Analysis
There is currently an important gap in publicly available analytical capacity to evaluate the impacts of building decarbonization measures in Canada. Publicly available models tend to be “top-down”, broad in scope, and lacking the granularity to address the range of technological measures, differences in building stock, and provincial or regional differences. Many “bottom-up” models, meanwhile, are proprietary, closed-source, and built for specific regions rather than national use.
The Building Decarbonization Alliance Open-Sourced Model is designed to address this gap by providing a useful, transparent, bottom-up model of end-use energy use in Canada’s commercial and residential building sector. Incorporating multiple building archetypes, climate zones, and heating technologies, the model allows users to customize policy scenarios and compare the impacts on equipment count, energy consumption, peak load, emission reductions, and cost, at aggregate and regional levels. And since it is completely open-source, the data, assumptions, and calculations behind the model’s outputs can be questioned, scrutinized, and improved.
About the Authors
Bryan Flannigan
Executive Director
Bryan brings more than three decades of leadership and consulting experience with governments, utilities, and businesses to find technical, program, and policy solutions to reduce emissions and improve the energy efficiency of the built environment. Prior to joining The Transition Accelerator, Bryan played leadership and expert advisor roles with a number of Canada’s leading energy and environmental consulting firms, including ICF International, Posterity Group, and Econoler. He was Senior Manager of Operations at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and helped successfully launch the Green Municipal Fund. His early career was built on a foundation of technical and engineering roles including Director of Technical Services at Del Management Solutions and Energy Engineer at Siemens Building Technologies. Bryan holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ottawa, and is a Professional Engineer licensed in the province of Ontario.
Natasha Kettle
Director of Analytics and Insights (former)
Natasha holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland and is a registered Professional Engineer. She started her career as an electrical design engineer, working with BC Hydro and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. In 2019, she joined Mysa Smart Thermostats, a cleantech start-up based in St. John’s. There, she helped utilities across North America integrate smart technologies into their grids. In 2021, Natasha temporarily relocated to France to pursue her Master’s degree in Global Energy Transition and Governance; her thesis focused on how Canada can unlock demand-side potential through residential demand response. She serves on the board of both the Smart Grid Innovation Network Board and the Newfoundland and Labrador Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Advisory Council.
Citations
Reid, N., Flannigan, B. (2023). The Case for The Building Decarbonization Alliance Open-Source Model. Building Decarbonization Alliance. Version 1.0.