Commercial and Institutional Consumption of Energy Survey, Summary Report, 2005

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2. Energy Consumption and Intensity, by Region

2.1 Main regional differences

This section highlights the survey's overall regional results. Table 2 presents the number of establishments, energy consumption, floor area and energy intensity for each region.

According to the survey results, 38 percent of commercial and institutional establishments are located in Ontario, 22 percent in Quebec, 19 percent in the Prairies, 13 percent in British Columbia and 7 percent in the Atlantic region. Energy consumption and floor area are relatively proportional to the distribution of establishments per province.

The Atlantic and Quebec regions have the lowest energy intensity ratios, at 1.14 GJ/m² and 1.26 GJ/m², respectively. British Columbia is slightly above the Canadian intensity average, at 1.56 GJ/m², while Ontario (1.71 GJ/m²) and the Prairies (1.74 GJ/m²) have the highest intensity ratios.

The underlying causes of these regional differences are numerous and complex. Among the main causes are each region's distinct climate,⁸ as well as the form of energy used.

Table 2

Number of establishments, energy consumption, floor area and energy intensity, by region

Region	Number of establishments	Energy consumption (GJ)	Floor area (m2)	Energy intensity (GJ/m2)
Atlantic	32,987 A	55,019,228 A	48,159,323 A	1.14 A
Quebec	95,947 A	223,099,154 A	176,422,988 A	1.26 A
Ontario	168,143 A	442,096,442 A	259,213,367 A	1.71 A
Prairies	85,435 A	225,716,405 A	129,792,376 A	1.74 A
British Columbia	58,351 A	90,846,720 A	58,090,647 A	1.56 A
Canada	440,863 A	1,036,777,949 A	671,678,701 A	1.54 A

The letter to the right of each estimate indicates its quality, as follows: A – Very good, B – Acceptable, C – Use with caution, F – Too unreliable to be published or eliminated for reasons of confidentiality.

Due to rounding, the numbers may not add up to the total shown, and some numbers may differ slightly from one table to the next.

2.2 Analysis of energy intensity by activity sector

CICES 2005's estimates were sufficiently precise to support an analysis of the energy intensity by the activity sector for each region. Table 3 presents these data.

An analysis of the energy intensity for each sector and subsector by region allows us to highlight certain differences. For example, the intensity ratio for food services and drinking places varies greatly from one region to the next, ranging from 2.32 GJ/m² in the Atlantic region to 4.14 GJ/m² in Ontario, which has the highest ratio of all those evaluated within the scope of this CICES.

Table 3

Energy intensity by activity sector, by region (GJ/m²)

Sector or subsector	Atlantic	Quebec	Ontario	Prairies	British Columbia	Canada
Wholesale and warehousing	0.85 A	1.41 B	1.99 C	1.11 A	0.87 A	1.55 B
Retail trade	1.42 B	1.45 A	1.51 A	2.28 C	1.32 A	1.74 A
-Non-food retail	1.32 C	0.91 A	1.28 A	2.22 C	0.89 A	1.55 A
-Food retail	1.84 A	3.00 A	2.70 A	2.95 A	3.00 A	2.78 A
Information and cultural industries	1.64 A	1.65 B	1.61 C	1.77 A	0.78 B	1.52 B
Offices (excluding public administration)	1.00 A	0.90 A	1.54 A	1.28 A	1.61 A	1.42 A
Public administration	– F	1.45 A	1.72 C	2.07 A	0.93 A	1.22 A
Education	1.19 A	1.05 A	1.64 A	1.81 A	1.02 A	1.35 A
-Elementary and secondary schools	0.87 B	0.98 A	0.98 A	1.47 A	0.81 A	1.01 A
-Community colleges and CEGEPs	0.84 A	0.92 A	1.55 A	2.07 A	1.31 B	1.42 A
-Universities	2.28 A	2.13 A	3.12 A	2.19 A	1.59 A	2.59 A
Health care	2.33 A	1.30 A	1.89 A	2.18 A	1.64 A	1.75 A
-Ambulatory health care services	1.27 A	1.75 B	1.59 A	0.93 C	1.90 B	1.47 A
-Hospitals	3.36 A	2.09 A	2.60 A	3.56 A	2.22 A	2.83 A
-Nursing and residential care facilities	1.86 A	0.73 A	1.87 B	1.90 A	1.13 A	1.29 A
-Social assistance	1.14 A	0.68 A	0.94 A	0.95 B	0.93 A	0.83 A
Accommodation services	1.17 A	1.19 B	1.38 B	2.48 B	2.95 B	1.88 A
Food services and drinking places	2.32 B	2.69 A	4.14 A	2.56 B	3.66 A	3.06 A
Religious organizations	0.83 A	1.50 B	0.98 A	0.74 A	0.88 B	1.08 A
Other¹	0.92 A	1.39 A	2.30 A	1.12 B	2.84 B	1.78 A
TOTAL	1.14 A	1.26 A	1.71 A	1.74 A	1.56 A	1.54 A

The letter to the right of each estimate indicates its quality, as follows: A – Very good, B – Acceptable, C – Use with caution, F – Too unreliable to be published or eliminated for reasons of confidentiality.

¹ The residual category Other includes the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (NAICS 71) category and and Other services excluding public administration (religious organizations not included) (NAICS 81).

Due to rounding, the numbers may not add up to the total shown, and some numbers may differ slightly from one table to the next.

In the case of community colleges and CEGEPs, the intensity is less than 1 GJ/m² in the Atlantic and Quebec regions, yet it is double this figure in the Prairies. With respect to universities, Ontario has the highest ratio at 3.12 GJ/m², while the ratio for British Columbia is approximately half that value.

In the food retail sector, the Atlantic region has a much lower ratio than any other region, with an intensity of 1.84 GJ/m², while that of other regions reaches nearly 3 GJ/m². Thus there are many regional differences, some of which are significant for certain sectors.

2.3 Average energy consumption by region

Chart 4 illustrates the average energy consumption of establishments for each region, obtained by dividing total establishment consumption by the number of establishments. The average consumption for Canada is 2352 GJ per establishment. British Columbia and the Atlantic region have significantly lower consumption rates, at 1557 GJ and 1668 GJ per establishment, respectively. Quebec, at 2325 GJ per establishment, is slightly lower than the Canadian average. Ontario and the Prairies have the highest consumption, with each having an average greater than 2600 GJ per establishment.

The reasons for such differences are varied, but the average establishment size in each region is a significant factor. Indeed, the average surface area estimates for the Prairies and Ontario (1519 m² and 1541 m², respectively) are greater than those of British Columbia and the Atlantic region (996 m² and 1460 m², respectively).

⁸ The energy consumption database (a complement to the Energy Use Data Handbook available from the OEE Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca) allows us to distinguish certain regional climatic differences by measuring the cold or warmth of Canada's regions in relation to a base temperature. For example, the Prairie region is relatively colder than British Columbia or the Atlantic region. Climate factors contribute to increasing energy intensity in the coldest regions.

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