Natural Resources Canada has released a new feature of the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Tool.  This free tool will help managers of Canada’s senior care facilities save energy and transform those savings into health care dollars.

Building owners can now measure and benchmark energy and water consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions across an entire portfolio of buildings, in a secure online environment.

The new feature is specialized for the needs of buildings constructed to care for seniors.

Senior care facilities require climate-controlled air 24-7 and thus typically expend large amounts of energy. The tool helps administrators manage expenditures by measuring their technology’s efficiency and getting instant feedback on areas needing improvement.

Canada’s 6,482 senior care community and residential care facilities represent 1.34% of the country’s building stock, and with a growing senior population, that number is expected to increase.

The ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool already allows Canadian-specific ENERGY STAR scores for participating buildings, and now 80 other building types will be able to compare their scores.