ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is the benchmarking tool behind most building energy reporting in Canada, and the reason most submissions go wrong is not the tool. It is the utility data: a missing month, a tenant meter nobody could get, a gas account in the wrong unit. Natural Resources Canada sets the Canadian requirements, the U.S. EPA runs the platform, and Ontario's reporting programs sit on top of both. Knowing what data the tool needs, and where in Canada to get it, is most of the work.
This guide is the Canada-specific data-source companion to get utility data into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, which covers the loading mechanics. Here you will find what Portfolio Manager is in Canada according to NRCan, the 12 consecutive months and all-fuels rule, meter setup, whole-building versus tenant data and how utilities aggregate it, what the EPA's utility data access map shows and why it is a US resource, which Ontario programs require the tool, the three ways to get data in, and the data quality checks to run before you submit.
What Portfolio Manager is in Canada
NRCan's benchmarking FAQ describes Portfolio Manager as an interactive energy management tool for tracking and assessing energy and water consumption across a portfolio of buildings, and states that in 2013 NRCan launched its adaptation of the tool for use in Canada, featuring a bilingual interface, Canadian weather data, and 1-100 energy performance scores for eligible building types based on real Canadian data. NRCan's access page adds that the Canadian version uses Canadian postal codes and the metric system, and its national benchmarking initiative page lists Canadian site and source energy calculations, Canadian greenhouse gas emission factors, median energy use intensities for more than 80 building types and weather data from more than 150 stations.
On data residency, NRCan states that both Canadian and U.S. data is stored on the EPA's server, Canadian data is separated from the US data, and the EPA does not have access to Canadian data. That question comes up in most public-sector procurements.
Which property types get a Canadian ENERGY STAR score
Not every building type receives a 1-100 score. NRCan's FAQ states that among the more than 80 property types built into Portfolio Manager, those eligible to receive a score are office, K-12 school, hospital, ice/curling rink, medical office, senior living community, supermarket/grocery store, warehouse, retail store, hotel, multifamily housing, bank branch, worship facility, mailing centre/post office, library and museum. Other types benchmark against national energy use intensity values, and reporting programs require submission whether or not a score is available.
The data requirement: 12 consecutive months, all fuels, whole building
NRCan's FAQ is explicit. To receive a score there must be at least 12 full consecutive calendar months of energy data for all active meters and all fuel types, and you must enter energy meters that account for all energy use for all fuel types (electricity, gas, oil, steam, onsite renewable energy and so on) in the whole building. NRCan's getting-started page puts it more generally: Portfolio Manager requires one full year of data for its metrics calculations, and you can enter historical data going back as far as records exist.
A single missing month for any fuel blocks the score. A fuel you forgot (the propane tank behind the arena) makes the score wrong. And a building where tenants hold their own accounts needs their consumption too, which is the aggregation problem below.
Meter setup
Set up one meter in Portfolio Manager per physical meter or utility account, with the correct commodity and unit, and do not merge accounts into one meter to save time. Ontario's EWRB guide notes that meter setup is required only once, with new data added annually, and that billing data may span dates before and after the calendar year being reported, so enter bills with their actual start and end dates and let the tool prorate. If a meter is replaced or an account closes, mark it inactive with an end date rather than deleting it.
For onsite generation, NRCan's utility guidance recommends that utilities report gross, not net, electricity consumption, so if you have solar on site make sure the electricity meter reflects gross consumption and the generation is entered separately.
Whole-building versus tenant data, and aggregation
Whole-building data is the combined consumption of every meter and account serving the property, including tenant accounts the owner never sees a bill for. NRCan's guidance to utilities explains that owners cannot access individual tenant consumption because of privacy protections, so without aggregated data benchmarking a multi-tenant building is functionally impossible. NRCan reports that Canadian utilities typically apply a threshold of 10 or more customers or tenants, sometimes with a secondary rule such as 4/50 (no single tenant above 50 per cent of consumption), and that properties meeting the threshold receive aggregated data without tenant authorization while those below it need individual consent. The threshold counts unique customers, not meters.
NRCan's recommendations to utilities include monthly aggregate delivery, an itemized list of the meters included, communication of corrections, and delivery through the Portfolio Manager web services API rather than spreadsheets where the utility is large enough. When you request whole-building data, ask for that meter list; it is the only way to confirm the aggregate covers the building and nothing more. The utility data for residential landlords and multifamily portfolios guide covers the tenant side in more depth.
The EPA utility data access map, and why it is a US resource
Searches for an ENERGY STAR utility map lead to the EPA's data access page, where an interactive map shows the service territories of utilities that provide energy benchmarking data to their customers, searchable by entering a zip code. The page offers a PDF list of participating utilities and an Excel dataset mapping each U.S. zip code to its utility. The companion list of utilities providing energy data for benchmarking notes whether each utility provides data in spreadsheet format or delivers it directly into customers' Portfolio Manager accounts via web services, and its PDF is dated December 2024.
