Overview – Commercial and Institutional Sector

The Commercial and Institutional sector in Canada includes activities related to trade, finance, real estate, public administration, education, health care and commercial services (including tourism).

The Commercial and Institutional sector accounts for 13.7 per cent of the energy consumed in Canada, and ranks fourth behind the Industrial, Residential and Transportation sectors

There are two aspects relating to energy in the Commercial and Institutional sector: heating and cooling, and auxiliary equipment, auxiliary motors and lighting.

About 85 per cent of the energy used in the Commercial and Institutional sector comes from electricity and natural gas.

Electricity provides all the energy used in lighting and auxiliary motors as well as 85 per cent of the energy used in space cooling. Natural gas provides about 80 per cent of the energy used in space heating and about 75 per cent of the energy used in water heating. Oil provides energy for space and water heating and auxiliary equipment.