Correlating energy consumption with multi-unit residential building characteristics in the city of Toronto

Multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) in City of Toronto, Canada, contain more than half of the dwellings in the City and are responsible for a significant proportion of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with building energy-use in the residential sector. To efficiently reduce the impact of this sector, MURBs with the highest energy intensity need to be identified. Accordingly, this study examined correlations between building characteristics and energy use. A wide range of energy intensities were revealed and it was found that typology-specific energy-use trends could not be established. The energy intensity variability was attributed to differences in building operation and it was suggested that many buildings can realize improved energy performance by changing operating procedures. The building characteristics exhibiting the strongest correlations with energy use were fenestration ratio and boiler efficiency. However, the need for more uniform and complete building characteristic and energy use data was identified. This study concludes with recommendations to improve the quantity and quality of MURB energy-use data and building characteristics so that researchers can develop a more accurate and complete picture of the MURB energy-use in Toronto.