Energy expenses are placing increasing pressure on the budgets of community housing organizations. Cold waves and cost volatility are a concrete reminder of today’s reality: buildings must be better equipped to withstand climate-related challenges while protecting affordability. In the context of the climate emergency, gaining a clearer understanding of housing energy performance has become essential, both to reduce expenses and to lower our carbon footprint.
To take effective action (and generate real savings), organizations first need to know where to intervene, how to prioritize, and how to plan upgrades strategically. The Energy Notebook for an Effective Transition project and the PORTRAIT platform respond directly to these needs. Supported by two $50,000 grants from the Greater Montreal Climate Fund, these projects help structure the energy transition of the community housing sector.
The Energy Notebook: planning better to invest better
The Energy Notebook for an Effective Transition aims to equip community housing providers with the tools they need to better plan energy-efficiency interventions. It brings together key information about buildings, structures action priorities, and aligns renovations within a coherent transition pathway.
In many organizations, relevant data already exists (utility bills, readings, technical information), but it is often not consolidated. The Energy Notebook provides a methodological framework to gather, organize, and translate this information into a concrete action plan.
This approach makes it possible to:
- Better understand a building’s energy performance;
- Identify priority upgrades;
- Estimate associated financial needs;
- Plan renovations progressively and strategically.
The project also includes a tenant training component, offered both before and after renovations. These workshops foster a better understanding of the work being done, encourage proper use of new equipment, and build engagement around energy-related issues.
Early results are encouraging: all participants report having gained new knowledge and feeling more confident about energy-efficiency projects.
The Energy Notebook reduces uncertainty around investment decisions. It helps organizations better anticipate energy and renovation costs, limit financial risks, and present stronger, more credible projects to funders.
PORTRAIT: Energy planning and consumption forecasting for community housing
Building on the Energy Notebook initiative, the Centre launched PORTRAIT in partnership with Concordia University, a planning and energy forecasting platform for community housing.
This initiative combines academic expertise in energy modeling with real-world field data. While the Energy Notebook structures analysis at the building level, PORTRAIT consolidates data on a broader scale and integrates simulation and projection capabilities.
By incorporating a predictive dimension, PORTRAIT supports strategic planning by anticipating the evolution of energy costs and renovation needs over the medium and long term. This forecasting capacity enables organizations to compare options, estimate potential reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and make investment decisions based on clearer, well-documented impact analyses.
As data accumulates, models become more refined, improving analytical accuracy and strengthening project credibility with funders. These tools collectively help steer the sector toward more sustainable and resilient community housing.
Energy efficiency as a core component of projects
Energy-efficient choices are often perceived as more costly in the short term. However, when integrated at the earliest stages of a project, they reduce operating and replacement costs, stabilize budgets, and strengthen long-term financial viability.
Supported by tools such as the Energy Notebook and PORTRAIT, this approach represents a sound management decision rooted in foresight and financial resilience.
Although the current phase is being deployed in Greater Montreal, this approach aligns with the Centre’s pan-Canadian mission. It opens the door to replication and adaptation in other provinces and territories, strengthening the sector’s capacity nationwide to reduce energy expenses and sustainably protect affordability.
