Research and reports
Our publications bring together evidence-based analysis, on-the-ground insights, and international best practices to build a shared vision for Canada’s building sector. We focus on practical solutions, transparent assumptions, and informed discourse—and we welcome your feedback on our analysis.
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Electrified end-use technologies are reshaping how the global economy consumes energy. In Canada, that shift must be informed by our unique conditions: our climate means winter heating already drives peak demand in most provinces, with the rest soon to follow. How we electrify heating will influence grid investment for decades. Geothermal heating is a key grid-compatible solution that leverages stable subsurface temperatures to remain efficient through both winter cold snaps …
The Building Decarbonization Alliance is pleased to release a suite of tools to support the development of Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) in Canada. Developed in partnership with Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors and East Coast Environmental Law, these resources are designed to support policymakers at all levels of government along with utilities, developers, and other stakeholders in navigating potential TENs projects including site selection, development, and necessary enabl…
Canada’s building heating sector is in a moment of transition. Momentum is growing to unlock the benefits of clean, electrified buildings across Canada, but we are far from where we need to be. Delivering this scale of change efficiently, affordably, and at the pace required for our electrified future calls for coordination that goes beyond individual action. A successful transition to carbon-neutral buildings requires a comprehensive market transformation driven by:Effective…
National Building Decarbonization Forum develops new vision for the future of Canada’s built environment OTTAWA (November 27, 2025)—More than 250 people assembled at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre this week for the second National Building Decarbonization Forum, the only event in Canada bringing together voices from across the building sector to prepare for the electrified future economy. “The expertise needed to shape Canada’s building transition is not somewhere out there… I…
Reports:
The benefits of decarbonization go beyond energy savings. Rental premiums and lower vacancy rates can act as “green premiums” for buildings that invest in eliminating their emissions. But without a consistent way of calculating the value of those green premiums, the real estate sector will struggle to include this effect in their business cases. In Unlocking Value in Commercial Real Estate: The Economic Benefits of a Decarbonized Building, the Building Decarbonization A…
How a heat pump is sized and programmed strongly affects its performance over its lifetime. Sizing it correctly can increase energy and emissions savings, reduce operating costs, and improve customer satisfaction. Current industry practices, often relying on outdated rules of thumb or overly conservative models, can result in oversized systems that compromise performance, increase costs, and erode public trust. Additionally, hybrid heat pumps may be programmed in ways that fa…
Reports:
Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) are a promising part of Canada's decarbonization toolkit. Flexible and efficient, modern fourth- and fifth-generation TENs can help reduce emissions, improve energy resilience, and create local economic opportunities when used strategically, often at a lower cost than other low-carbon alternatives. Despite this promise and growing momentum, TENs serve only 3% of Canada’s heating demand. Co-authored with Dunsky Energy + Climate Adviso…
January 2025 marked the midway point of the first four years of the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative (DRAI), a federal initiative that funds organizations and other projects supporting the development of deep retrofits in commercial, institutional, and mid- or high-rise multi-unit residential buildings. These Accelerators’ aim to boost the depth and pace of retrofits in their targeted market segments, helping address the sector’s shortfall in meeting emission reduction ta…
In the fall of 2023, The Building Decarbonization Alliance published Grid Implications of Electrifying Residential New Construction, a discussion paper written to address concerns about the near-term viability of all-electric new residential construction. Our objective was to capture the utility sector’s perspective on the interplay of electrifying new homes and the electricity grid, and as part of the release, we encouraged the BDA partner network to engage with our research…
Updated: Sept. 19, 2024 For most recent updates, see our blog post "Jurisdictional Progress on Building Heating Decarbonization" What’s currently being done to encourage building electrification? This report from the Building Decarbonization Alliance provides an in-depth look at how governments across Canada and the globe are using policy to transition building heating away from fossil fuels. This short report offers valuable insights into the range of strategies being employ…
The release of the Canada Green Buildings Strategy (CGBS) is a much-needed step along the pathway to net zero for Canada’s building sector. Buildings directly account for around 13% of our annual greenhouse gas emissions, and as our Pace of Progress report showed earlier this year, change is happening far too slowly to meet our 2030 and 2050 emissions targets. The status quo is clearly not working, and strategies like the CGBS are essential to getting…