The ENERGY STAR®® Multifamily Standard was developed to be a widely accessible sustainable building standard for builders and municipalities seeking buildings that exceed the Provincial Code minimum. EnerQuality, with the help of the engineers at Purpose Building, completed a study to demonstrate how ENERGY STAR®® compares with other sustainable high-rise standards used in Canada. The ENERGY STAR®® Multifamily Technical Study (Technical Study) compares LEED, the Toronto Green Standard, and Passive House in a comprehensive report that compares metrics including energy-related features of each standard, estimated performance, expected costs, and more.
ENERGY STAR®® shines in the area of energy efficiency performance and is 15% more energy efficient than buildings built to Code. The Standard aligns with approaches taken by established Standards like LEED by focusing on energy efficiency requirements. Performance targets in ENERGY STAR®® can be achieved through HVAC, DHW and lighting improvements which can reduce energy costs. By focusing on energy efficiency through highly efficient HVAC and electrical equipment, required performance levels can be met while continuing the use of fossil fuels. However, energy efficiency alone will not drastically reduce a building’s carbon footprint.
Market trends are moving in the direction of airtightness, which is voluntary in ENERGY STAR®®. The Technical Study identifies airtightness as a gap in most standards and frameworks, except for Passive House. Envelope performance can reduce peak loads and HVAC equipment size while improving occupant comfort, and reducing carbon emissions, the primary driver of climate change. ENERGY STAR®® may add an envelope commissioning requirement to reflect airtightness market trends. Adding an envelope commissioning requirement may help drive benchmarking efforts that can close the airtightness knowledge gap in the industry and help bring airtightness products and services to the market sooner.
The Technical Study shows that the capital cost of pursuing ENERGY STAR®® is minimal for most buildings and maybe upwards of 3% for bare minimum Code-compliant designs. Feedback from builders noted that cost premiums were less than 1% above their business-as-usual construction, and the soft costs associated with pursuing ENERGY STAR®® are comparable with other standards.
ENERGY STAR®® Multifamily certification is focused on energy efficiency and verification through testing to support quality assurance in design and construction. The Technical Study points out that ENERGY STAR®® will need to evolve to reflect market trends focused on carbon reduction and envelope performance. ENERGY STAR®® presents an opportunity for innovative energy efficient and airtightness technologies to be brought to market if the Standard evolves to reflect market trends.
Learn more about the ENERGY STAR®® Multifamily Standard and download the complete ENERGY STAR®® Multifamily Technical Study .
