Home / Guides / EnerGuide vs ASHRAE energy audit
COMPARISON GUIDE
EnerGuide assessment vs ASHRAE energy audit: which one do you need?
Both are called "energy audits", but they answer different questions for different buildings. Here's how to tell which one you need before you book anything.
THE SHORT ANSWER
- A house or low-rise home? You need an EnerGuide home energy assessment, done by a Natural Resources Canada registered Energy Advisor.
- An office, store, warehouse, plant, condo or rental building? You need an ASHRAE energy audit, usually Level 1 to start or Level 2 to plan upgrades.
- Chasing rebates? EnerGuide unlocks home rebates and loans. A Level 2 audit gives commercial incentive programs the savings estimates they ask for.
Side by side
| EnerGuide assessment | ASHRAE energy audit | |
|---|---|---|
| For | Houses and low-rise residential buildings | Commercial, institutional, industrial and larger multi-residential buildings |
| Done by | An NRCan registered Energy Advisor working through a licensed service organization | An energy engineer or certified energy manager |
| Standard | NRCan's EnerGuide Rating System | ASHRAE Standard 211, Levels 1 to 3 |
| What happens on site | Measurements of the whole house, including a blower door test for air leakage | Walk-through of systems, controls and operations; depth depends on the level |
| What you get | An EnerGuide rating and label, plus a report ranking upgrades | A report of energy use, savings measures, costs and payback |
| Unlocks | Home Renovation Savings bundle rebates, Toronto HELP (Home Energy Loan Program) loans, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Eco Plus refunds | The savings estimates Save on Energy, Enbridge Gas and lenders work from |
EnerGuide home energy assessments
EnerGuide is Natural Resources Canada's rating system for homes. An Energy Advisor inspects the insulation, windows, doors, heating, cooling, ventilation and hot water, and runs a blower door test to measure how leaky the house is. Software then models the home's energy use and what each upgrade would save.
The rating matters because programs rely on it. Ontario's Home Renovation Savings bundle rebates require an assessment before the work and another after it. The City of Toronto's HELP loan includes one, and a new home that rates at least 20% better than a typical new house can qualify for a CMHC Eco Plus mortgage insurance refund.
ASHRAE energy audits: Level 1, 2 and 3
For commercial and larger buildings, the industry standard is ASHRAE's three audit levels. Each goes deeper than the last.
| Level | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Walk-through | Utility bill analysis, a benchmark against similar buildings, a site walk-through, low-cost and no-cost measures, and a list of bigger opportunities worth studying | A first look, or deciding whether a deeper audit is worth it |
| Level 2 Energy survey and analysis | Energy use broken down by system, and each recommended measure costed with estimated savings and payback | Capital planning, budgeting and most incentive applications |
| Level 3 Investment grade | Detailed analysis of major capital projects, often with metering and computer simulation | Large projects that need financing-grade certainty |
Most of our commercial clients start with a free benchmark, which shows whether the building uses more energy than its peers, then move to a Level 2 audit if it does.
Which one do you need?
- Homeowner planning upgrades or claiming rebates: EnerGuide. Book a home energy assessment.
- Builder or new-home buyer: EnerGuide modelling and testing, which also supports SB-12 compliance.
- Condo board planning a reserve fund study or retrofit: ASHRAE Level 2.
- Commercial owner who has never been audited: a benchmark or Level 1 first, then Level 2 for the measures worth doing.
- Building of 50,000 sq ft or more: you also have an annual reporting duty. See what EWRB requires.
Sources: Natural Resources Canada: EnerGuide Rating System · ASHRAE standards · Save on Energy: Home Renovation Savings.
Quick answers
Is an EnerGuide assessment the same as an energy audit?
An EnerGuide assessment is a standardized energy evaluation for houses and low-rise residential buildings, done by a Natural Resources Canada registered Energy Advisor. An ASHRAE energy audit is the standard approach for commercial, institutional, industrial and larger multi-residential buildings.
What is the difference between an ASHRAE Level 1 and Level 2 audit?
A Level 1 audit reviews utility bills and walks the building to find low-cost savings and flag bigger opportunities. A Level 2 audit breaks energy use down by system and estimates the cost, savings and payback of each recommended measure, which is what most incentive and capital planning decisions need.
Which audit do I need for Ontario rebates?
Homeowners need an EnerGuide assessment to claim Home Renovation Savings bundle rebates, Toronto HELP loans and CMHC Eco Plus. Commercial incentive programs usually ask for engineering estimates of savings, which a Level 2 audit provides.