November 16, 2021
/ Green Button / By Green Button Ontario
The Ontario government is committed to giving electricity and natural gas customers more control over their energy use. This will help them save money and conserve energy.
Green Button Standard: A New Tool
A new regulation (O. Reg. 633/21) came into effect on November 1, 2021. It requires Ontario’s utilities to implement the Green Button data standard. This standard allows customers to easily access and download their energy data.
Challenges for Large Buildings
Large commercial and multi-residential buildings participate in the Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) initiative. They use ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® to report energy data annually. However, Portfolio Manager currently cannot accept Green Button data or automatically transfer it from utilities.
Seeking Improvements
In September, a letter was sent to Canada’s then-Minister of Natural Resources. It encouraged changes to simplify the EWRB process by automating parts of data submission. A copy is attached for your reference.