Plan
Commercial building, construction, renovation and demolition management
This category covers activities involved in creating, maintaining and managing built spaces.
The actions presented here address both construction businesses and commercial owners and tenants who want to reduce the cost of construction and renovations by learning how to reclaim materials or optimize the energy performance of their buildings.
Action 1
Optimize the energy performance of buildings
Optimizing the energy performance of buildings means reducing their energy consumption while improving their efficiency. This involves various strategies, such as thermal insulation, the use of energy-efficient technologies and the integration of renewable energy sources.
Guides and reference material
Support services and funding programs
- Financial aid, Hydro-Québec
- ÉcoPerformance financial aid program for energy transition projects, Government of Quebec
- SOFIAC – Investing in your energy efficiency projects, SOFIAC
- Grants for energy efficiency , Énergir
- Énergie, GPS Climat
- Energy management, Fonds Écoleader
- Novoclimat program – For contractors and developers, innovation and energy
- LEED, Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC)
- Passive House Canada
Sample case
Moment Factory, Écotech Québec
To reduce its environmental impact and energy management costs, Moment Factory worked with Orio Cloud to integrate high-performance, sustainable cloud computing solutions, tailored to the creative sector’s needs.
By reusing the heat released by servers to heat buildings, the Montréal company has reduced its carbon footprint by 25% and its electricity consumption by 20% annually; it is saving over 20% in maintenance costs and 15% on the acquisition costs for new machines or servers.
Allied, Écotech Québec
Labatt Brewing Company, Écotech Québec
Heat recovery technology, GPS Climat
Case study: Helisis shifts to multi-residential dual energy, Énergir
Espace Montmorency: optimizing efficiency through an integrated energy strategy, Énergir
L’Accueil Bonneau reduces its energy bill with renewable natural gas, Énergir
Groupe Petra, Énergir
Action 2
Adopt a circular approach to construction projects ans materials
Only 3% of resources consumed every year in Montréal are reintroduced into the economy through recycling, reclamation and other strategies; this is the circularity index. To improve this index in the coming years, there is much we can do, such as giving materials a second life, better sorting construction waste and repairing and reusing materials rather than disposing of them.
Guides and reference material
- The circular economy: combining prosperity and the ecological transition, Ville de Montréal
- Construction laboratory, CERIEC – Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales
- Concrete Zero: Canada’s cement and concrete action plan to net-zero, Cement Association of Canada
- Sustainable construction for a circular economy, Cement Association of Canada
- Preventing and better managing construction, renovation and demolition waste, RECYC-QUÉBEC
- Evaluation tool for a project regarding DfAD potential , Lab construction
Support services and funding programs
Sample case
Renovation project design for Hydro-Québec administrative buildings , Lab construction
An example of introducing circular practices in renovating two administrative buildings for Hydro-Québec.
Action 3
Encourage the reuse of materials by integrating them to new constructions
When building a new building, some original materials can be reused to reduce construction costs, as well as to reduce waste and environmental impact. When reuse is impossible, choose recycling solutions for materials or reclamation by finding a second use for them.
Guides and reference material
- Circular economy program, Architecture Without Borders Quebec
- Reuse guide, Montérégie Économique
- Guide Design Montréal, Ville de Montréal
- Deconstruction project for reusing materials – Video and toolkit, Régie intermunicipale de traitement des matières résiduelles de la Gaspésie (RITMRG)
- Evaluation tool for a project regarding DfAD potential, Lab construction
Support services and funding programs
- Twenifor, Marketplace de la construction pour le réemploi et la revente
- Surcy, social economy business that offers consulting, ecodesign services, networking and more
- RÉCO centre, organization that specializes in recycling construction materials and architectural and heritage components
- Écoconception, Fonds Écoleader
- Synergie Montréal, PME MTL
- Welcome to Brick Recyc
Sample case
Brique Recyc, Maçonnerie Gratton
The company Maçonnerie Gratton partnered with Alco, RECYC-QUÉBEC and PME MTL to create a machine that automates brick cleaning, removing mortar for reuse on the construction site, prolonging the mortar’s life. This circular economy innovation enabled the business to reduce its project costs and increase profitability; it saved an estimated 5.9 tons of CO2 per 1000 square-foot wall.
Deconstruction of the Champlain Bridge
Incorporating recovered bituminous aggregate (RBA) into municipal roadwork in Quebec, Pilot project in Saint-Hippolyte.
Responsible procurement tool for key criteria to include in professional services contracts for designing building renovation and construction projects, Lab construction
Action 4
Sort and reduce resources on construction sites with optimized management
Every year, some 3.5 million tons of waste are generated on Quebec’s construction, renovation and demolition sites. To reduce the amount of waste generated, sort it effectively and bring it to the right place, such as sorting centres, transfer centres and reuse centres.
Guides and reference material
- Construction, renovation and demolition waste, RECYC-QUÉBEC
- List of sorting centres, RECYC-QUÉBEC
- Conducting a material flow cost analysis (MFCA) guide
- Responsible procurement tool for key criteria to include in professional services contracts for designing building renovation and construction projects, Lab construction
Support services and funding programs
Sample case
Multi Recyclage
Multi Recyclage is a successful case in the field of waste management. Since it was founded in 1993, the company has offered clients a turnkey, integrated waste management service in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. With three sorting centres in Quebec, the business can effectively recycle around 75% of the materials and waste received at its recycling centres.
Pilot projects for the traceability of construction, renovation and demolition waste, RECYC-QUÉBEC
TOOLS
To go further
Take the next step by consulting the evolving directory of relevant circular economy resources.
You’ll find more actions to take, as well as expert advice.