Commercial Energy Planner
The Commercial Energy Planner helps owners and managers of existing commercial, institutional, and multi-unit residential buildings in Saskatoon benchmark and understand their building’s energy and water performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and plan actions to reduce carbon emissions.
The Commercial Energy Planner aims to make energy planning simple and practical, giving owners the information they need to make informed decisions about future energy efficiency improvements and long-term building performance through two tools:
Commercial Energy Benchmarking
Virtual Decarbonization Plan (VDP)
Participants will also have access to:
Commercial Energy Loan Program
- Financing to support eligible energy and water efficiency, renewable energy, resiliency and other building improvement projects.
Commercial Energy Resources
Support to help commercial and multi-unit building owners navigate building efficiency improvements, including education, training, and funding opportunities.
Why participate?
The initiative is offered at no cost to help building owners and managers:
✅ Understand how your building is performing
✅ Track energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
✅ Compare performance over time (year-over-year)
✅ Identify opportunities to reduce energy costs
✅ Access support, planning tools and financing
✅ Prepare for future building improvements and retrofit projects
Program Participation Criteria
- The program is open to the following building types located within Saskatoon:
- Multi-unit residential buildings
- Commercial buildings
- Institutional buildings
- Industrial buildings
- Non-profit buildings
- Participants must have or create an ESPM account with their building's electricity, natural gas and water (utility) consumption data entered. If you don’t have any of this data, ask your building manager or operator for it. (See how to set-up ESPM)
- Participants must provide at least one full calendar year (January–December 2025) of monthly utility consumption data. Registration opens in October 2026, with participants submitting monthly utility consumption data for the 2025 calendar year.
- Beginning in January 2027, participants can also submit monthly utility consumption data for the 2026 calendar year (January–December 2026).
- Participants must be willing to provide additional utility information (e.g., district energy) where available to improve performance maps and scorecard accuracy.
Register for the Commercial Energy Planner
Registering for the Commercial Energy Planner is the first step to accessing Commercial Energy Benchmarking, Virtual Decarbonization Plans, and the Commercial Energy Loan Program:
Step 1 – Submit your registration
Register for the Commercial Energy Planner using the Registration Form
Step 2 – Create or Connect Your ESPM Account
Building owners and managers can access a secure portal to submit data and link their ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager (ESPM) account. Visit the How to set up ESPM guide to learn how to set up an ESPM account and access your ESMP ID.
Step 3 – Onboarding and Support
Work with a Program Coach to complete the setup and benchmark your building.
Step 4 – Benchmark Your Building Performance
Track your building's performance year after year and compare it with similar buildings.
Step 5 – Access Additional Planning Tools and Support
Participants may access VDPs and information on financing opportunities.