Tips for Navigating the City of Vancouver Annual Energy Reporting Requirement

In 2022, the City of Vancouver passed the Annual Greenhouse Gas & Energy Limits By-law, which requires owners and operators of existing large commercial and multi-family buildings to measure and report annually on how much energy their buildings use. The By-law takes a phased approach to reporting based on building type and size.

This year, the first batch of multi-family buildings, including housing co-ops, had to submit reporting by June 1. CHF BC was able to assist a number of our member co-ops with setup for energy benchmarking to assist with By-law compliance. Next year, multi-family buildings over 50,000 square feet will start reporting.

Whether your co-op will be reporting for the first time in 2026 or not, we’ve put together some tips around energy benchmarking and submitting your annual report to the City.

1) Start the energy benchmarking process early.

Energy consumption data for a calendar year usually will not be available in full until March or April of the following year, but it’s never a bad idea to start setting up benchmarking through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager ahead of time. This allows you enough time to identify any challenges or problems, set up benchmarking, and ensure that the energy consumption data is complete. Don’t leave things until the last minute.

2) Set reminders for reporting deadlines (and any approved extensions).

The reporting deadline is June 1 of each year for energy consumption data covering the previous calendar year. Makes sure your board and property coordinator are aware that this is a recurring deadline, and set targets for what needs to be done by when each year.

3) Ensure you have information about your co-op’s building.

You will need to know the gross floor area of your building – this can prove challenging. Think building plans, market rent appraisals, energy audits, or other documents. This information will be used during benchmarking setup and compliance reporting, along with details like unit count, number of washer/dryer hookups, parkade square footage, and more.

4) Use a central co-op email address for ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, the City’s Building Performance Reporting System, and communications with the City.

Hate it when you forget a password and can’t figure out where the password recovery email message went? When using Portfolio Manager and the City’s reporting system, prevent this by avoiding personal email addresses. Emails and login credentials can go missing, and this can create problems when trying to complete annual reporting. Always use a central email address that the board (or a property coordinator) can access to ensure you don’t get locked out of a critical account.

5) Make use of existing resources and supports.

Familiarize yourself with the annual energy reporting requirements and resources available for multi-family buildings. Keep an eye out for webinars delivered by the City of Vancouver or through partnerships with CHF BC. Lastly, contact CHF BC at sustainability@chf.bc.ca: we can help your co-op navigate the energy benchmarking setup process and any challenges; and get you in a good position to fulfil reporting requirements.