental market
Affordability is a concern for many Canadians, but low-income rental households face the greatest set of challenges. With the federal election fast approaching, party leaders have been busy unveiling plans to tackle what is being dubbed an “affordable housing crisis.”
Water efficiency has flow-through cost savings
Cooling towers and irrigation add to summertime water demand, while many Canadian municipalities have implemented multi-year annual rate increases to help fund needed upgrades to aging infrastructure.
Reinvesting in Toronto’s aging rental towers
The Tower Renewal Project is a program to drive broad environmental, social, economic, and cultural change by improving Toronto's concrete apartment towers and the neighbourhoods that surround them. Home to a million people across the GTA, now is the time to reinvest in these vertical communities that have huge potential.
Toronto puts energy reporting proposal on pause
An energy reporting requirement for large buildings is likely coming to Toronto. The only question is: Will it come from the city or from the province?
How to achieve energy efficiency in 2015
Achieving energy efficiency in multi-residential properties is the new normal. With the cost of utilities rising, apartment owners are benefitting more than ever by finding new ways to save.
BOMA BESt results show performance gains
BOMA BESt participants demonstrate long-term commitment to the environmental performance assessment program with a flurry of building re-certifications in 2014.
MURB sector favours alternative to BOMA BESt
Ontario's Certified Rental Building program adds green standards, while BOMA BESt's multi-residential participation rate declines.
Five ways to curb utility costs in condominiums
Coming changes in Ontario are cause for condo corporations to curb their utility costs. An expert shares how, pointing to five energy efficiency retrofits.
Ontario ramps up electricity savings target
Ontario has largely achieved its electricity conservation target for 2011-2014, but the savings goal for 2015-2020 is even more ambitious.
Modular apartments offer modern solutions
Modular apartments are gaining traction among building owners and tenants in cities across North America.