A provincial regulation has now been enacted to help large buildings cut down on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Privately owned buildings that are 50,000 square feet and larger are required to report their energy and water usage in order to improve efficiency as part of the Ontario Regulation 20/17: Ontario’s Reporting of Energy Consumption and Water Use.

Using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, users must report monthly energy and water consumption, GHG emissions and intensity and building characteristics information. The types of buildings included in this mandate are commercial, multi-unit residential with more than 10 residential units, and some industrial facilities and properties. Exclusions include data centres, TV studios, public buildings and most industrial buildings that deal with manufacturing and agriculture.

Here’s a full list of building types that must report. The first reporting deadline is July 1, 2018 for 2017 consumption (starting with buildings greater than 250,000 square feet). The implementation schedule is as follows: Buildings greater or equal to 250,000 square feet (2018); Buildings greater or equal to 1000,000 square feet (2019); and buildings greater or equal to 50,000 square feet (2020).

The Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) initiative is the review of a building’s energy and water performance to determine how it is changing over time in comparison to other similar buildings. As a result, users can accurately measure improvement. The data complied will also help large buildings better manage energy and water use and costs, identify best practices and opportunities and set measurable goals.

The new rules are a game-changer in an industry where big buildings contribute nearly a fifth of Ontario’s GHG emissions through energy and water use.