WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) have signed an agreement that will create a common platform for measuring and assessing the energy performance of commercial buildings in both countries. The agreement will harmonize the approach of the two countries by enhancing EPA’s existing Energy Star Portfolio Manager software tool to track and rate the energy performance of Canadian commercial buildings, in addition to buildings in the United States.
“This agreement between EPA and NRCan is part of a broad commitment to working together on energy efficiency, an important element of cleaning the air and securing our energy future,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We are glad that Canada selected EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool to support their national energy management program for existing commercial and institutional buildings, and we look forward to the benefits this new partnership will create for the health of our families, for our economy, and for our environment.”
“Energy benchmarking is an important aspect of an effective energy management strategy to improve energy efficiency in buildings because, what gets measured gets done,” said the Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources. “This agreement is another example of how we are working with the U.S., through the Clean Energy Dialogue, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.”
