Cambridge Manor Named 2026 ENERGY STAR® Canada Building of the Year: How 8760 Helped Drive a Two-Year Energy Efficiency Journey
A two-year, data-driven energy management partnership helped The Brenda Strafford Foundation achieve ENERGY STAR® certification across six senior living facilities and deliver significant portfolio-wide savings.
We are proud to celebrate an incredible achievement by our client, The Brenda Strafford Foundation (BSF). Cambridge Manor in Calgary, Alberta, has been named the 2026 ENERGY STAR® Canada Building of the Year in the Senior Living Community and Residential Care Facility category.
This national recognition highlights BSF's commitment to energy efficiency, sustainability, and continuous improvement. At 8760 Expense Management, we are honoured to have supported BSF throughout this journey and contributed to the energy management strategy behind this achievement.
From Sustainability Goals to Measurable Energy Efficiency Performance
Like many organizations operating multiple facilities, BSF recognized the importance of sustainability and energy efficiency. However, turning those commitments into measurable operational improvements presented several challenges.
Managing energy performance across multiple buildings requires more than reviewing utility bills. BSF needed better visibility into energy consumption, a consistent way to benchmark building performance, and a structured approach to tracking improvements over time.
The goal was to build internal energy management capabilities, identify opportunities for improvement, and establish a culture of continuous efficiency across the entire portfolio.
That's where 8760 stepped in.
A Strategic, Data-Driven Energy Management Approach
Rather than relying on occasional energy audits, 8760 introduced a tailored, two-level energy tracking strategy designed to provide both portfolio-wide insights and building-level performance monitoring.
Portfolio-Level Intelligence
We established a centralized approach to tracking energy performance across BSF's facilities. This included ranking properties, monitoring overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and analyzing monthly energy costs and fluctuations across the portfolio.
This provided a clearer picture of how individual properties performed and helped identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency.
Building-Level Performance Tracking
At the individual facility level, we monitored monthly ENERGY STAR® scores using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, the benchmarking platform provided by Natural Resources Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada.
This allowed BSF to track progress, understand how each facility performed against comparable buildings, and identify when properties reached the performance thresholds required for ENERGY STAR certification.
Six Facilities. One Portfolio-Wide Achievement.
Through approximately two years of collaboration, BSF achieved ENERGY STAR® certification for all six of its senior living facilities:
Wentworth Manor (Court) – Fall 2024
Cambridge Manor – Summer 2025
Tudor Manor – Summer 2025
Wentworth Manor (Residence) – Summer 2025
Bow View Manor – Summer 2025
Clifton House – Summer 2026
Cambridge Manor Clifton House Tudor Manor Bow View Manor Wentworth Manor (Residence)
Cambridge Manor's performance placed it in the 90th+ percentile for energy performance, demonstrating the impact of consistent monitoring and strategic energy management.
The achievement represents an important milestone for BSF and its commitment to operating more efficient and sustainable senior living communities.
Approximately $893,000 in Annual Cost Savings
Beyond ENERGY STAR recognition, the partnership delivered measurable financial and environmental results. Compared with the portfolio baseline established in June 2023, the energy management initiatives helped BSF achieve approximately $893,000 in annual cost savings.
The electricity savings also represent a significant environmental benefit. Based on the estimates provided for this project, the annual electricity savings are equivalent to powering approximately 262 Calgary homes. These results demonstrate how better energy visibility, consistent benchmarking, and data-driven decision-making can translate into meaningful operational improvements.
"This achievement reflects years of focused work to improve how our buildings operate. Energy efficiency is a strategic priority because it's about ensuring we have a sustainable operating system, today and into the future."
— Gerard Batara, Director of Capital Projects & Infrastructure, The Brenda Strafford Foundation
At 8760, we believe successful energy management starts with understanding the data, identifying opportunities, and building a roadmap for long-term improvement.
"Huge congratulations to The Brenda Strafford Foundation team on this incredible achievement. Our goal at 8760 is to build the roadmap to success by making the complex simple. Our experts are proud to have supported BSF every step of the way."
— 8760 Project Management Team
Make the Complex Simple with 8760
Whether you manage one facility or an extensive property portfolio, understanding where and how energy is being used is the first step toward better cost control and operational efficiency.
8760 helps organizations turn complex energy data into actionable insights, identify savings opportunities, and develop practical strategies for long-term performance improvement.
Ready to optimize your facility portfolio?
Contact our Energy Management team to learn how we can help your organization take control of its energy expenses.
Email us: energy@8760.ca
Learn more about Large Commercial Energy Services here: https://www.8760.ca/businessenergy
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