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Edmonton becomes first Canadian city to lead ‘big’ energy program

City Hall in downtown Edmonton, Alberta. April 16, 2015. Vinesh Pratap, Global News

The City of Edmonton has launched a new program aimed at helping large buildings reduce their energy use.

The Large Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure  program (LBERD) is the first municipally-led program of its kind in Canada, the city said. It’ll provide building owners with information about energy use in their building and help them use Energy Efficiency Alberta programs and incentives for upgrades to heating, cooling and lighting systems.

The city said energy efficient buildings are critical to achieving Edmonton’s energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

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“People don’t realize that buildings contribute 39 per cent of Edmonton’s GHG emissions and 42 per cent of our energy consumption,” Lisa Dockman, Energy Transition Strategy senior project manager, said.

“A 10 per cent reduction in energy use of just one large building would be equivalent to taking 22 cars off the road for one year.”

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The city said it’s committed to having 20 city-owned buildings, including city hall, involved in the program in the first year.

“Many large building owners and managers already engage in building energy reporting and benchmarking as part of their BOMA BEST certification. Our programs together will help the city reach more buildings and its environment targets,” BOMA Edmonton CEO Percy Woods said.

The program is one of several actions the city is taking to implement the Energy Transition Strategy, which is a risk management strategy aiming to make Edmonton an energy sustainable city.

Building owners and property managers can learn about the program and sign up for it online.

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