Net Zero Guidance Material

Explore practical guidance designed to help building owners take meaningful steps toward net-zero. Net zero buildings deliver exceptional energy performance and eliminate operational greenhouse gas emissions through integrated efficiency strategies and renewable energy systems. The Net Zero Guidance Material offers customized approaches for diverse building needs, making it easier to plan upgrades, prioritize investments and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in your home or building. This material aligns with the City of Toronto’s TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and Net Zero Existing Building Strategy and supports the City’s 2040 net zero goals for community-wide emissions — helping you create efficient, resilient and future-ready spaces.
Please reach out to bbp@toronto.ca if you have any questions or would like to discuss how the Net Zero Guidance Material is applicable to your building.
Begin your net-zero journey by exploring the Net Zero Introductory Guide. This guide supports home and building owners, managers, and operators in understanding what net‑zero buildings means in practice — and why they are central to Toronto’s climate goals. It offers clear, practical direction on achievable pathways to net‑zero, showing how deep energy retrofits, electrification, and renewable energy can dramatically cut emissions across Toronto’s building stock. Beyond outlining what it takes to pursue deep energy retrofits, the guide highlights the broader value they unlock for both owners and communities: reduced operating costs, better comfort and indoor health, improved resilience during extreme weather, and strengthened long‑term asset performance.
Use this guide to familiarize yourself with key net‑zero concepts, explore how to use subsequent guides and and plan your next steps to unlock economic, social, and environmental benefits on the pathway to a net‑zero Toronto by 2040.
Take the next step toward net-zero by exploring building-specific sector guides. These guides span nearly every building type in Toronto—from single family homes to institutional facilities and large commercial buildings—and highlight net zero retrofit measures tailored to each sector. These resources provide practical, actionable strategies to help building owners and operators plan and implement deep energy retrofits: comprehensive upgrades that modernize building systems, strengthen the envelope, and optimize overall energy performance. Each guide also outlines estimated costs and potential savings, supporting informed decision making and helping you choose the right pathway for your building.
Use these guides to identify the systems and retrofit measures most relevant to your home or building, and to map out your step by step pathway to net zero.
Can’t find your building type?
Email bbp@toronto.ca for support. The guides include numerous sub‑categories that may align with your building, and we’re here to point you to the right fit.

Institutional and large commercial

Multi-unit residential buildings

Small commercial and industrial

Single family home

Plan smarter retrofits with our suite of Technology Guides. Whether you’re upgrading a single system or tackling a full building transformation, these guides provide key considerations for moving forward with proven technologies — including lighting, HVAC, controls, and building envelope improvements. Each guide offers practical strategies to help homeowners and building owners plan individual retrofits that reduce energy use, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and deliver measurable benefits: lower operating costs, improved comfort and health, and enhanced building performance.

Load Reduction

Electrification

Advanced Controls

Renewable Energy Generation and Storage

Inform and strengthen your decision-making process using our suite of Net Zero Planning Tools. Each tool is designed to make the process practical and actionable. Identify the optimal time to plan and implement your retrofit, calculate the business case by estimating reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings, and clarify stakeholder roles.
Use these templates, checklists, and calculators to streamline decision-making, build strong business cases, and take meaningful steps toward a low-carbon future.
  • When to Implement Guide PDF: Identifies and recommends retrofit measures to be completed prior, with, or after a selected net zero technology / measure for a single-family home.

 

 

  • Measure Specific Checklist PDF: Checklist of measures which prompt users to identify opportunities and feasibility considerations while progressing through the development of a net-zero roadmap and retrofitting.

 

  • Board Approvals Template Word file: Template is designed to help users create a business case for a building retrofit following the development of a net-zero roadmap.

 

 

 

  • Emissions Reduction Calculator Excel file: Estimate the potential reduction on greenhouse gas emissions, energy savings and utility costs from a selected net zero net zero retrofit measure.

 

  • Net Zero Roadmap Excel file: Use to schedule net-zero retrofits and create a comprehensive, actionable net-zero roadmap.