Toronto Exhibition Place's Direct Energy Centre Retrofit & Recommissioning LEED EBOM Study

Toronto’s Board of Governors of Exhibition Place will conduct a feasibility study to identify the retrofits and upgrades required for its Direct Energy Centre (DEC) to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Canada’s Silver Certification, in its Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) category. Exhibition Place has demonstrated its commitment to achieving a sustainable property portfolio with several other energy efficiency studies and projects, including Exhibition Place’s LEED Silver new construction conference centre (GMF 10081). DEC is an exhibition centre, the largest facility of Exhibition Place, with significant energy savings potential. Guided by an external consultant, the study will recommend changes in managing energy systems; develop an ongoing re-commissioning program; provide immediate short-term and long-term capital projects; and identify tools for monitoring and evaluating energy savings. Recommended measures are expected to reduce energy use by 30 per cent, compared to the building’s current annual energy consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1,000 CO2 equivalent tonnes annually. Exhibition Place will also be seeking other credits required for Silver LEED EBOM certification, including measures related to water efficiency, waste reduction, transportation, and landscape management. Conference and exhibition facilities across Canada are recognizing the need to adopt sustainable practices such as re-commissioning schedules and energy consumption monitoring systems. Being one of the first facilities to achieve LEED Silver certification for operating and maintenance for existing buildings would showcase Exhibition Place as an industry leader and offer many opportunities to share lessons learned with other facilities throughout North America. (Project description from original funding application)