Building Energy Performance Standards: What Ontario Businesses Need to Know Now

Building energy performance standards are arriving in Ontario—and they’re about to change how commercial buildings are evaluated, financed, and managed. While most businesses are focused on compliance, the real story is strategic: those who move early can reduce costs, boost asset value, and lead in sustainability performance. This blog explains what’s coming, who it affects, and what decision-makers should be doing right now.

Why Building Performance Standards Are Being Enforced

Governments across Canada are no longer just encouraging energy efficiency—they’re requiring it. That shift is rooted in the country’s 2050 net-zero targets and the growing recognition that commercial buildings are among the top emitters.

These new performance rules are designed to:

• Improve energy efficiency across commercial real estate
• Reduce building-related GHG emissions
• Create transparency in building performance benchmarks

And they’re doing more than shaping sustainability outcomes—they’re introducing accountability.

What This Means for Building Owners and Operators

For CFOs, facility managers, and asset leaders, the impact is straightforward:

• Reputation — Expect public benchmarking of energy performance
• Valuation — Inefficient buildings could signal risk to investors
• Deals — Leasing, refinancing, and insurance negotiations may soon include energy benchmarks

Energy use will no longer be hidden—it’ll be a measure of operational performance and strategic oversight.

Why Leading Companies Are Acting Now

Top-performing portfolios are getting ahead, not just to comply, but to compete. They’re treating building performance as a financial lever:

• Cutting long-term costs through HVAC optimization and recommissioning
• Showing ESG progress to attract investment and better financing terms
• Positioning their assets to meet the future of tenant and investor expectations

And they’re doing it while incentive funding is still on the table.

What to Do Now: A Strategic Path Forward

Here’s what decision-makers should prioritize immediately:

1. Benchmark Your Energy Performance

Start with a professional energy audit to identify how your building performs compared to peers.

2. Target Quick Wins

Recommission existing systems, optimize HVAC, and calibrate controls. These low-cost actions deliver fast savings.

3. Explore Solar Onsite Generation

Consider implementing solar onsite generation to offset grid use, reduce Global Adjustment (GA) costs, and lock in long-term price stability.

4. Apply for Incentives

Use programs like the IESO Retrofit for electric efficiency, and Enbridge’s custom commercial incentives for gas-saving retrofits, to reduce upfront costs and accelerate ROI.

This isn’t about just compliance—it’s about building operational resilience and protecting margins.

What We Learned from Recent Energy Audits

Across 1.5M+ sq. ft. of Ontario facilities, Green Integrations uncovered:

• Up to 38% energy use variance in similar buildings
• 5–10% annual energy cost savings from basic measures
• <4-year paybacks on key retrofits even before incentives

These aren’t theoretical savings – they’re being realized now by operators acting ahead of the curve.

Make Building Performance Part of Your Core Strategy

Energy performance mandates are coming – and with them, a new lens on building value. Acting now means you’re not reacting later.