The map is built on U.S. zip codes and does not cover Canadian utilities. NRCan's getting-started page states that Portfolio Manager web services are still new in Canada, with some Canadian utilities working toward automatic data exchange. In Canada the practical sources are Green Button feeds, utility portals, aggregated data requests to the utility, and bills.
Ontario programs that require Portfolio Manager
Under Ontario's Energy and Water Reporting and Benchmarking (EWRB) initiative, owners of buildings 50,000 square feet or larger must report energy and water use once a year by July 1 to the Ministry of Energy and Mines under Ontario Regulation 506/18, using Portfolio Manager, and buildings 100,000 square feet or larger need a certified professional to verify the report in the first year and every five years after. The EWRB Ontario guide covers that program step by step.
Under the Broader Public Sector energy reporting regulation, municipalities, school boards and other BPS organizations report energy consumption by July 1 each year through Portfolio Manager under O. Reg. 25/23, with no minimum square footage. The utility data for Ontario municipalities and public sector guide covers the BPS side.
Three ways to get data into Portfolio Manager
The EPA describes three routes: enter data manually one meter at a time, upload spreadsheet templates to create or update multiple meters at once, or work with third-party providers that exchange data directly via web services. Web services are REST-based; customers can request that a registered provider import their property, energy, water and waste data directly into their accounts, and providers must test in the EPA's test environment before registering for live exchange.
| Method | Best for | Effort per year | Error risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual entry | One or two buildings, few meters | High and repeated | Typing and unit errors |
| Spreadsheet templates | Portfolios with data already in a system | Moderate, template preparation | Column and date format errors |
| Web services (third party) | Ongoing monthly updates across a portfolio | Low after setup | Depends on the provider's validation |
Data quality checks before you submit
Portfolio Manager performs more than 70 data quality checks and raises alerts against a property. Ontario's EWRB guide requires running the Data Quality Checker after any change to usage data, floor area or meter configuration. Before you get there, check the data at source:
- Every meter has 12 consecutive months with no gaps and no overlapping bill periods
- Units match the commodity (kWh, m3, GJ, litres) and the values are within the account's historical range
- Every fuel used in the building has a meter, including deliveries such as propane and fuel oil
- Tenant accounts are included through aggregated data, and the utility's meter list matches the building
- Onsite generation is entered separately and electricity consumption is gross
The Green Button data quality gaps and validation guide describes the gaps that appear in utility feeds and how to close them before the data reaches Portfolio Manager.
Frequently asked questions
Is ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager available in Canada?
Yes. NRCan states that it launched a Canadian adaptation in 2013 with a bilingual interface, Canadian weather data and Canadian 1-100 scores for eligible building types. The tool itself is hosted by the U.S. EPA.
How many months of utility data does Portfolio Manager need?
At least 12 full consecutive calendar months for all active meters and all fuel types to receive a score, according to NRCan. Ontario's reporting programs ask for the previous calendar year, January 1 to December 31, so in practice you need every month of that year for every fuel and for water.
How do I get tenant energy data for whole-building benchmarking?
Request aggregated whole-building data from the utility. NRCan reports that Canadian utilities typically release aggregated data without tenant consent at 10 or more customers, and require individual consent below that. Ask for the list of meters included so you can confirm coverage.
How EZGB fits
EZGB collects the utility data Portfolio Manager needs. It retrieves billing and interval data from 55+ Ontario electricity and natural gas utilities through authorized utility connections and Green Button, digitizes PDF and scanned bills (including water and fuel deliveries) with BillScan, and keeps collecting on a schedule, typically daily. Each record is validated for period continuity, units and plausibility before delivery by REST API, SFTP, JSON and CSV, so the 12-month, all-fuels requirement is checked upstream of the Data Quality Checker. The automated bill and meter data retrieval page and how EZGB works describe the process, and EZGB pricing lists the plans.
If you benchmark Canadian buildings and are assembling data for a Portfolio Manager submission, we can show you how your accounts map to Green Button, portal and bill sources, and what the delivered dataset looks like. Request a demo on the pricing page.
Sources
- NRCan: Benchmarking frequently asked questions
- NRCan: Guidance for utilities providing whole-building energy data
- NRCan: ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager access page
- NRCan: Getting started with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
- NRCan: National building energy benchmarking initiative
- ENERGY STAR: Accessing utility data for benchmarking (utility map)
- ENERGY STAR: Utilities providing energy data for benchmarking
- ENERGY STAR: How to get utility data into Portfolio Manager
- ENERGY STAR: Use web services to exchange data with Portfolio Manager
- ENERGY STAR: List of Portfolio Manager alerts
- Ontario.ca: Report energy and water use for large buildings and How to report
- Ontario.ca: Broader public sector energy reporting
Source: natural-resources.canada.ca